New St. Louis archbishop has South Dakota ties

Robert Carlson once served in Sioux Falls and became known for his public battles with former Sen. Tom Daschle.

ST. LOUIS -- Pope Benedict XVI has filled the vacant post of St. Louis archbishop with the promotion of the bishop of Saginaw, Mich., Robert Carlson.

Carlson, named early Tuesday in Rome as St. Louis' ninth archbishop, will be introduced to the Archdiocese of St. Louis at a 10:30 a.m. news conference. It's not clear when he will be installed. Until that time, he will continue to be the diocesan administrator in Saginaw.

Carlson, 64, was described by Bishop Robert J. Hermann, archdiocesan administrator for St. Louis, as "a very energetic, articulate, warm and gifted pastor and administrator."

St. Louis has been without an archbishop since June 27 when Archbishop Raymond Burke was named to head the Vatican supreme court. The archdiocese is considered a Roman Catholic stronghold.

Carlson, a native of Minneapolis, was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, where he became auxiliary bishop in 1984. He went on to serve as bishop of Sioux Falls, S.D., and later, the Diocese of Saginaw.

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