About Diocese of Fargo
The Diocese of Fargo (Latin: Dioecesis Fargensis) is a Roman Catholic diocese serving the eastern portion of North Dakota. A suffragan of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, it is the spiritual home of roughly 73,700 Catholics across an area of more than 91,000 km². Its mother church is the Cathedral of St. Mary in downtown Fargo, and it is led by the eighth Bishop of Fargo, John Thomas Folda, who has served since 2013.
- Bishop
- John Thomas Folda
- Established
- 1889
- Cathedral
- Cathedral of St. Mary, 604 N Broadway, Fargo, North Dakota
- Territory
- Eastern North Dakota (the western portion is served by the Diocese of Bismarck). Covers approximately 91,030 km² across the eastern counties of the state.
- Parishes
- 129 parishes (2022)
- Province
- Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
History of the Diocese
Catholic life in the Dakotas long predates the diocese. Missionary priests from Canada were visiting the region before 1848, and sacramental records preserved in the diocesan archives stretch back to that year. The formal history of the diocese begins on November 10, 1889, when Pope Leo XIII erected the Diocese of Jamestown to serve the brand-new state of North Dakota, drawing its territory from the Vicariate Apostolic of Dakota. The first bishop, John Shanley, was a priest of Saint Paul, and St. James Church in Jamestown was designated as the cathedral.
Shanley quickly moved his residence to Fargo's Island Park neighborhood in 1891, where he began building a new cathedral. After the great Fargo fire of 1893, Shanley famously diverted his personal cathedral funds to the city's reconstruction, and the Cathedral of St. Mary was not dedicated until May 30, 1899. The Holy See renamed the see from Jamestown to Fargo on April 6, 1897. The diocese grew rapidly under Shanley — by 1909 it counted 106 priests, 225 churches, six academies, 34 schools, and four hospitals. That same year, Pope Pius X transferred western North Dakota to the newly created Diocese of Bismarck. Subsequent bishops — O'Reilly, Cardinal Muench, Dworschak, Driscoll, Sullivan, Aquila, and now Folda — have shaped the diocese through world wars, the Second Vatican Council, and the modern wave of parish consolidation.
- 1889: Erected as Diocese of Jamestown (Pope Leo XIII)
- 1897: Renamed Diocese of Fargo
- 1909: Western North Dakota split off to form Diocese of Bismarck
- 1959: Bishop Muench elevated to Cardinal
- 2013: Bishop John T. Folda installed as eighth bishop
- 2018: Further boundary adjustment with Diocese of Bismarck
The Bishop's Office
The Bishop of Fargo is the chief shepherd of the diocese and chair of its governance. The Most Reverend John Thomas Folda was named the eighth Bishop of Fargo by Pope Francis on April 8, 2013 and was ordained and installed at the Cathedral of St. Mary on June 19, 2013. Born in Omaha, Nebraska in 1961 and ordained to the priesthood in 1989 for the Diocese of Lincoln, Folda previously served in parish ministry in Nebraska before his appointment to Fargo. His episcopal motto, 'Verbum caro factum est' ('The Word was made flesh,' John 1:14), reflects the diocese's Year of the Parish initiative and its focus on encountering Christ in sacramental life.
- Bishop John T. Folda — 8th Bishop of Fargo
- Appointed April 8, 2013; installed June 19, 2013
- Episcopal motto: Verbum caro factum est
- Bishop's Office located at the Pastoral Center, 5201 Bishops Blvd., Fargo
Cathedral of St. Mary
The Cathedral of St. Mary is the mother church of the Diocese of Fargo. St. Mary's parish itself was founded in 1880, before the diocese existed, and the present Romanesque Revival cathedral was designed by St. Paul architect Edward P. Bassford. Its brick structure follows a modified basilica plan with six bays divided by buttresses; the larger of the two front towers rises 172 feet and houses a single bell, while a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary stands in a niche on the smaller tower. Statues of St. Peter and St. Paul flank the great arched window of the main facade, and the barrel-vaulted ceiling rises to a cross vault at the transept. The cathedral was dedicated May 30, 1899, and the southern vestibule was expanded in 2011 to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
- Address: 604 N Broadway, Fargo, ND
- Founded as a parish in 1880; cathedral dedicated May 30, 1899
- Architect: Edward P. Bassford of St. Paul, Minnesota
- Style: Romanesque Revival; main tower 172 ft
- Rector: Rev. Msgr. Joseph Goering
- Daily Mass: Monday–Friday 7:00 AM and 12:10 PM; Saturday 8:00 AM; Sunday 8:00 AM (no incense), 10:00 AM, 12:00 PM (Ad-orientem)
- Confession: Monday–Friday 6:30–6:50 AM and 11:00 AM–12:00 PM; Saturday 3:00–4:45 PM
Catholic Schools
Catholic schools are described by the diocese as an essential part of the evangelizing mission of the Church, and there are fifteen Catholic schools operating across eastern North Dakota. The Fargo-area system — historically known as the John Paul II Catholic Schools network — was created under Bishop James Sullivan and offers a PreK-12 Catholic education pipeline anchored by Shanley High School, Sacred Heart Middle School, Holy Spirit Elementary, and Nativity Elementary. The Office of Catholic Schools in the diocese provides leadership, curriculum, and accreditation support to every parish school in the territory.
