Pope Francis Appoints USCCB Evangelization Chairman Bishop Andrew Cozzens as Bishop of Crookston



WASHINGTON—Pope Francis has appointed Bishop Andrew H. Cozzens, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, as Bishop of Crookston. The appointment was publicized in Washington, D.C. on October 18, 2021, by Archbishop Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States. 

The biography for Bishop Cozzens may be found here

Most Reverend Andrew H. Cozzens serves as auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. 

A native of Denver, Bishop Cozzens is the youngest of three children. He graduated from Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, where he experienced a deepening of the faith through the Catholic Charismatic Renewal. During a period of discernment after college, Bishop Cozzens served as a travelling missionary to young people around the country with Twin Cities-based NET Ministries. He then joined the Companions of Christ in Saint Paul and worked for Saint Paul’s Outreach leading college Bible study groups. 

After his year of discernment he was accepted into the Saint Paul Seminary. Four years later, in 1997, he was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. He served as parochial vicar at the Cathedral of Saint Paul and then Faribault Catholic Community (now Divine Mercy) before being sent to Rome for doctoral studies. Upon his return to Minnesota, Bishop Cozzens began service as an instructor at the Saint Paul Seminary.

On October 11, 2013, Pope Francis appointed him as auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. Bishop Cozzens’ ordination to the Episcopacy took place December 9, 2013, on the transferred Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, at the Saint Paul Cathedral. 

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The Diocese of Crookston is comprised of 17,210 square miles in the State of Minnesota and has a total population of 227,689 of which 34,875 are Catholic.

Source: USCCB - Biography: https://www.archspm.org/

Photo credit: Dave Hrbacek/The Catholic Spirit.

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