Background
Paul Zipfel was born in Saint Louis, Missouri to Albert and Leona (née Rau) Zipfel.
Paul Zipfel was born in Saint Louis, Missouri to Albert and Leona (née Rau) Zipfel.
He attended Saint Michael"s elementary school in from 1940-1949, and afterwards entered the Saint Louis Preparatory Seminary.
He was the sixth Bishop of Bismarck. He has an older brother, Ralph, and an older sister, who is a nun, Sister Alice Regine Zipfel. After studying at Kenrick Seminary (1955–1957) and the Catholic University of America (1957–1961), Zipfel was ordained to the priesthood on March 18, 1961.
He then obtained his licentiate in Sacred Theology during the following June, and completed his graduate studies at Saint Louis University from 1963 to 1965, there earning his Master"s in Education.
From 1961 to 1989, Zipfel did pastoral work in the Archdiocese of Saint Louis, served as an associate pastor, pastor, teacher and administrator at various schools and parishes. To this day, he is still revered and loved by many of the former students of Holy Family Catholic School is South Saint Louis.
On May 16, 1989, Zipfel was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Saint Louis and Titular Bishop of Walla Walla by Pope John Paul World War II He received his episcopal consecration on the following June 29 from Archbishop John May, with Bishops O"Donnell, SVD and Steib, SVD serving as co-consecrators. Zipfel was named the sixth Bishop of Bismarck, North Dakota, on December 31, 1996, being formally installed on February 20, 1997.
Within the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, he sat on the Administrative Committee and the Priestly Life and Ministry Committee.
His resignation from the pastoral governance of the Diocese of Bismarck was accepted on October 19, 2011, and he was succeeded by David Kagan. In retirement, Bishop Zipfel returned to his hometown of Saint Louis, Missouri.
