Father Andrew Bellisario, C.M. named Bishop in Alaska

The pope has named Vincentian Father Andrew Bellisario C.M., currently serving in the Archdiocese of Anchorage, Alaska, to head the Diocese of Juneau, Alaska. The Diocese of Juneau comprises 37,566 square miles and has a total population of approximately 75,000 people of which 10,000 or 13 percent, are Catholic.

Father Andrew Bellisario, C.M. was born in Los Angeles on December 19, 1955. He was previously the Provincial of the Congregation’s Western Province. Bishop-elect Bellisario began Vincentian novitiate studies in Santa Barbara in 1975 at St. Mary’s Seminary and professed final vows at St. Mary’s Seminary in Perryville, Missouri in 1978. He was ordained a priest in Los Angeles on June 16, 1984.

He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from St. Mary’s Seminary in Perryville in 1980 and later earned a Master of Divinity degree from DeAndreis Seminary in Lemont, Illinois in 1984.

Assignments after ordination included:

 

Dean of Students, St. Vincent’s Seminary, Montebello, California (1984-1986);
Parochial Vicar, Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, Montebello (1986-1989);
Administrator, Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, Montebello (1989-1990);
Pastor, St. Vincent DePaul Church, Huntington Beach (1990-1995);
Pastor, Sacred Heart Church, Patterson (1995-1998);
Provincial Treasurer/Consultor, DePaul Center Resident, Montebello ((1996-2002);
Director, DePaul Evangelization Center, Montebello (1998-2002);
Superior, DePaul Center Residents, Montebello (2001-2002);
Provincial, Province Leadership, Montebello (2002-2010);
Director, Daughters of Charity, Los Altos (2003-2015);
Pastor, Our Lady of Guadalupe Co-Cathedral, Anchorage (2014-present);
Superior, International Missions in Alaska (2015-present).

See earlier news story of his work in Alaska