Robert D. Gruss

Styles of
**Robert Dwayne Gruss**
Styles of; Robert Dwayne Gruss
Reference style	His Excellency; The Most Reverend;
Spoken style	Your Excellency
Religious style	Bishop

His Excellency, The Most Reverend

Robert Dwayne Gruss
His Excellency, The Most Reverend; Robert Dwayne Gruss
Bishop of Saginaw
	Bishop Gruss in 2012; at Ellsworth Air Force Base
Church	Roman Catholic Church
See	Diocese of Saginaw
Appointed	May 24, 2019
Installed	July 26, 2019
Predecessor	Joseph R. Cistone
Previous post(s)	Bishop of Rapid City; (2011-2019); Vice-Rector, Pontifical North American College; (2007–2010);
Orders
Ordination	July 2, 1994; by William Edwin Franklin
Consecration	July 28, 2011; by John Clayton Nienstedt, Martin John Amos, Samuel J. Aquila
Personal details
Born	June 25, 1955 (age 69); Texarkana, Arkansas, US
Education	St. Ambrose University; Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas
Motto	No greater love

Robert Dwayne Gruss (born June 25, 1955) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He has served as the seventh bishop of the Diocese of Saginaw in Michigan since 2019. Gruss previously served as bishop of the Diocese of Rapid City in South Dakota from 2011 to 2019.

Biography

Early life

Robert Gruss was born in Texarkana, Arkansas on June 25, 1955.^[1]^[2] He attended Madison Area Technical College in Madison, Wisconsin, earning an associate degree. Gruss then received his commercial pilot license from the Spartan School of Aeronautics in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He worked as a flight instructor and commercial airline pilot from 1980 to 1989.^[1]

After deciding to enter the priesthood, Gruss enrolled at St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa, where he earned a Bachelor of Theology degree in 1990. He traveled to Rome to attend the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas, where he earned a Bachelor of Sacred Theology degree in 1993 and a Master in Spiritual Theology degree in 1994.^[3]

Priesthood

After returning to Iowa, Gruss was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Davenport by Bishop William Franklin at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Davenport on July 2, 1994.^[2]^[4]

After his 1994 ordination, the diocese assigned Gruss as parochial vicar of St. Paul the Apostle Parish in Davenport, Iowa. He served the same role for three parishes in central Iowa from 1997 to 1998;

St. Anthony in Knoxville
Sacred Heart in Melcher
St. Mary in Pella. He was appointed pastor at St. Mary in 1999.^[3]

Bishop William Franklin appointed Gruss as vocations director in 2004 and chancellor in 2005. Pope Benedict XVI named him a chaplain of his holiness, with the title of monsignor, in August 2007.^[5]

Gruss returned to Rome in 2007 to serve as vice-rector of the Pontifical North American College.^[1] Back in Iowa in 2010, he was assigned as pastor and rector of Sacred Heart Cathedral.^[1]

Bishop of Rapid City

Gruss was named the bishop of Rapid City by Benedict XVI on May 26, 2011. His episcopal consecration took place on July 28, 2011, at the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center in Rapid City, South Dakota.^[6] Archbishop John Nienstedt was the consecrating bishop, and Bishops Martin Amos and Samuel Aquila were the co-consecrators.^[2]^[3]

In 2017, Gruss opened the cause for the canonization of Lakota medicine man Nicholas Black Elk.^[7]

Bishop of Saginaw

Gruss was named the bishop of Saginaw by Pope Francis on May 24, 2019. Gruss was installed on July 26, 2019.^[7]^[8] In remarks to the media, Gruss made this statement about sexual abuse by priests:

“There is no place in the church for sexual abuse of minors or anyone else, My desire is that the Church becomes holy in the way that Christ calls her to be, and those who abuse their power and authority are held to accountability.”^[9]

In an appearance on Cause for Joy, a diocesan podcast, Gruss revealed his hobbies of riding "horses and Harleys".^[10]^[11]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "US: Pope Appoints New Bishop of Saginaw". Zenit.org. May 24, 2019. Retrieved February 4, 2024.
^ ^a ^b ^c David M. Cheney. "Bishop Robert Dwayne Gruss". catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved May 27, 2011.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Pope Francis Names Bishop Robert Gruss of Rapid City as New Bishop of Saginaw | USCCB". www.usccb.org. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
^ "Diocese of Rapid City". GCatholic.org. Retrieved May 26, 2011.
^ Heather Jordan (May 24, 2019). "New bishop named for Catholic Diocese of Saginaw". MLive. Retrieved May 24, 2019.
^ Garrigan, Mary. "Rapid City Catholics prepare for ordination of new bishop". Rapid City Journal. Retrieved July 28, 2011.
^ ^a ^b "Former airline pilot appointed to lead diocese of Saginaw, MI". Catholic News Agency. May 24, 2019. Retrieved May 24, 2019.
^ "Pope Francis Names Bishop Robert Gruss as 7th Bishop of Saginaw". Retrieved May 24, 2019.
^ "New Saginaw Catholic bishop pledges transparency in priest sexual abuse allegations". Michigan Radio. May 24, 2019. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
^ "Blessing of Bikes and Charitable Ride with Bishop Gruss". saginaw.org. July 28, 2022. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
^ "Bishop Gruss makes guest appearance on podcast produced by diocesan priest and local young adults". www.saginaw.org. February 9, 2022. Retrieved May 25, 2023.

