Diocese of Green Bay, USA 🇺🇸

Continent: North America

Rite: Roman (Latin)

Type: Diocese Diocese

Name: Green Bay / Sinus Viridis (Latin)

Ecclesiastical Province: Milwaukee

Neighbouring Dioceses: Madison (↙), La Crosse (←), Superior (↖), Marquette (↑), Milwaukee (↓)

Depends on: Dicastery for Bishops

Websites:

Celebrations

Patron Saint: Saint Francis Xavier (December 3)

Cathedral Dedication Anniversary: November 20

Liturgical Calendar 📅

History

1868.03.03: Established as Diocese of Green Bay / Sinus Viridis (Latin) (from Diocese of Milwaukee and became suffragan of Saint Louis)
1875.02.12: Became suffragan of Milwaukee
1905.05.03: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Superior
1945.12.22: Lost territory to establish Diocese of Madison

Contact Info

Address: Chancery, P.O. Box 23825, Green Bay, WI 54305-3825, USA

Phone: +1 (920) 437-7531

Present Prelates

Bishop (2008.07.09 – ...):

Bishop David Laurin Ricken (73)

Ordinaries

Bishops of Green Bay (Roman Rite)

Bishop David Laurin Ricken (73)
(2008.07.09 – ...)

Bishop of Green Bay (USA)

Caritas sapientia fortitudo

Born:	1952.11.09 (Dodge City, KS, USA)
Ordained Priest:	1980.09.12
Consecrated Bishop:	2000.01.06

Priest of Pueblo (USA) (1980.09.12 – 1999.12.14)

Coadjutor Bishop of Cheyenne (USA) (1999.12.14 – 2001.09.26)

Bishop of Cheyenne (USA) (2001.09.26 – 2008.07.09)

Bishop of Green Bay (USA) (2008.07.09 – ...)

Archbishop Timothy Michael Dolan (76) (later Cardinal)
(Apostolic Administrator 2007.09.28 – 2008.07.09)

Bishop David Allen Zubik (76)
(2003.10.10 – 2007.07.18)

Bishop emeritus of Pittsburgh (USA)

Nothing is Impossible with God

Born:	1949.09.04 (Sewickley, PA, USA)
Ordained Priest:	1975.05.03
Consecrated Bishop:	1997.04.06

Priest of Pittsburgh (USA) (1975.05.03 – 1997.02.18)

Titular Bishop of Jamestown (1997.02.18 – 2003.10.10)

Auxiliary Bishop of Pittsburgh (USA) (1997.02.18 – 2003.10.10)

Bishop of Green Bay (USA) (2003.10.10 – 2007.07.18)

Bishop of Pittsburgh (USA) (2007.07.18 – 2025.06.04)

Bishop Robert Joseph Banks
(1990.10.16 – 2003.10.10)

Blessed be God

Born:	1928.02.26 (Boston, MA, USA)
Ordained Priest:	1952.12.20
Consecrated Bishop:	1985.09.19
Died:	2026.01.25 (Kaukauna, WI, USA † 97)

Priest of Boston (USA) (1952.12.20 – 1985.06.26)

Titular Bishop of Taraqua (1985.06.26 – 1990.10.16)

Auxiliary Bishop of Boston (USA) (1985.06.26 – 1990.10.16)

Bishop of Green Bay (USA) (1990.10.16 – 2003.10.10)

Bishop Adam Joseph Maida (96) (later Cardinal)
(1983.11.07 – 1990.04.28)

Cardinal-Priest of Ss. Vitale, Valeria, Gervasio e Protasio
Metropolitan Archbishop emeritus of Detroit (USA)
Ecclesiastical Superior emeritus of Cayman Islands (Cayman Islands)

Facere omnia nova

Born:	1930.03.18 (East Vandergrift, PA, USA)
Ordained Priest:	1956.05.26
Consecrated Bishop:	1984.01.25
Created Cardinal:	1994.11.26

Priest of Pittsburgh (USA) (1956.05.26 – 1983.11.07)

Bishop of Green Bay (USA) (1983.11.07 – 1990.04.28)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Detroit (USA) (1990.04.28 – 2009.01.05)

Cardinal-Priest of Ss. Vitale, Valeria, Gervasio e Protasio (1994.11.26 – ...)

