Father Peter Laird appointed Vicar General of the Archdiocese

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The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis released the following announcement from Archbishop John Nienstedt today:

I have appointed Father Peter Laird, until now Vice Rector of St. Paul Seminary, to the position of Vicar General of the Archdiocese and Moderator of the Curia. He will succeed Bishop-elect Paul Sirba in December, when the new bishop takes up his responsibilities in the Diocese of Duluth.

Father Laird has served on the seminary faculty for the past nine years. Following his ordination in 1997, he served as Parochial Vicar at St. Olaf Catholic Church in Minneapolis. He has an S.T. D. degree from the Alphonsian Academy in Rome, an S.T.L degree from the Pope John Paul II Institute of the Lateran University in Rome, a Masters of Theology and a Masters of Divinity degree from the Saint Paul Seminary School of Divinity, a J.D. degree from the University of Wisconsin, an M.A. in the Humanities from Saint John’s College in Annapolis, Maryland and a BA degree in history from the University of Saint Thomas.

More recently, in addition to his teaching duties at the Saint Paul Seminary and his weekend pastoral duties in parishes throughout the Archdiocese, he serves, along with Father John Bauer of the Basilica, as co-chair of our Strategic Planning Committee, a role he will continue.

As disappointed as I am to lose the assistance of Bishop-elect Sirba, I am delighted to be replacing him with a priest who has the experience, intellect and devotion that Father Laird has.

Bishop Lee Piché will also continue to serve as Vicar General along with Father Laird. I ask you to join me in welcoming Father Laird to his new duties.