Paul D. Etienne

Etienne was born June 15, 1959, in Tell City, Indiana, the second son of Paul and Kay Etienne. His family's has deep roots in southern Indiana, reaching back several generations on both sides. An uncle is a diocesan priest, an aunt is a Benedictine nun. He has a sister (Nicolette) who is a Benedictine nun at Our Lady of Grace Monastery in Beech Grove, Indiana; two brothers, (Zachary & Bernard) are diocesan priests in the Diocese of Evansville.

“We just had priests and nuns and seminarians in and out of our house as regularly,” he said, adding that it's “no wonder that four out of the six kids in my family chose religious vocations and that the other two have remained as close to the Church as they have.”

He attended Bellarmine University in Louisville, Kentucky before completing his studies at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. He obtained B.A. in Business Administration in 1986. After several years of work, he began his ecclesiastical studies in Rome at the Pontifical Gregorian University, where he obtained a Licentiate of Sacred Theology in 1995.

Etienne was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Indianapolis on June 27, 1992.[4] Father Etienne served in the following positions: assistant pastor of the Saint Barnabas Parish, Indianapolis (1992–1993); Director of Vocations (1995–1998); and pastor of the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in New Albany (1998–2008). Beginning 2002, he served at Saint John the Baptist Parish in New Albany, and pastor of the Saint Simon the Apostle Parish and Saint John the Evangelist in Indianapolis (2008–2009). He also served as vice-rector of the Bishop Simon Bruté College Seminary in Indianapolis (from 2008), and pastor of the Saint Paul Parish at Tell City (from 2009). He was also Consultant and member of the archdiocesan council of priests.

Coat of Arms as Bishop of Cheyenne

On October 19, 2009, Pope Benedict XVI appointed him the Bishop of the Diocese of Cheyenne in Wyoming.[4][5] He succeeded Bishop David L. Ricken, who was named the Bishop of the Diocese of Green Bay on July 9, 2008.

He was consecrated as bishop on December 9, 2009, and took possession of the see on the same day.[6]

Coat of Arms as Archbishop of Anchorage

Etienne was appointed Archbishop of Anchorage on October 4, 2016. He was installed there at Our Lady of Guadalupe Co-Cathedral on November 9, 2016. He succeeded Roger Lawrence Schwietz.[7]

Personal Coat of Arms

On April 29, 2019, Pope Francis named him Coadjutor Archbishop of Seattle.[8][9] The appointment was publicized by Archbishop Christophe Pierre, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States.[10] The Mass celebrating his "rite of reception" was held on June 7 at St. James Cathedral.[11]

On September 3, 2019, Apostolic Nuncio Christophe Pierre informed the Archdiocese that Etienne had automatically become Archbishop of Seattle following the resignation of his predecessor, J. Peter Sartain.[3]