HISTORY

Nov. 18, 1957 - Diocese of New Ulm is erected by Pope Pius XII.

Nov. 28, 1957 - Msgr. Alphonse J. Schladweiler is named first bishop of the Diocese of New Ulm.

Jan. 29, 1958 - Msgr. Schladweiler is ordained a bishop by Archbishop William O. Brady at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul.

Jan. 30, 1958 - Bishop Schladweiler is installed as the first bishop of the diocese at the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in New Ulm.

Feb. 23, 1958 - Bishop Schladweiler ordains the first priests for the diocese at the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity: Fr. Darold Lehman and Fr. Germain Rademacher.

May 21, 1959 - Groundbreaking for the diocese's first chancery building (the original Pastoral Center) is held in New Ulm. More than 100 people attend.

June 1960 - Building of Pastoral Center is complete.

1962-1965 - Bishop Schladweiler attends all four sessions of the Second Vatican Council.

June 27, 1962 - Fr. Stan Martinka is the first priest assigned by Bishop Schladweiler to serve at diocese's mission in San Lucas Toliman, Guatemala.

March 1964 - Fr. Gregory Schaffer, pastor at the diocese's mission in San Lucas Toliman for nearly 50 years, begins his work at the mission.

May 27, 1972 - The diocese's first official newspaper -- the Newsletter -- is published. Before, the diocese had published its news in The Catholic Bulletin, the newspaper of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

Dec. 23, 1975 - Bishop Raymond A. Lucker, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, is named second bishop of the Diocese of New Ulm by Pope Paul VI.

Feb. 19, 1976 - Bishop Lucker is installed as bishop of the diocese at the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity.

August 1976 - School Sisters of Notre Dame move their Center for Spiritual Development to the convent at the Church of St. Aloysius in Olivia. It moves to the convent at the Church of St. Mary in Bird Island in 1979. The Center closes on Feb. 28, 2002.

Jan. 24, 1980 - Elizabeth Larkin deeds her family's 58.92-acre farm in rural Renville to the diocese, which becomes the Center for Youth Ministry. Remains open until 2014.

1981 - Dominican religious Sr. Eunice Drazba is appointed the diocese's first pastoral administrator at the Church of St. Paul in Walnut Grove.

Fall 1982 - First season of RENEW is held in diocese. RENEW is a Catholic program that seeks to re-energize Catholics through faith-sharing small groups.

1985 - First diocesan festival is held.

Nov. 17, 2000 - Bishop Lucker retires due to health concerns.

June 12, 2001 - Bishop John C. Nienstedt, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Detroit, is named third bishop of the Diocese of New Ulm by Pope John Paul II.

Aug. 6, 2001 - Bishop Nienstedt is installed as bishop of the diocese at the Church of St. Mary in Sleepy Eye. Approximately 1,200 people attend.

July 14, 2008 - Fr. John M. LeVoir, a priest of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, is named fourth bishop of the Diocese of New Ulm by Pope Benedict XVI.

Sept. 15, 2008 - Fr. LeVoir is ordained and installed as bishop of the diocese at the New Ulm Civic Center.

March 24, 2010 - Bishop LeVoir establishes the Handmaids of the Heart of Jesus, a public association of the faithful. It is the first group of religious sisters whose motherhouse is in the diocese.

January 2011 - "Christ Our Life" Capital Campaign is launched to raise funds for a new Pastoral Center building and for parish projects.

April 21, 2012 - Eleven men are ordained permanent deacons by Bishop John M. LeVoir at the Church of St. Mary in Sleepy Eye. They are the diocese's first class of permanent deacons to be ordained.

Oct. 29, 2012 - The Friends of San Lucas, a 501(c)3 nonprofit established to promote and to raise funds for the diocese's mission in San Lucas Toliman, receives its certificate of incorporation from the State of Minnesota.

April 19, 2013 - Groundbreaking for the diocese's second Pastoral Center is held.

Aug. 1, 2014 - Dedication ceremony for the new Pastoral Center is held. Nearly 1,000 people tour the building.