Paul David Sirba is the current bishop of Duluth

Roman Catholic Diocese of Duluth

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Duluth is a Roman Catholic diocese in Minnesota. The episcopal see is in Duluth, Minnesota. It was established on October 3, 1889 by Pope Leo XIII. The diocese includes Aitkin, Carlton, Cass, Cook, Crow Wing, Itasca, Koochiching, Lake, Pine and St...

 since his appointment by Pope Benedict XVI

Pope Benedict XVI

Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...

 on 15 October 2009.

Sirba was born in the city of Saint Paul, Minnesota

Minnesota

Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...

. He completed his studies at the archdiocesan seminary of Saint Paul and Minneapolis

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in the United States. It is led by the prelature of an archbishop which administers the archdiocese from the cities of Saint Paul and Minneapolis...

 and at the Notre Dame Institute for Catechetics in Alexandria, Virginia

Alexandria, Virginia

Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...

. He was ordained a priest 31 May 1986 for the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis.

He served in the following positions: assistant priest of the "Saint Olaf Parish"In Minneapolis (1986–1990) and Saint John the Baptist Parish (1990–1991), Spiritual Director of the Seminary of Saint John Vianney (1991–2000), pastor of the Maternity of Mary Parish, Saint Paul (2001–2006), Director of Spiritual Formation in the Saint Paul Seminary, Saint Paul (2006–2009), vicar general

Vicar general

A vicar general is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ordinary executive power over the entire diocese and, thus, is the highest official in a diocese or other particular...

 of the same archdiocese since June 2009.

Pope Benedict appointed him to fill the vacancy as bishop of Duluth succeeding Archbishop

Archbishop

An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...

 Dennis Schnurr, who was named Coadjutor Archbishop of Cincinnati

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati covers the southwest region of the U.S. state of Ohio, including the greater Cincinnati and Dayton metropolitan areas. The Archbishop of Cincinnati is Most Rev...

 in October 2008.

Bishop Sirba is the fifth child of the 1960s to be named an American bishop by Pope Benedict. The appointment of Sirba follows Bishops Peter Christiansen

Peter F. Christensen

Peter Forsyth Christensen is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who serves as Bishop of Superior.Born in Altadena, California, he was the fourth of eight children born to Robert and Ann Christensen. The family later moved to Palos Verdes, and in 1964 Robert and Ann obtained a divorce...

 of Superior, Richard Pates of Des Moines and John M. LeVoir

John M. LeVoir

John Marvin LeVoir is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He currently serves as the fourth Bishop in the diocese of New Ulm.-Biography:...

 of New Ulm, Sirba is the fourth Twin Cities

Twin cities

Twin cities are a special case of two cities or urban centres which are founded in close geographic proximity and then grow into each other over time...

 product named an ordinary

Ordinary

In those hierarchically organised churches of Western Christianity which have an ecclesiastical law system, an ordinary is an officer of the church who by reason of office has ordinary power to execute the church's laws...

in just the last two years.

Sirba was ordained and installed as the bishop of Duluth on 14 December.