SIOUX FALLS (SD)
Sioux Falls Argus Leader
Dec. 12, 2019
By Trevor J. Mitchell
The eighth and ninth bishops of the Catholic Diocese of Sioux Falls stood together in the Catholic Pastoral Center on Thursday morning, as Bishop Paul Swain introduced Bishop-elect Donald DeGrood.
DeGrood, who called himself “a farm boy at heart,” most recently served as pastor of St. John the Baptist in Savage, Minnesota, part of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis.
While admitting he was sad to leave his parishioners in Minnesota, he said he knew God would provide for them and that prayer had let him know that coming to South Dakota was the right path.
DeGrood succeeds Bishop Paul Swain, who submitted his resignation, per canon law, at the age of 75 in September of 2018.
Swain spoke briefly as he introduced DeGrood, saying that he was pleased with the church’s decision to choose him as the next bishop — “and not just because I can retire now,” he said.
He told DeGrood he’d need to learn to appreciate the open plains of South Dakota he’d see during his many drives across the state, as well as learn the important distinction between East River and West River.
“Though shaken by the scandals of the church these days,” Swain said, DeGrood was entering a community of people who are steadfast in their belief, and who care about each other.
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