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When Pope Francis appointed Father Joseph Williams as bishop-elect of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, he also named him titular bishop of Idassa.
Where is that? What does that mean?
A quick internet search (GCatholic.org) traces Idassa to an area in present-day Algeria. As a “titular see,” Idassa was once the seat of a Catholic diocese, but is no longer. Titular sees are former dioceses that have been suppressed or substantially reconfigured and the location of the cathedral transferred to another location, often because they fell into the hands of non-Christian conquerors, were part of a schism, or the number of Catholics sharply declined or relocated to another part of the diocese.
Auxiliary bishops, including Bishop Williams of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, as well as bishops holding titles and responsibilities that do not entail overseeing a specific diocese, such as papal nuncios, vicars apostolic and superiors of departments in the Roman Curia, are given a titular see in recognition of their episcopal status, said Susan Mulheron, a canon lawyer and the archdiocese’s chancellor of Canonical Affairs.
While auxiliary bishops are sacramentally equal to a diocesan bishop, such as Archbishop Bernard Hebda in St. Paul and Minneapolis, they serve under the diocesan bishop’s jurisdiction, Mulheron said. Being appointed to a titular see, while not conferring any actual governing duties, recognizes in a special way the responsibility that belongs to all bishops, who participate in Christ’s threefold ministry of teaching, sanctifying and governing.
The last bishop to hold the titular see of Idassa was Bishop Gianpiero Palmieri, from 2018 when he served as auxiliary bishop and then archbishop vice regent of Rome, until his appointment in October as bishop of the Diocese of Ascoli Piceno in Italy.
When Bishop Andrew Cozzens of Crookston was auxiliary bishop of the archdiocese from 2013 until October, his titular see was Bisica, an area in today’s Tunisia.
Past auxiliary bishops
The following is a list of former auxiliary bishops of St. Paul and Minneapolis and their current appointment or their appointment at death. The information is from catholic-hierarchy.org.
BISHOP ANDREW HARMON COZZENS (b. 1968)
Auxiliary bishop 2013-2021
Bishop of Crookston, Minnesota
BISHOP LEE ANTHONY PICHÉ (b. 1958)
Auxiliary bishop 2009-2015
Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of St. Paul and Minneapolis
BISHOP RICHARD EDMUND PATES (b. 1943)
Auxiliary bishop 2000-2008
Bishop Emeritus of Des Moines, Iowa
BISHOP FREDERICK FRANCIS CAMPBELL (B. 1943)
Auxiliary bishop 1999-2004
Bishop Emeritus of Columbus, Ohio
BISHOP LAWRENCE HAROLD WELSH (1935-1999)
Auxiliary bishop 1991-1999
Bishop Emeritus of Spokane, Washington
BISHOP JOSEPH LEO CHARRON, C.PP.S. (B. 1939)
Auxiliary bishop 1990-1993
Bishop Emeritus of Des Moines, Iowa
ARCHBISHOP ROBERT JAMES CARLSON (B. 1944)
Auxiliary bishop 1984-1994
Archbishop Emeritus of St. Louis, Missouri
BISHOP JAMES RICHARD HAM, M.M. (1921-2002)
Auxiliary bishop 1980-1990
Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of St. Paul and Minneapolis
BISHOP WILLIAM HENRY BULLOCK (1927-2011)
Auxiliary bishop 1980-1987
Bishop Emeritus of Madison, Wisconsin
BISHOP JOHN FRANCIS KINNEY (1937-2019)
Auxiliary bishop 1976-1982
Bishop Emeritus of St. Cloud, Minnesota
BISHOP PAUL VINCENT DUDLEY (1926-2006)
Auxiliary bishop 1976-1978
Bishop Emeritus of Sioux Falls, South Dakota
BISHOP RAYMOND ALPHONSE LUCKER (1927-2001)
Auxiliary bishop 1971-1975
Bishop Emeritus of New Ulm, Minnesota
ARCHBISHOP JOHN ROBERT ROACH (1921-2003)
Auxiliary bishop 1971-1975
Archbishop Emeritus of St. Paul and Minneapolis
BISHOP JAMES PATRICK SHANNON (1921-2003)
Auxiliary bishop 1965-1968
Resigned the priesthood
BISHOP GERALD FRANCIS O’KEEFE (1918-2000)
Auxiliary bishop 1961-1966
Bishop Emeritus of Davenport, Iowa
BISHOP LEONARD PHILIP COWLEY (2013-1973)
Auxiliary bishop 1957-1973
Auxiliary Bishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis
BISHOP JAMES JOSEPH BYRNE (1908-1996)
Auxiliary bishop 1947-1956
Archbishop Emeritus of Dubuque, Iowa
BISHOP JOHN JEREMIAH LAWLER (1862-1948)
Auxiliary bishop 1910-1916
Bishop of Rapid City, South Dakota
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