Diocese of Winona

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Bishop(s) Bernard Joseph Harrington, Bishop Loras Joseph Watters, Bishop Emeritus

General Information Type of Jurisdiction: Diocese Erected: 26 November 1889 Metropolitan: Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis Rite: Latin (or Roman) State: Minnesota Country: United States of America Square Kilometers: 31,798 (12,282 Square Miles) Description: Winona, Wabasha, Olmsted, Dodge, Steele, Waseca, Blue Earth, Watonwan, Cottonwood, Murray, Pipestone, Rock, Nobles, Jackson, Faribault, Martin, Freeborn, Mower, Fillmore, and Houston Counties. Conference Region: VIII (MN, ND, SD) Catholic Directory Abbreviation: WIN Official Web Site: http://www.dow.org/ Mailing Address: 55 West Sanborn St., P.O. Box 588, Winona, MN 55987 Telephone: (507)454-4643 Fax: 454-8106

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Past and Present Ordinaries

• Joseph Bernard Cotter † (15 Nov 1889 Appointed - 28 Jun 1909 Died)
• Patrick Richard Heffron † (4 Mar 1910 Appointed - 23 Nov 1927 Died)
• Francis Martin Kelly † (10 Feb 1928 Appointed - 17 Oct 1949 Resigned)
• Edward Aloysius Fitzgerald † (20 Oct 1949 Appointed - 8 Jan 1969 Retired)
• Loras Joseph Watters (8 Jan 1969 Appointed - 14 Oct 1986 Retired)
• John George Vlazny (19 May 1987 Appointed - 28 Oct 1997 Appointed, Archbishop of Portland in Oregon)
• Bernard Joseph Harrington (4 Nov 1998 Appointed - )

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Historical Summary

Date	Event	From	To
26 November 1889	Erected	Diocese of Saint Paul	Diocese of Winona (erected)

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Statistics

Year	Catholics	Total Population	Percent Catholic	Diocesan Priests	Religious Priests	Total Priests	Catholics Per Priest	Permanent Deacons	Male Religious	Female Religious	Parishes	Source
1950	73,044	447,082	16.3%	151	15	166	440		112	821	129	ap1951
1966	113,380	509,310	22.3%	200	28	228	497		88	1,399	130	ap1967
1970	118,062	449,039	26.3%	183	17	200	590		50	841	131	ap1971
1976	120,293	514,460	23.4%	160	13	173	695		44	706	128	ap1977
1980	123,700	532,000	23.3%	152	11	163	758		37	744	124	ap1981
1990	122,526	524,800	23.3%	132	13	145	845		40	576	124	ap1991
1999	148,445	528,303	28.1%	130	11	141	1,052	3	23	490	118	ap2000
2000	148,445	528,303	28.1%	107	9	116	1,279	4	31	487	118	ap2001
2001	150,370	557,684	27.0%	108	9	117	1,285	5	31	449	118	ap2002
2002	151,081	557,684	27.1%	105	9	114	1,325	6	30	460	118	ap2003
2003	130,000	557,684	23.3%	104	9	113	1,150	7	30	435	118	ap2004
2004	130,527	557,684	23.4%	102	8	110	1,186	9	30	511	115	ap2005

Note: Any changes in boundaries over time are not indicated in the above table.

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Affiliated Bishops, Living

• Robert Henry Brom (Priest: 18 Dec 1963 to 25 Mar 1983)
• Bernard Joseph Harrington (Bishop: 4 Nov 1998 - )
• Michael Joseph Hoeppner (Priest: 29 Jun 1975 to 28 Sep 2007)
• John George Vlazny (Bishop: 19 May 1987 to 28 Oct 1997)
• Loras Joseph Watters (Bishop: 8 Jan 1969 to 14 Oct 1986)

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Affiliated Bishops, Deceased

• Leo Binz † (Coadjutor Bishop: 21 Nov 1942 to 15 Oct 1949)
• Joseph Bernard Cotter † (Bishop: 15 Nov 1889 to 28 Jun 1909)
• Edward Aloysius Fitzgerald † (Bishop: 20 Oct 1949 to 8 Jan 1969)
• Frederick William Freking † (Priest: 31 Jul 1938 to 10 Oct 1957)
• Patrick Richard Heffron † (Bishop: 4 Mar 1910 to 23 Nov 1927)
• Francis Martin Kelly † (Priest: 1 Nov 1912; Auxiliary Bishop: 22 Mar 1926; Bishop: 10 Feb 1928 to 17 Oct 1949)
• John Hubert Peschges † (Priest: 15 Apr 1905 to 30 Aug 1938)
• George Henry Speltz † (Priest: 2 Jun 1940; Auxiliary Bishop: 12 Feb 1963 to 4 Apr 1966)