Robert D. Gruss

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Most Reverend

Robert Dwayne Gruss
Bishop of Saginaw
Bishop Gruss at Ellsworth (cropped).jpg
Gruss at Ellsworth Air Force Base in 2012
ChurchCatholic Church
DioceseSaginaw
AppointedMay 24, 2019
InstalledJuly 26, 2019
PredecessorJoseph R. Cistone
Orders
OrdinationJuly 2, 1994
by William Edwin Franklin
ConsecrationJuly 28, 2011
by John Clayton Nienstedt, Martin John Amos, Samuel J. Aquila
Personal details
Born (1955-06-25) June 25, 1955 (age 66)
Texarkana, Arkansas
Previous post(s)Bishop of Rapid City (2011-2019)
Vice-Rector, Pontifical North American College (2007–2010)
MottoNo Greater Love
Styles of
Robert Dwayne Gruss
Coat of arms of Robert Dwayne Gruss (Saginaw).svg
Reference style
Spoken styleYour Excellency
Religious styleBishop

Robert Dwayne Gruss (born June 25, 1955) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He has served as the seventh bishop of the Diocese of Saginaw in Michigan since 2019. Gruss previously served as the bishop of the Diocese of Rapid City in South Dakota from 2011-2019.

Early life and education[]

Robert Gruss was born in Texarkana, Arkansas on June 25, 1955.[1][2] He has an associate degree from Madison Area Technical College in Madison, Wisconsin. He earned his commercial pilot license from the Spartan School of Aeronautics in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and worked as a flight instructor and commercial pilot from 1980 to 1989.[1]

Gruss began his studies for the priesthood at St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa where he earned a bachelor's degree in theology in 1990. He earned a Bachelor of Sacred Theology degree in 1993 and Master in Spiritual Theology in 1994 from the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome, Italy.[3]

Priesthood[]

Gruss was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Davenport by Bishop William Franklin at Sacred Heart Cathedral on July 2, 1994.[2][4]

After ordination, Gruss served as parochial vicar of St. Paul the Apostle Parish in Davenport, Iowa from 1994–1997. He served in the same role for three parishes in central Iowa from 1997–1998; they include St. Anthony Parish in Knoxville, Sacred Heart Parish in Melcher, and St. Mary Parish in Pella. He then served as the pastor in Pella from 1999–2004.

Gruss was the diocesan vocations director from 2004 to 2007, and diocesan chancellor from 2005 to 2007. Pope Benedict XVI named him a Chaplain of His Holiness, with the title Monsignor, in August 2007.[5] Gruss served as the vice-rector of the Pontifical North American College in Rome from 2007 to 2010.[1] From 2010 to 2011, he served as pastor and rector of Sacred Heart Cathedral Parish in Davenport.[1]

Bishop of Rapid City[]

Gruss was named the bishop of Rapid City by Benedict VIX on May 26, 2011.[3] His episcopal consecration took place on July 28, 2011 at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center in Rapid City, South Dakota.[6] Archbishop John Nienstedt was the consecrating bishop, and Bishop Martin Amos and Bishop Samuel Aquila were the co-consecrators.[2]

In 2017, Gruss opened the cause for canonization of Lakota medicine man Nicholas Black Elk.[7]

Bishop of Saginaw[]

Gruss was named the bishop of Saginaw by Pope Francis on May 24, 2019. In remarks to the media, Gruss made this statement about sexual abuse by priests:

“There is no place in the church for sexual abuse of minors or anyone else, My desire is that the Church becomes holy in the way that Christ calls her to be, and those who abuse their power and authority are held to accountability.”[8]

Gurss was installed on July 26, 2019.[7] [9]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d Staff (May 24, 2019). "US: Pope Appoints New Bishop of Saginaw". Zenit.org.
  2. ^ a b c David M. Cheney. "Bishop Robert Dwayne Gruss". catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved May 27, 2011.
  3. ^ a b "Pope Names Bishop for Rapid City, South Dakota; Auxiliary Bishop for Milwaukee". United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved May 26, 2011.
  4. ^ "Diocese of Rapid City". GCatholic.org. Retrieved May 26, 2011.
  5. ^ Heather Jordan (May 24, 2019). "New bishop named for Catholic Diocese of Saginaw". MLive. Retrieved May 24, 2019.
  6. ^ Garrigan, Mary. "Rapid City Catholics prepare for ordination of new bishop". Rapid City Journal. Retrieved July 28, 2011.
  7. ^ a b "Former airline pilot appointed to lead diocese of Saginaw, MI". Catholic News Agency. May 24, 2019. Retrieved May 24, 2019.
  8. ^ "New Saginaw Catholic bishop pledges transparency in priest sexual abuse allegations". Michigan Radio. May 24, 2019. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
  9. ^ "Pope Francis Names Bishop Robert Gruss as 7th Bishop of Saginaw". Retrieved May 24, 2019.

External links[]

Media related to Robert Gruss at Wikimedia Commons

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Bishop of Saginaw
2019–present 		Succeeded by
Incumbent
Preceded by Bishop of Rapid City
2011–2019 		Succeeded by
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