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Diocese of FargoBishop
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Bishop

Bishop John Thomas Folda

Bishop of Fargo

Coat of arms
Coat of arms
Coat of arms of the U.S. bishop John Thomas Folda, Bishop of Fargo. Azure, a cross Or charged with a horseshoe of the field, in dexter chief a garb of the second, impaling Argent on a pale gules a Chi-Rho and from base a demi-eagle displayed Or, on a chief azure to dexter a star of six points and to sinister a dove volant argent. The motto: Verbum caro factum est —"The Word was made flesh" (John 1:14). Reference: www.fargodiocese.org
Born
Aug 8, 1961 Omaha, Douglas County, United States
Nationality
United States
Ordained priest
May 27, 1989 Lincoln, United States
Ordained bishop
Jun 19, 2013 Fargo, United States
Appointed
Jun 19, 2013
Principal consecrator
John Clayton Nienstedt
Co-consecrators
Samuel Joseph Aquila James Douglas Conley
Motto
Verbum caro factum est

John T. Folda was born on August 8, 1961, in Omaha, Nebraska, within the archdiocese of the same name. After attending Archbishop Ryan High School in Omaha, he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering from the University of Nebraska. He entered the seminary and pursued ecclesiastical studies at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary in Overbrook, Pennsylvania. Subsequently, he obtained a Licentiate in Spiritual Theology from the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas in Rome (1993). Ordained a priest for the Diocese of Lincoln, Nebraska, on May 27, 1989, he served as parochial vicar at Risen Christ Cathedral and as a teacher at Saint Pius X High School in Lincoln (1989–1991); as pastor of Saint Paulinus Parish in Syracuse and Holy Trinity Parish in Avoca, and as a teacher at Lourdes High School in Nebraska City (1993–1995); as a diocesan consultor (1994–1999); as pastor of Saint Leo Parish in Palmyra and Saint Martin Parish in Douglas (1995–1997); as diocesan director of religious education, episcopal master of ceremonies, co-vicar for consecrated life, and *Censor Librorum* (1997–1999); and as spiritual director of Saint Gregory the Great Minor Seminary in Seward (1998–1999). He has served as rector of that same minor seminary since 1999. Additionally, he is a member of the Nebraska Catholic Conference (since 1993), the diocesan finance council (since 2002), and the ethics committee of St. Elizabeth Hospital (since 2003). In 2007, he was named a Chaplain to His Holiness. In addition to English, he speaks Italian and Spanish.