Donald DeGrood was born in Faribault, Minnesota, on February 14, 1965, the fourth of five sons of Robert and Joanne DeGrood. He grew up in Faribault on his family's farm. He finished Bethlehem Academy High School in Faribault in 1983.[1]
While attending the University of Saint Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota, DeGrood decided to enter Saint John Vianney College Seminary in Saint Paul. He graduated from Saint John in 1987 with a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy, but chose not to pursue the priesthood at that time.[1]
The diocese moved DeGrood from All Saints in 2000 to become spiritual director at Saint John Vianney College Seminary. He left the seminary in 2004 after his appointment as pastor of St. Peter's Parish in Forest Lake, Minnesota. DeGrood served at St. Peter's for the next nine years.[2][4]
In 2013, DeGrood became pastor of Blessed Sacrament Parish in St. Paul, serving there until 2015. A parishioner who had been sexually abused by a priest in that parish later said that DeGrood was "pivotal" in his healing process.[2] While serving at Blessed Sacrament, he also worked as vicar for clergy for the archdiocese. From July 2017 until he was appointed as bishop, DeGrood served as pastor of Saint John the Baptist Parish in Savage, Minnesota.[2][1]
Bishop of Sioux Falls
On December 12, 2019, DeGrood was named bishop of Sioux Falls by Pope Francis. Because the quinquennial visit ad limina visits of the United States bishops were ongoing during this period, DeGrood was able to visit Rome and meet with Francis in between his appointment and consecration on January 13, 2020. DeGrood was consecrated as a bishop and installed on February 13, 2020, by Archbishop Bernard Hebda, with Bishop Paul J. Swain and Bishop Andrew H. Cozzens as co-consecrators, at the Cathedral of Saint Joseph in Sioux Falls.[2][5] DeGrood's crosier was carved by one of his brothers from a tree on their family farm.
In July 2022, DeGrood issued a new policy for the treatment of non-binary and transgender students at the diocesan Catholic schools. The policy restricted them to bathrooms corresponding to their birth gender and prohibited staff and other students from addressing them with their preferred pronouns.[6]
