Cheyenne, Wyoming – The Holy Father, Pope Francis, today announced the appointment of The Most Reverend Steven Biegler as the Ninth Bishop of Cheyenne.
Bishop-elect Biegler will take possession of this Diocese at a special ceremony June 5, 2017.
Bishop-elect Biegler, 57, was pastor of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Rapid City and also served as the Vicar General for the Diocese of Rapid City.
A native of Mobridge, Bishop-elect Biegler was born to Alfred (deceased) and Mary Biegler, along with twelve brothers and sisters. One sister is deceased.
He graduated from Timber Lake High School in 1977. He attended the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in Rapid City for one year (1977-78). During the next eight years, he worked on the family ranch. Then he attended Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary and St. Mary’s College, Winona, Minnesota, (1986-89) and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy. From 1989-1993, he attended the North American College in Rome where he received an STB (Bachelor of Sacred Theology) at the Pontifical Gregorian University. He was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Rapid City in Timber Lake, South Dakota, on July 9, 1993. From 2006-2007, he attended the University of St. Thomas in Rome where he received an STL (License in Biblical Theology).
Bishop-elect Biegler will become the Ninth Bishop of the Diocese of Cheyenne, succeeding The Most Reverend Paul D. Etienne who served the Diocese of Cheyenne from December 9, 2009 to November 9, 2016. Since November, Father Carl Gallinger, pastor of St. Joseph in Cheyenne, Wyoming, has been the Diocesan Administrator. He will continue in this capacity until the newly appointed Bishop is installed June 5, 2017.
Established in 1887, the Diocese of Cheyenne is home to over 54,000 Catholics. It has 37 parishes and 35 missions. There are 52 active priests, 15 retired priests, 37 deacons, and 9 sisters.