- 15 Catholic schools in the diocese
- Shanley High School, Fargo
- Sacred Heart Middle School, Fargo
- Holy Spirit Elementary, Fargo
- Nativity Elementary, Fargo
- Office of Catholic Schools located at the Pastoral Center
Catholic Charities ND
Catholic Charities North Dakota is the social-services arm of the Diocese of Fargo, operating as a licensed adoption, guardianship, and counseling agency. It serves families and individuals across the region regardless of religious affiliation, embodying the diocese's commitment to corporal works of mercy alongside its evangelization efforts.
- Adoption and post-adoption services
- Guardianship services
- Professional counseling
Diocesan Archives
The Diocesan Archives, located at the Pastoral Center, is the official repository of the institutional memory of the Catholic Church in eastern North Dakota. Staffed under the Chancellor's office, it identifies, collects, organizes, and preserves historically and canonically significant documents, artifacts, and other works of enduring value pertaining to the diocese, its parishes, agencies, institutions, and people. The archives assist the Bishop, Chancery, and other offices with research, and they welcome genealogists seeking to place their families within the broader story of the Church in the region. Sacramental records (baptism, marriage, funeral) are primarily maintained by the parish where the event took place, with parish closures handled through the Sacramental Records page.
- Sacramental records reach back to 1848
- Records of the diocese, its parishes, agencies, and institutions
- Genealogical research support
- Chancellor: Timothy Olson
- Contact: (701) 356-7950; chancellorfargodiocese.org
Parishes and Mass Times
The diocese is served by 129 parishes, listed through the diocesan Parish Finder and searchable by Mass, Confession, and Adoration. In the Fargo area alone, eight parishes serve the metro, including the Cathedral of St. Mary, Nativity Church, Sts. Anne and Joachim Church, St. Anthony of Padua, Holy Spirit Catholic Church, St. Mary's, and St. Paul's Newman Center at NDSU. Schedules vary by parish; for example, Sts. Anne and Joachim offers Saturday Vigil Mass at 5:00 PM, four Sunday Masses (7:45 AM, 9:15 AM, 11:00 AM, 7:00 PM), and continuous Eucharistic Adoration from Monday 7:30 AM through Friday 7:00 AM. The Cathedral offers weekday Masses at 7:00 AM and 12:10 PM, Saturday morning Mass at 8:00 AM, and three Sunday Masses including an Ad-orientem Mass at noon.
- Parish Finder tool on fargodiocese.org
- 129 parishes across eastern North Dakota
- 8 parishes serving the Fargo metro
- St. Paul's Newman Center serving NDSU students
- Multiple parishes offer Eucharistic Adoration and regular Reconciliation
Faith Formation and Evangelization
The Diocese of Fargo carries forward the Opening Doors, Opening Hearts evangelization initiative founded by Bishop James Sullivan, focused on welcoming newcomers and rekindling the faith of inactive Catholics. The diocese's Year of the Parish initiative, highlighted by Bishop Folda's episcopal motto, frames evangelization as a parish-level reality rather than a top-down campaign — every parish is asked to be a place of encounter with Christ.
- Opening Doors, Opening Hearts — diocesan evangelization program
- Year of the Parish initiative
- Parish-based faith formation for children and adults
Vocations and Clergy
As of 2022, the diocese had 108 priests (102 diocesan, 6 religious), 50 deacons, 69 religious (6 brothers, 63 sisters), and 15 seminarians in formation. Vocations promotion — encouraging young men to consider the diocesan priesthood and supporting seminarians — is a continuing priority, building on the legacy of the Shepherd's Care Campaign that funded the diocesan Priest Pension Plan under Bishop Sullivan.
- 102 diocesan priests; 6 religious order priests
- 50 deacons
- 63 sisters and 6 brothers serving in the diocese
- 15 seminarians in 2022
