| Styles of Paul Zipfel |
|
|---|---|
| Reference style | The Most Reverend |
| Spoken style | Your Excellency |
| Religious style | Monsignor |
| Posthumous style | not applicable |
Paul Albert Zipfel (born September 22, 1935) is a retired American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He was the sixth Bishop of Bismarck.
Paul Zipfel was born in St. Louis, Missouri to Albert and Leona (née Rau) Zipfel. He has an older brother, Ralph, and an older sister, who is a nun, Sister Alice Regine Zipfel. He attended St. Michael's elementary school in from 1940-49, and afterwards entered the St. Louis Preparatory Seminary. After studying at Kenrick Seminary (1955–1957) and the Catholic University of America (1957–1961), Zipfel was ordained to the priesthood on March 18, 1961.
He then obtained his licentiate in Sacred Theology during the following June, and completed his graduate studies at St. Louis University from 1963 to 1965, there earning his Master's in Education. From 1961 to 1989, Zipfel did pastoral work in the Archdiocese of St. Louis, served as an associate pastor, pastor, teacher and administrator at various schools and parishes. To this day, he is still revered and loved by many of the former students of Holy Family Catholic School is South St. Louis.
On May 16, 1989, Zipfel was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of St. Louis and Titular Bishop of Walla Walla by Pope John Paul II. He received his episcopal consecration on the following June 29 from Archbishop John May, with Bishops O'Donnell, SVD and Steib, SVD serving as co-consecrators.
Zipfel was named the sixth Bishop of Bismarck, North Dakota, on December 31, 1996, being formally installed on February 20, 1997. From December 1998 to January 1999, the Bishop was engaged in a debate with the district superior of the traditionalist Society of St. Pius X, Fr. Peter R. Scott, after Zipfel forbade Catholics under his jurisdiction to attend Masses offered at the SSPX's St. Michael the Archangel Church in Mandan, North Dakota.[1]
Within the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, he sits on the Administrative Committee and the Priestly Life and Ministry Committee. His resignation from the pastoral governance of the Diocese of Bismarck was accepted on October 19, 2011, and he was succeeded by David Kagan.
| Catholic Church titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by John Francis Kinney |
Bishop of Bismarck 1996–2011 |
Succeeded by David Kagan |