Pope Francis this morning appointed Bishop Andrew Cozzens as the bishop of Crookston, Minnesota.
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. One of his first NET Ministries missions sent him to the Diocese of Crookston. After serving with NET, he then joined the Companions of Christ in Saint Paul, a fraternity of priests in the Archdiocese, and worked for Saint Paul’s Outreach leading college Bible study groups at the University of St. Thomas.
After a 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 and formator 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.
Archbishop Bernard A. Hebda said of the pope’s decision to send Bishop Cozzens to shepherd the people of the Diocese of Crookston: “The Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis is honored that the Holy Father has chosen our Auxiliary, Bishop Andrew Cozzens, to lead the Diocese of Crookston. I am not surprised that Pope Francis would have seen in him the extraordinary priestly gifts that have long been recognized by the priests and faithful of this Archdiocese who have come to know him and love him as an energetic and capable shepherd with a huge heart, sharp intellect, and unfailing love for Christ and his Church. I consider it a great privilege to have had the opportunity to collaborate with Bishop Cozzens so closely in the last six years and will always be grateful that he was here to introduce me to the Archdiocese that he had come to know and love, first as a young NET missionary from Colorado, then as a seminarian, priest and bishop. His steadfast advocacy for those who had been hurt in any way by the Church, his passion for Catholic education and evangelization, his creative guidance of our Synod process, and his love for immigrants, refugees and those on the peripheries have all left what I hope will be an indelible mark on me and on this Archdiocese. While I will miss his daily counsel and example, I very much look forward to continuing to work with him as a brother bishop in our Province.”
Bishop Cozzens said of today’s appointment, “I am grateful to Our Holy Father for entrusting to me this important mission and my heart is already filled with love for the faithful, the priests, and the religious of the Diocese of Crookston. I have great excitement for this opportunity to serve. At the same time I also grieve the fact that I will be leaving my home. After almost 25 years of serving in the Archdiocese, I have immense love and gratitude for the innumerable ways the people, priests, religious and bishops have blessed and formed my life. The life of the Church in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis is vibrant and in many ways unparalleled in our country. I have experienced personally that God is doing incredible things here through so many good people who love Christ and his Church, and I expect that to grow as the Archdiocese brings the Synod to completion and begins a new phase of Evangelization. I am extremely grateful to have served with Archbishop Hebda and the many priests of this Archdiocese, who have been true brothers in Christ to me. I will always treasure in my heart the gift of so many deep friendships with priests, religious and laity of the Archdiocese. As I go forth following the call of Jesus, I beg your prayers for me and the Diocese of Crookston.”
Bishop Cozzens was born August 3, 1968, to Jack and Judy Cozzens. He is the youngest of three children, and attended Catholic grade school, high school and college.
His installation as the eighth bishop of Crookston will take place December 6, at 1 p.m. at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Crookston.
A Mass of Thanksgiving for Bishop Cozzens will be held Sunday, November 28, 12 p.m. at the Cathedral of Saint Paul, with a reception following for people to greet him from 1-4 p.m.
For more information on today’s appointment, please visit the Diocese of Crookston and The Catholic Spirit. The Diocese of Crookston live streamed the introductory news conference today at 10 a.m. You may find it below, and at www.facebook.com/DioCrookston.
Promotional Content