External links

Media related to Robert Gruss at Wikimedia Commons

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Joseph R. Cistone	Bishop of Saginaw 2019–present	Succeeded by Incumbent
Preceded by Blase J. Cupich	Bishop of Rapid City 2011–2019	Succeeded by Peter Michael Muhich

[Zenit-1] "US: Pope Appoints New Bishop of Saginaw". Zenit.org. May 24, 2019. Retrieved February 4, 2024.

[catholic-hierarchy-2] David M. Cheney. "Bishop Robert Dwayne Gruss". catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved May 27, 2011.

[:1-3] "Pope Francis Names Bishop Robert Gruss of Rapid City as New Bishop of Saginaw | USCCB". www.usccb.org. Retrieved February 5, 2024.

[GCatholic-4] "Diocese of Rapid City". GCatholic.org. Retrieved May 26, 2011.

[Jordan-5] Heather Jordan (May 24, 2019). "New bishop named for Catholic Diocese of Saginaw". MLive. Retrieved May 24, 2019.

[Garrigan-6] Garrigan, Mary. "Rapid City Catholics prepare for ordination of new bishop". Rapid City Journal. Retrieved July 28, 2011.

[CNA-7] "Former airline pilot appointed to lead diocese of Saginaw, MI". Catholic News Agency. May 24, 2019. Retrieved May 24, 2019.

[8] "Pope Francis Names Bishop Robert Gruss as 7th Bishop of Saginaw". Retrieved May 24, 2019.

[9] "New Saginaw Catholic bishop pledges transparency in priest sexual abuse allegations". Michigan Radio. May 24, 2019. Retrieved September 17, 2021.

[:0-10] "Blessing of Bikes and Charitable Ride with Bishop Gruss". saginaw.org. July 28, 2022. Retrieved May 25, 2023.

[11] "Bishop Gruss makes guest appearance on podcast produced by diocesan priest and local young adults". www.saginaw.org. February 9, 2022. Retrieved May 25, 2023.

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v t e Roman Catholic Diocese of Saginaw
Bishops	William Francis Murphy Stephen Stanislaus Woznicki Francis Frederick Reh Kenneth Edward Untener Robert James Carlson Joseph R. Cistone Robert Dwayne Gruss
Churches	Cathedral of Mary of the Assumption List of churches
Education	High schools All Saints Central High School, Bay City Nouvel Catholic Central High School, Saginaw Sacred Heart Academy High School, Mt. Pleasant
Catholicism portal

v t e Roman Catholic Diocese of Rapid City
Bishops	Bishops of Lead John Stariha Joseph Francis Busch Bishops of Rapid City John Jeremiah Lawler William Tibertus McCarty Harold Joseph Dimmerling Charles J. Chaput Blase J. Cupich Robert Dwayne Gruss Peter Michael Muhich Scott E. Bullock Coadjutor Leo Ferdinand Dworschak
Churches	Cathedral Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Historic St. Lawrence O'Toole Catholic Church, Central City St. Augustine Church, Dallas St. Martin's Catholic Church and Grotto, Oelrichs St. John's Catholic Church, Paxton Church of the Immaculate Conception, Rapid City St. Charles Borromeo Church, St. Francis
Education	High schools Red Cloud High School, Pine Ridge St. Thomas More High School, Rapid City
Priests	Steven Biegler Lawrence Welsh
Catholicism portal

v t e Roman Catholic Diocese of Davenport
Bishops	Ordinaries John McMullen Henry Cosgrove James J. Davis Henry P. Rohlman Ralph L. Hayes Gerald F. O’Keefe William E. Franklin Martin J. Amos Thomas R. Zinkula Dennis G. Walsh Auxiliary Edward Howard
Churches	List List of churches in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Davenport Cathedral Sacred Heart Cathedral Parishes Church of St. John the Baptist, Burlington St. Paul's Church, Burlington St. Anthony’s Church, Davenport Holy Family Parish, Fort Madison St. Patrick's Church, Georgetown St. Mary’s Church, Iowa City St. Patrick's Church, Iowa City Church of All Saints, Keokuk St. Mary's Church, Nichols St. Mary of the Visitation Church, Ottumwa St. Mary's Church, Riverside Former parishes St. Joseph's Church, Bauer Saints Peter and Paul Church, Clear Creek St. Boniface Church, Clinton St. Irenaeus Church, Clinton St. Joseph's Church, Davenport St. Mary’s Church, Davenport St. Joseph's Church, Fort Madison St. Michael's Church, Holbrook Saints Peter and Paul Church, Solon
Education	Higher education St. Ambrose University High schools Assumption High School, Davenport Holy Trinity Catholic Schools (HS), Fort Madison Notre Dame High School, Burlington Prince of Peace Preparatory, Clinton Regina High School, Iowa City Former Aquinas Schools, Fort Madison Cardinal Stritch High School, Keokuk Immaculate Conception Academy, Davenport Marquette Catholic Schools (HS), West Point Marycrest College St. Mary’s Academy
Priests	William Lawrence Adrian John George Alleman Ambrose Burke Edward Catich William J. Collins Martin Cone Maurice John Dingman John Flannagan Robert Dwayne Gruss William Hannon Ulrich Hauber Cletus Madsen Carl Meinberg Sebastian Menke Marvin Mottet J. A. M. Pelamourgues Aloysius Schulte William Shannahan Lawrence Donald Soens
Miscellany	Ambrose Hall Henry Kahl House Antoine LeClaire House F.H. Miller House Regina Coeli Monastery Mount Calvary Cemetery, Davenport St. Joseph Hospital, Ottumwa Old St. Mary's Rectory, Iowa City St. Thomas More Parish Center Pacem in Terris Award Selma Schricker House
Catholicism portal