The Roman Catholic Diocese of Fargo is a Roman Catholic

Roman Catholic Church

The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...

 diocese

Diocese

A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...

 in North Dakota

North Dakota

North Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, along the Canadian border. The state is bordered by Canada to the north, Minnesota to the east, South Dakota to the south and Montana to the west. North Dakota is the 19th-largest state by area in the U.S....

. It was founded on April 6, 1897 by Pope Leo XIII

Pope Leo XIII

Pope Leo XIII , born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci to an Italian comital family, was the 256th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, reigning from 1878 to 1903...

. Fargo, North Dakota

Fargo, North Dakota

Fargo is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Cass County. In 2010, its population was 105,549, and it had an estimated metropolitan population of 208,777...

 is the episcopal see

Episcopal See

An episcopal see is, in the original sense, the official seat of a bishop. This seat, which is also referred to as the bishop's cathedra, is placed in the bishop's principal church, which is therefore called the bishop's cathedral...

 of the diocese.

Bishops of the Diocese of Fargo

The bishop

Bishop

A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...

s that have served the Diocese of Fargo are:

• John Shanley
  John Shanley
  John Shanley was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Fargo, North Dakota, from 1889 until his death in 1909.-Biography:...
  
   (1889–1909)
• James O'Reilly
  James O'Reilly (bishop)
  James O'Reilly was the second Roman Catholic Bishop of Fargo .O'Reilly was born in Ireland and educated at All Hallows College in Dublin, where he was ordained to the priesthood on June 24, 1882. After coming to the United States, he was attached to the Diocese of St...
  
   (1909–1934)
• Aloisius Joseph Muench
  Aloisius Joseph Muench
  Aloisius Joseph Muench was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Fargo from 1935 to 1959, and as Apostolic Nuncio to Germany from 1951 to 1959...
  
   (1935–1959)
• Leo Ferdinand Dworschak
  Leo Ferdinand Dworschak
  Leo Ferdinand Dworschak was the fourth Roman Catholic bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fargo, in Fargo, North Dakota....
  
   (1960–1970)
• Justin Albert Driscoll
  Justin Albert Driscoll
  Justin Albert Driscoll was an American Roman Catholic clergyman. He served as President of Loras College and Bishop of Fargo .-Biography:...
  
   (1970–1984)
• James Stephen Sullivan
  James Stephen Sullivan
  James Stephen Sullivan was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Fargo from 1985 to 2002.-Biography:...
  
   (1985–2002)
• Samuel Joseph Aquila
  Samuel Joseph Aquila
  Samuel Joseph Aquila is the seventh and current Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fargo in North Dakota....
  
  (2002—)

Departments

The Diocese of Fargo operates a number of departments serving the various needs of the bishop and parishes. The departments include:

• Archives
• Catholic Education and Formation Office (CEF)
• Catholic Schools
• Cemeteries
• Communications
• Education for Parish Service (EPS)
• Evangelization and Catechesis
• Finance
• Human Resources
• Marriage & Family Life
• Marriage Tribunal
• Properties Management
• Respect Life
• Stewardship & Development
• Technology
• Youth & Young Adult

Fargo parishes

• Cardinal Muench Seminary
• Cathedral of St. Mary
• Holy Spirit Catholic Church
• Nativity Catholic Church
• St. Anthony of Padua's Catholic Church
• Sts. Anne & Joachim's Catholic Church
• St. Paul's Catholic Newman Center

Grand Forks parishes

• Holy Family Catholic Church
• St. Mary's Catholic Church
• St. Michael's Catholic Church
• St. Thomas Aquinas' Newman Center

Elementary schools

• Holy Spirit, Fargo
• Nativity, Fargo
• St. Ann Elementary, Belcourt
• St. Joseph Elementary, Devils Lake
• St. Michael Elementary, Grand Forks
• Holy Family Elementary, Grand Forks
• St. Alphonsus Elementary, Langdon
• St. John Academy, Jamestown
• Little Flower Elementary, Rugby
• St. Catherine Elementary, Valley City
• St. John Elementary, Wahpeton

Seminary

The Diocese of Fargo also operates Cardinal Meunch Seminary, established in 1962, for the formation of men to the priesthood. The seminary is slated to be closed in May 2011 due to increased cost of operation and lack of funding.