Kevin Kenney

His Excellency, The Most Reverend Kevin Thomas Kenney
Auxiliary Bishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis Titular Bishop of Cunavia
Kenney at his episcopal consecration
Archdiocese	Saint Paul and Minneapolis
Appointed	July 25, 2024
Installed	October 28, 2024
Other post(s)	Titular Bishop of Cunavia
Orders
Ordination	May 28, 1994 by  John Roach
Consecration	October 28, 2024 by  Bernard Hebda, Peter F. Christensen, and James R. Golka
Personal details
Born	(1959-12-29) December 29, 1959 (age 65) Minneapolis, Minnesota, US
Alma mater	DeLaSalle High School College of Saint Thomas Catholic Theological Union Saint Paul Seminary
Motto	The love of Christ impels us

Styles of Kevin Thomas Kenney
Azure, three pallets wavy Argent, overall to dexter the Tower of Saint Kevin Or and to sinister a Greek Celtic cross Or, charged at the center with a dove overt Argent; on a chief Or flanked to dexter by a Rose Gules, barbed and seeded Proper, and to sinister by a sheaf of wheat Or and a bunch of grapes, Purpure, leaved Vert together, the Sacred Heart of Jesus Gules, crowned and wounded Proper, enflamed Or. The shield ensigned with an episcopal cross Or behind the shield and a bishop’s galero Vert cords and twelve tassels disposed in three rows of one, two and three all Vert. On a scroll below the shield the motto: "The Love of Christ Impels Us". [1]
Reference style	His Excellency The Most Reverend
Spoken style	Your Excellency
Religious style	Bishop

Kevin Thomas Kenney (born December 29, 1959) is an American bishop of the Roman Catholic Church. Currently an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, Kenney was born and raised in Minneapolis and attended DeLaSalle High School in Minneapolis College of Saint Thomas in St. Paul. After spending time as a Claretian, Kenney was ordained as a priest of Saint Paul and Minneapolis on May 28, 1994. He was named an auxiliary bishop on July 25, 2024, and consecrated on October 28, 2024.

Biography

Early life

Kevin Kenney was born on December 29, 1959, to William and Dorothy Kenney and is the fifth of eight children. ^[2] He attended DeLaSalle High School in Minneapolis, where he graduated in 1978. ^[2] He received a received a Bachelor of Arts degree business administration and Spanish from the College of Saint Thomas in St. Paul. Through his time in high school and college, Kenney worked numerous odd jobs, including paper carrier, janitor, dishwasher, and drink vendor at the Metrodome in Minneapolis. ^[1]

After his college graduation, Kenney moved to Chicago to work with the Claretians as a lay volunteer. ^[2] After two years, they hired him as their program director. ^[2] After another two years, he entered formation with the Claretians and began to attend the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, where he received a Master of Divinity degree ^{[2] [3]} After five years of formation with the Claretians, he left the community and applied as a seminarian for the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, where he attended Saint Paul Seminary. ^[2]

Priesthood

Kenney was ordained a priest at the Cathedral of Saint Paul in St. Paul, Minnesota for the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis by Archbishop John Roach on May 28, 1994. ^{[3] [4]}

After his ordination, the archdiocese assigned Kenney as parochial vicar at Saint Olaf Parish in Minneapolis from 1994 to 1998, as pastor of Our Lady of Peace Parish in Minneapolis from 1998 to 2004, as pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Saint Paul from 2004 to 2015, and as pastor of both Saint Michael in Kenyon and Divine Mercy Parishes in Faribault from 2015 to 2019, before his assignment as pastor of Saint Olaf in 2019. ^[3]

Fluent in Spanish, Kenney served as the archdiocese's vicar for Latino ministry from 2010 to 2018. ^[1] He has also served as an adjunct professor of theology at the University of Saint Thomas. ^[2] In 2021, former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was on trial for the 2020 murder of George Floyd. Throughout the trial, Kenney led a daily prayer service at St. Olaf Church calling for healing and peace in the community. ^[5]

Auxiliary Bishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis

On July 25, 2024, Pope Francis appointed Kenney as auxiliary bishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis and titular bishop of Cunavia. ^{[3] [2]} On receiving the phone call from the apostolic nuncio, Christophe Pierre, announcing the appointment, Kenney was hesitant to accept it. This was because he was already 64 years old and thinking about retirement. However, after reflecting on the daily readings of the week, he told Pierre that he would take the position. ^[6]

Kenney was consecrated a bishop at the Cathedral of Saint Paul on October 28, 2024, by Archbishop Bernard Hebda, with Bishops Peter F. Christensen and James R. Golka as principal co-consecrators. ^[1] Golka and Christensen had attended seminary with Kenney. ^[7]

See also

• Catholic Church hierarchy
• Catholic Church in the United States
• Historical list of the Catholic bishops of the United States
• List of Catholic bishops of the United States
• Lists of patriarchs, archbishops, and bishops

References

1. "The Episcopal Ordination of the Reverent Kevin Thomas Kenney" (Document). Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis Print Services. October 28, 2024. Available online
2. Ruff, Joe (July 25, 2024). "Pope Francis names Father Kenney as auxiliary bishop of Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis". The Catholic Spirit. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
3. "Resignations and Appointments, 25.07.2024". Vatican Press Bulletin. Holy See Press Office. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
4. "Bishop Kevin Thomas Kenney". Catholic-Hierarchy. Retrieved 2025-08-07.
5. "St. Olaf Catholic Church offers prayer service for all during Derek Chauvin trial". Kare 11. 31 March 2021. Retrieved 25 July 2024.
6. Curry, Sheree (26 July 2024). "Pope Francis Names St. Thomas Alum Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis". Newsroom | University of St. Thomas. Retrieved 29 October 2024.
7. The Episcopal Ordination of The Most Reverend Kevin Thomas Kenney on October 28, 2024. Cathedral of Saint Paul. October 28, 2024. Event occurs at 2:43:15. Retrieved October 28, 2024.

External links

• Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis Official Site

Episcopal succession

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by -	Auxiliary Bishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis 2024-Present	Succeeded by -