Our Catholic supporters – especially those in the Upper Midwest! – may be interested to know that the Bishop of the Diocese of Fairbanks, of which Nome and its environs are a part, has just become the Bishop of St. Cloud, Minnesota.

Bishop Donald Kettler, who served in Alaska for 11 years, was installed as the Bishop of St. Cloud on November 7th.

Among those at his installation services was Deacon Bob Froehle, secretary of KNOM’s board of directors. Deacon Bob regularly serves at our local church, Nome’s St. Joseph Parish.

While Bishop Donald’s departure is a bittersweet moment for many Catholics in our region, we wish him well and will keep you informed when a new bishop is appointed for our diocese. (In the meantime, an “apostolic administrator” will care for the Fairbanks Diocese, including the parishes in Western Alaska.)