{{short description|American prelate of the Catholic Church (born 1967)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=November 2019}} {{Infobox Christian leader | type = | honorific_prefix = His Excellency, The Most Reverend | name = Austin Vetter | honorific_suffix = | title = Bishop of Helena | image = | image_size = | caption = | archdiocese = Portland | diocese = Helena | appointed = October 8, 2019 | enthroned = November 20, 2019 | retired = | predecessor = George Leo Thomas | successor = | other_post = <!---------- Orders ----------> | ordination = June 29, 1993 | ordained_by = John Francis Kinney | consecration = November 20, 2019 | consecrated_by = Alexander King Sample, James F. Checchio, and David Kagan <!---------- Personal details ----------> | birth_name = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1967|09|13}} | birth_place = Linton, North Dakota | death_date = | death_place = | buried = | alma_mater = | previous_post = | coat_of_arms = | motto = ''Fiat'' (Be done) | education = North Dakota State University<br>Cardinal Muench Seminary<br>Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas }} {{Infobox bishopstyles | name= Austin Anthony Vetter | dipstyle= *His Excellency *The Most Reverend | offstyle=Your Excellency | relstyle=Bishop | image = Coat of arms of Austin Anthony Vetter.svg | image_size = 200px }}
''' Austin Anthony Vetter''' (born September 13, 1967) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who has been serving as bishop of the Diocese of Helena in Montana since 2019.
==Biography==
=== Early life === Austin Vetter was born on September 13, 1967, in Linton, North Dakota. He attended primary and secondary schools in the Linton Public School System. Vetter entered North Dakota State University in Fargo, North Dakota, in 1985.<ref name="Bishop" />
After deciding to become a priest, Vetter left North Dakota State in 1986 to enroll at Cardinal Muench Seminary in Fargo, North Dakota. In 1989, he went to Rome to continue his formation at the Pontifical North American College. He received a Bachelor of Sacred Theology degree from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in 1992.<ref name=":0" />
=== Priesthood === On June 29, 1993, Vetter was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Bismarck at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in Bismarck, North Dakota, by Bishop John Kinney.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Pope Francis Appoints Reverend Austin A. Vetter as Bishop of the Diocese of Helena |url=https://www.usccb.org/news/2019/pope-francis-appoints-reverend-austin-vetter-bishop-diocese-helena |access-date=2024-03-23 |website=US Conference of Catholic Bishops |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Father Austin Vetter appointed Bishop of Diocese of Helena |url=https://bismarckdiocese.com/news/father-austin-vetter-appointed-bishop-of-diocese-of-helena |access-date=2024-03-23 |website=Diocese of Bismarck |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Bishop">{{Cite web |title=Bishop Austin Anthony Vetter |url=https://diocesehelena.org/bishop/ |access-date=2021-04-13 |website=Diocese of Helena |language=en}}</ref> The diocese assigned Vetter to pastoral positions at the following parishes in North Dakota:
* Parochial vicar at Cathedral of the Holy Spirit (1993 to 1996). He also served as a religion instructor at St. Mary's Central High School in Bismarck from 1994 to 1999. * Parochial vicar and later pastor of St. Martin's in Center (1996 to 1999)<ref name=":0" /> In 1999, Vetter was appointed as episcopal vicar for the permanent diaconate as well as pastor of St. Patrick's Parish in Dickinson, North Dakota. He left St. Patrick's in 2008 after being named pastor of St. Leo the Great Parish in Minot, North Dakota, and director of continuing education for clergy.<ref name=":0" />
Vetter returned to the North American College in July 2012 after its oversight board appointed him as director of spiritual formation. He would hold this position for the next six years. In 2018, Bishop David D. Kagan named him rector of the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit.<ref name=":0" />
===Bishop of Helena=== Pope Francis appointed Vetter as the eleventh bishop of Helena on October 8, 2019.<ref>{{cite press release | url = https://www.carroll.edu/article/we-joyfully-welcome-fr-austin-vetter-bishop-elect-diocese-helena | title = We Joyfully Welcome Fr. Austin A. Vetter - Bishop Elect for the Diocese of Helena | website = Carroll College | date = October 8, 2019}}</ref> Vetter was consecrated by Archbishop Alexander Sample on November 20, 2019, at Saint Helena Cathedral, with Bishops James F. Checchio and David Kagan serving as co-consecrators.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://helenair.com/news/local/austin-vetter-ordained-th-bishop-of-helena-diocese/article_671cbeab-df49-53b0-94c2-60a3360984ad.html|title=Austin Vetter ordained 11th bishop of Helena Diocese|first=Tom|last=Kuglin|date=November 20, 2019|publisher=Independent Record|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191122171721/https://helenair.com/news/local/austin-vetter-ordained-th-bishop-of-helena-diocese/article_671cbeab-df49-53b0-94c2-60a3360984ad.html|archive-date=November 22, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Bishop"/><ref>{{Cite web |title=Bishop Austin Anthony Vetter [Catholic-Hierarchy] |url=https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bvettera.html |access-date=2024-03-23 |website=www.catholic-hierarchy.org}}</ref>
In February 2022, in response to Pope Francis motu proprio ''Traditionis custodes'' Vetter announced the suppression of all Tridentine Masses within the diocese, despite originally allowing the continuation of them, months before.<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20220208131310/https://latinmassmontana.com/news/bishop-vetter-cancels-all-1962-latin-masses-in-diocese-of-helena/</ref>
=== Interim Co-President of Carroll College === On June 25, 2025, Carroll College announced that Vetter and Dr. Jennifer Glowienka, senior vice president for academic affairs, would assume the roles of interim co-presidents for the 2025-26 academic year.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-06-25 |title=Carroll College Leadership Update: Interim Co-Presidents Appointed {{!}} Carroll College |url=https://www.carroll.edu/news-events/news/carroll-college-leadership-update-interim-co-presidents-appointed |access-date=2025-07-18 |website=www.carroll.edu |language=en}}</ref>
==See also== {{div col}} * Catholic Church hierarchy * Catholic Church in the United States * Historical list of the Catholic bishops of the United States * List of Catholic bishops of the United States * Lists of patriarchs, archbishops, and bishops {{div col end}}
==References== {{Reflist|30em}}
==External links== {{wikiquote}} *{{Official website|url=https://diocesehelena.org/ |name=Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena}}
{{s-start}} {{s-rel|ca}} {{succession box |title=Bishop of Helena |before= George Leo Thomas |after= Incumbent |years= 2019-present | }} {{s-end}}
{{Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena|state=collapsed}} {{Roman Catholic Diocese of Bismarck|state=collapsed}} {{Subject bar |portal1= Biography |portal2= Christianity |portal3= United States|Montana}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vetter, Austin Anthony}} Category:1967 births Category:Living people Category:People from Emmons County, North Dakota Category:North Dakota State University alumni Category:Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas alumni Category:Diocese of Bismarck Category:Roman Catholic bishops of Helena Category:21st-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States Category:Bishops appointed by Pope Francis Category:Diocese of Helena