Ecclesiastical Superior of Cayman Islands (Cayman Islands) (2000.07.14 – 2009.01.05)

Apostolic Administrator of Grand Rapids (USA) (2004.05.16 – 2005.06.21)

Bishop Aloysius John Wycislo
(1968.03.08 – 1983.05.10)

Caritati instate

Born:	1908.06.17 (Chicago, IL, USA)
Ordained Priest:	1934.04.04
Consecrated Bishop:	1960.12.21
Died:	2005.10.11 (Green Bay, WI, USA † 97)

Titular Bishop of Stadia (1960.10.17 – 1968.03.08)

Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago (USA) (1960.10.17 – 1968.03.08)

Bishop of Green Bay (USA) (1968.03.08 – 1983.05.10)

Bishop Stanislaus Vincent Bona
(1945.03.03 – 1967.12.01)

Born:	1888.10.01 (Chicago, IL, USA)
Ordained Priest:	1912.11.01
Consecrated Bishop:	1932.02.25
Died:	1967.12.01 (Green Bay, WI, USA † 79)

Bishop of Grand Island (USA) (1931.12.18 – 1944.12.02)

Titular Bishop of Mela (1944.12.02 – 1945.03.03)

Coadjutor Bishop of Green Bay (USA) (1944.12.02 – 1945.03.03)

Bishop of Green Bay (USA) (1945.03.03 – 1967.12.01)

Bishop Paul Peter Rhode
(1915.07.15 – 1945.03.03)

Born:	1871.09.18 (Wejherowo Neustadt, Poland)
Ordained Priest:	1894.06.17
Consecrated Bishop:	1908.07.29
Died:	1945.03.03 (Oshkosh, WI, USA † 73)

Titular Bishop of Barca (1908.05.22 – 1915.07.15)

Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago (USA) (1908.05.22 – 1915.07.15)

Bishop of Green Bay (USA) (1915.07.15 – 1945.03.03)

Bishop Joseph John Fox
(1904.05.27 – 1914.11.07)

Born:	1855.08.02 (Green Bay, WI, USA)
Ordained Priest:	1879.06.07
Consecrated Bishop:	1904.07.25
Died:	1915.03.14 (Green Bay, WI, USA † 59)

Bishop of Green Bay (USA) (1904.05.27 – 1914.11.07)

Titular Bishop of Ionopolis (1914.11.07 – 1915.03.14)

Bishop Sebastian Gebhard Messmer (later Archbishop)
(1891.12.14 – 1903.11.28)

Born:	1847.08.29 (Goldach, Switzerland)
Ordained Priest:	1871.07.23
Consecrated Bishop:	1892.03.27
Died:	1930.08.04 (Goldach, Switzerland † 82)

Bishop of Green Bay (USA) (1891.12.14 – 1903.11.28)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Milwaukee (USA) (1903.11.28 – 1930.08.04)

Bishop Frederick Francis Xavier Katzer (later Archbishop)
(1886.07.13 – 1891.01.30)

Born:	1844.02.07 (Ebensee, Austria)
Ordained Priest:	1866.12.21
Consecrated Bishop:	1886.09.21
Died:	1903.07.20 (Fond du Lac, WI, USA † 59)

Priest of Milwaukee (USA) (1866.12.21 – 1886.07.13)

Bishop of Green Bay (USA) (1886.07.13 – 1891.01.30)

Metropolitan Archbishop of Milwaukee (USA) (1891.01.30 – 1903.07.20)

Bishop Francis Xavier Krautbauer
(1875.02.12 – 1885.12.17)

Born:	1824.01.12 (Mappach, Germany)
Ordained Priest:	1850.07.16
Consecrated Bishop:	1875.06.29
Died:	1885.12.17 (Green Bay, WI, USA † 61)

Bishop of Green Bay (USA) (1875.02.12 – 1885.12.17)

Bishop Joseph Melcher
(1868.03.03 – 1873.12.20)

Born:	1806.03.19 (Wien, Austria)
Ordained Priest:	1830.03.27
Consecrated Bishop:	1868.07.12
Died:	1873.12.20 (Green Bay, WI, USA † 67)

Bishop of Green Bay (USA) (1868.03.03 – 1873.12.20)

Former Prelates

Coadjutor Bishop: Bishop Stanislaus Vincent Bona (1944.12.02 – 1945.03.03)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Robert Fealey Morneau (87) (1978.12.19 – 2013.10.07)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop Mark Francis Schmitt (1970.04.30 – 1978.03.21)
Auxiliary Bishop: Bishop John Benjamin Grellinger (1949.05.16 – 1974.09.21)

Special Churches

Cathedral: St. Francis Xavier Cathedral, Green Bay, Wisconsin
National Shrine: National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion, Champion, Wisconsin
National Shrine: National Shrine of St. Joseph, De Pere, Wisconsin
Jubilee Churches in the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy (2016)
Jubilee Churches in the Holy Year 2025

Churches by City (193)

Madison (↙), La Crosse (←), Superior (↖), Marquette (↑), Milwaukee (↓)

Statistics (2022.12.31)

Area: 27,775 km²

Population: 361,500 Catholics (34.0% of 1,062,726 total)

Pastoral Centres: 156 parishes, 40 missions

Personnel: 252 priests (161 diocesan, 91 religious), 158 deacons, 411 religious (104 brothers, 307 sisters), 18 seminarians