A native of Minneapolis and priest of 30 years with the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis -- Father Kevin T. Kenney -- has been named an auxiliary bishop of the archdiocese by Pope Francis.
The appointment was publicized in Washington July 25 by Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States. It comes just two months after Auxiliary Bishop Joseph A. Williams of St. Paul and Minneapolis was appointed coadjutor bishop of Camden, New Jersey.
Bishop-designate Kenney, 64, is currently pastor of St. Olaf Catholic Church, administrator of Sts. Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church and chaplain at DeLaSalle High School, all in Minneapolis. He will join Archbishop Bernard A. Hebda and Auxiliary Bishop Michael J. Izen in leading the archdiocese across its 12 counties.
Fluent in Spanish, the bishop-designate has been parochial vicar of St. Olaf and pastor of Our Lady of Peace in Minneapolis, Our Lady of Guadalupe in St. Paul, Divine Mercy in Faribault and St. Michael in Kenyon. Among still other assignments, he has been an adjunct professor at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul.
As vicar for Latino Ministry from 2010 to 2018, Bishop-designate Kenney was instrumental in reopening the archdiocese's Office of Latino Ministry. He has been ministering at St. Olaf and Sts. Cyril and Methodius since 2019; the latter parish is a hub for the Ecuadorian community in the Twin Cities.
Archbishop Hebda said the archdiocese is blessed by Pope Francis appointing "such a fine pastor."
"The choice of an Archdiocesan priest to be a successor of the Apostles always honors the local Church that has nourished and sustained his vocation," the archbishop said in a statement. "I am grateful that the Holy Father has recognized in Bishop-elect Kenney the same exceptionally compassionate priestly heart that I have come to know in the nine years that I have been serving here. I look forward to collaborating in a new way with Bishop-elect Kenney as he assumes his new role."
Bishop Izen said that the newly named bishop "will be a great blessing" to the archdiocese. "He has a vast experience in our Archdiocese, I know he's already popular with the Latino community, and I'm confident that energy will only grow," he said. "He's got big shoes to fill with Bishop Williams moving to the Diocese of Camden, but I think Bishop-elect Kenney will do great. I am also thankful that Pope Francis was able to move so quickly with his appointment."
The bishop-designate said he received a telephone call from Cardinal Pierre in late June and that he told the cardinal he needed time to pray about the appointment.
The cardinal said, "'OK, but don't wait too long,'" Bishop-designate Kenney recalled in a statement. Battling between "yes" and "no," reflecting on the fact he had been thinking about his potential retirement in the years ahead and the adventures he could have in ministry, Bishop-designate Kenney said he "finally succumbed to saying, 'Yes.'"
"Every time I now pass a picture of Pope Francis, I thank him for the new and blessed adventure that is ahead," Bishop-designate Kenney said. "I thought to myself, 'I began as a missionary and now I will end as a missionary, going into the world in a new way, to proclaim and live the good news of Jesus Christ."
Kevin Thomas Kenney was born in Minneapolis to William and Dorothy Kenney. He is the fifth of eight children. He attended Annunciation Grade School in 1974 and graduated from De La Salle High School in 1978.
As a graduate of the College of St. Thomas (now the University of St. Thomas) with degrees in business administration and Spanish, he moved to Chicago to work as a lay volunteer with the Claretian Missionaries, a religious community of priests and brothers founded by St. Anthony Marie Claret.
After two years there, working with inner-city youth and teaching English as a second language, Bishop-designate Kenney was hired as director of the Claretian Lay Volunteers. After leading that program for two years, he entered formation with the Claretians and was sent to the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago to complete his studies for priestly ordination.
After five years in formation with the Claretian Missionaries, he discerned that he was called to diocesan priesthood, was accepted as a seminarian for his home diocese and entered formation at St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul. On May 28, 1994, Archbishop John Roach ordained Bishop-designate Kenney to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.
His episcopal ordination is scheduled for 1 p.m. Oct. 28 at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul.
