Michael Joseph Hoeppner

Who is Michael Joseph Hoeppner?

Michael Joseph Hoeppner is the current Bishop of Crookston, since his episcopal ordination on 30 November 2007. Bishop Hoeppner replaced Victor Hermann Balke, who previously had served as Bishop of Crookston for 31 years.

Bishop Hoeppner is a native of Winona, Minnesota, and comes from a background in parish work and administration coupled with teaching ministry.

He is an alumnus of the Pontifical North American College. He was ordained a priest, for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Winona, in Rome by Pope Paul VI who ordained 359 priests to mark the Holy Year. He is the second US appointee this year to come from the group that has been elevated to the episcopacy, which also counts Archbishops Raymond Leo Burke of St Louis, James Michael Harvey and J. Michael Miller among its members.

He studied for the priesthood and continued his education with a JCL from St Paul's in Ottawa and a master's in Education from a Winona-area university. The bishop-elect's priestly ministry included a seven-year term in the roles of high school teacher, school administrator and diocesan director of vocations.