As mentioned earlier, this morning Pope Benedict XVI appointed Monsignor Robert Gruss, 55, former Vice-Rector of Rome’s Pontifical North American College, as the eighth bishop of the Diocese of Rapid City. Bishop-elect Gruss succeeds Bishop Blase Cupich, who was sent west in June of last year to shepherd the Diocese of Spokane.

Msgr. Gruss was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Davenport in 1994 after completing his studies at Rome’s North American College. He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Theology from St. Ambrose University, a Bachelor of Sacred Theology and a Master of Spiritual Theology, both from the Angelicum.

Within the Diocese of Davenport, Gruss has held a variety of positions, including: Director of Vocations, Chancellor, Director of the Propagation of the Faith and Director of the Victim Assistance Program.

Bishop-elect Gruss was named a Chaplain to His Holiness by Pope Benedict in August 2007. Around that same time, Msgr. Gruss was returning to the Pontifical North American College where he would serve as Vice-Rector and Director of Human Formation until 2010. Until this morning, Gruss had been serving in his current position as Rector of Sacred Heart Cathedral in Davenport.

In a press release from the Davenport Diocese [PDF], Bishop-elect Gruss stated: “It is with deep humility and gratitude that I have accepted the Holy Father’s appointment as the next bishop of the Diocese of Rapid City. While it all seems a bit overwhelming at the moment, I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to serve God, the Church and the people of this diocese.”

Bishop Cupich | Diocese of Rapid City

Well folks, here’s another one for you. It is expected that, as early as tomorrow, Bishop Blase Joseph Cupich will be appointed as the sixth bishop of the Diocese of Spokane. Bishop-designate Cupich currently serves as the head of the Church in Western South Dakota (the Diocese of Rapid City), where he has served as bishop since 1998. Cupich replaces Bishop William Skylstad, who is retiring after 20 years as the head of the Spokane Church.

Bishop-designate Cupich was born in Omaha, Nebraska on March 19, 1949. He attended seminary at the College of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy. Upon graduating from St. Thomas, the Archdiocese of Omaha sent him to study theology at the Pontifical North American College in Rome. He was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Omaha on August 16, 1975. Bishop Cupich is also a graduate from the Catholic University of America, obtaining a Sacramental Theology degree from the university in 1979.

Since his ordination to the priesthood, Cupich has served in various capacities within the