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.[1]
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.[2][3][1] The diocese assigned Vetter to pastoral positions at the following parishes in North Dakota:
Parochial vicar and later pastor of St. Martin's in Center (1996 to 1999)[2]
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.[2]
Vetter returned to the Pontifical North American College in 2019 after its oversight board appointed him as director of spiritual formation. He would hold this position for the next six years. When Vetter came back to Bismarck in 2018, Bishop David D. Kagan named him as rector of Cathedral of the Holy Spirit.[2]