Bishop-elect Chad Zielinski will become the sixth bishop of the Diocese of Fairbanks on Dec. 15. Eight Archbishops and bishops will participate in the ordination Mass scheduled for 3 p.m. at the Carlson Center in Fairbanks. The Mass, celebrated by Anchorage Archbishop Roger L. Schwietz, will both ordain Bishop-elect Zielinski as a bishop and install him as the head of the Fairbanks diocese. More than one thousand people are expected to attend.
The ancient ordination ritual requires the participation of at least three bishops, a principal consecrating bishop and two co-consecrating bishops. Archbishop of the Military Services of the United States Archbishop Timothy Broglio, will serve as co-consecrator, as will the Bishop Steven Raica, head of the Diocese of Gaylord, Michigan.
Until Pope Francis asked him to serve as bishop of Fairbanks, Bishop-elect Zielinski was an Air Force Chaplain and Major serving at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska. His home diocese is Gaylord. Also in attendance will be Bishop Donald Kettler, former bishop of the Diocese of Fairbanks and current bishop of the Diocese of St. Cloud, Minnesota as well as Juneau Bishop Edward Burns.
Additionally, among the dozens of priests, friends and family attending the Mass will be Pope Francis’ highest-ranking ambassador to the United States, Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano. The nuncio is the chief point of contact for United States’ Catholic Church in its communications with Rome and he coordinates the search for new bishops. Once the nuncio’s office sifts through the candidates, it forwards the leading three candidates to the Vatican. The pope then makes the final selection.
The pope’s choice for the Diocese of Fairbanks took many by surprise. It is the first time an active military chaplain has been tapped to lead a diocese. Bishop-elect Zielinski served as a chaplain for over 12 years and saw three tours of duty in war zones. He will remain serving his country as a reservist for two years after he is ordained. However, those obligations will not interfere with his running of the diocese.
Deacons and parish representatives from across the diocese will be in Fairbanks to welcome the new bishop. Geographically, the Fairbanks Diocese is the largest in the United States, encompassing more than 400 thousand square miles. It is also unique in that it is the only diocese in the country that reports to the Vatican’s missionary wing, the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. The designation reflects the challenges serving the U.S.’s northern most diocese where parishes are separated by hundreds of miles of tundra and many still practice a subsistence lifestyle.
'Last U.S. missionary diocese to welcome new bishop tonight in Fairbanks, Alaska'
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