Reflecting on Bishop Kevin Kenney and his ministry over 30 years as a priest of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, many referred to a defining characteristic: his heart.
Bishop Kevin Kenney’s coat of arms and episcopal motto reflect his heritage, his native place and his personal devotions. It also reflects his love of family –– he called on a niece who is an artist to render his thoughts into impactful images.
The intricately carved crosier, or hooked staff, carried by Bishop Kevin Kenney as a symbol of his episcopal office was fashioned by a Vietnam War veteran the bishop met while he ministered at Our Lady of Guadalupe in St. Paul. Bishop Kenney was pastor there from 2004 to 2015.
Before his ordination, Bishop Kevin Kenney took a moment to share some of his favorite things, including two countries on his bucket list for travel and the way he appreciates a good Sunday afternoon nap.
Family, friends, fellow bishops, priests and religious, and the faithful traveled from in and out of state to attend Bishop Kevin Kenney’s ordination on a blustery, sunny Oct. 28 at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul.
Newly ordained and addressing 3,000 people in the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul, Bishop Kevin Kenney said he was grateful for the love and support he has received from so many over the years, and he urged all to return to “the heart of loving Jesus in our lives.”
The night before Bishop-elect Kevin Kenney’s Oct. 28 episcopal ordination, the parish where he is pastor, St. Olaf in Minneapolis, hosted solemn vespers. Bishop Michael Izen presided and Archbishop Bernard Hebda, Cardinal Christoph Pierre –– the apostolic nuncio to the United States — and other members of the clergy attended, along with his family, friends and other supporters.
As Bishop-elect Kevin Kenney prepared for his Oct. 28 ordination and installation as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, he took time Oct. 3 to talk with The Catholic Spirit about his family, ministries, prayers and his love of dancing. The conversation is edited for length and clarity.
Father Jorge Cenala remembers the day he met Father (now Bishop-elect) Kevin Kenney in October 2005. A native of Mexico, Father Cenala was studying at The St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul for the Diocese of Grand Island, Nebraska, at the time. He was assigned to Our Lady of Guadalupe in St. Paul as his teaching parish. Father Kenney was the pastor.
Maureen Kenney, the youngest of six living siblings of Bishop-elect Kevin Kenney, remembers that while growing up there “was always a crowd, and I was the youngest” and the family station wagon was always full.
