Archbishop Carlo Viganò, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, announced in Washington, D.C., that Pope Francis has appointed Fr. Chad Zielinski as Bishop of the Diocese of Fairbanks, Alaska. A priest of the Diocese of Gaylord, Bishop-Elect Zielinski has been serving as a Chaplain in the United States Air Force, most recently stationed at Eielson Air Force Base in Fairbanks. It is the first time a priest of the Diocese of Gaylord has been named a bishop and also marks the first time an active military chaplain serving in the Archdiocese for Military Services has been made the Ordinary, or spiritual head, of a diocese.

Bishop Elect Zielinski's ordination and installation is scheduled for 3 PM 15 December 2014 at the Carlson Center, Fairbanks, Alaska. A vesper prayer service will take place the night before at 6 PM at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Fairbanks.

Bishop-Elect Zielinski, 50, was born in Detroit and is the oldest in a family of five children. His parents, Donald and Linda Zielinski, moved to Alpena in the mid 1960's where the Bishop-Elect grew up on a 120-acre farm and joined St. Bernard Parish. He received the Sacrament of Confirmation there in 1979 and was ordained a Transitional Deacon there in November of 1995. That one of their own young men has been named a bishop on the very day the parish is celebrating its 150th anniversary is a unique and special blessing.

After graduating from Alpena High School in 1982, Bishop-Elect Zielinski enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and while stationed in Idaho, attended Boise State and Park College. Having completed his tour of duty in 1986, he entered Mount Angel Seminary in St. Benedict, Oregon where he earned a B.A. in Philosophy in 1989. He was accepted as a seminarian for the Diocese of Gaylord and entered Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit to complete his spiritual formation and theological studies, receiving his Master of Divinity in 1996. He was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Patrick R. Cooney at St. Mary Cathedral in Gaylord on June 8, 1996.

Bishop-Elect Zielinski's first priestly assignment was as Associate Pastor of Immaculate Conception in Traverse City. In 1998, he was appointed Pastor of St. Philip Neri in Empire and St. Rita-St. Joseph in Maple City and was elected to the Presbyteral Council in 1999. In 2000, he was also named Pastor for administrative Affairs of the Diocesan Mission to Hispanics.

Following the terrorist attacks of 2001, Bishop-Elect Zielinski felt a special tug on his heart and a passion to serve God by ministering to the men and women who protect our country. Aware of the great need for Catholic military chaplains, Bishop Cooney released him to serve in the Archdiocese for the Military Services and in 2002, Bishop-Elect Zielinski began his chaplaincy at Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota. From 2003 to 2005 he was stationed at RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk, England, before returning to the U.S. and being assigned to HQ Air Force Recruiting Service at Randolph Air Force Base in Schertz, Texas. Bishop-Elect Zielinski was appointed Roman Catholic Cadet Chaplain at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado in 2009 and in 2012 was called to head north to Alaska to serve as Chaplain to the 354 Fighter Wing at Eielson Air Force Base in Fairbanks, where he was asleep in his bed when the phone rang informing him of the Holy Father's decision.

Bishop-Elect Zielinski served three tours of duties in war zones, including Baghdad, Iraq and in Afghanistan, providing compassion and spiritual support amidst the chaos of war. "I guess the Church has prepared me for the military and the military has prepared me for the Church. We receive orders and we go whether coming from a general or the pope," he wrote. He has received numerous military awards and decorations for his service, and was promoted to the rank of Major in July of 2013.

"Fr. Chad is an avid fisherman. Our Lord seemed to favor fishermen when he called his first disciples - Peter, Andrew, James and John. They responded with a resounding "YES!" to our Lord's invitation: "Follow me!" Now Fr. Chad has heard this invitation from the successor of Peter, Pope Francis, to join him on a unique mission as the Bishop of Fairbanks. Fr. Chad has responded with his resounding "YES!"