×

Williston Born Catholic Priest Excommunicated by Pope Leo XIV

By Alex Carmenaty Jul 6, 2026 | 8:28 AM

(KNOX) – A Catholic priest who was born in North Dakota and ordained in Minnesota has been excommunicated by Pope Leo the Fourteenth.

Reverend Michael Goldade was one of four priests consecrated as a bishop by the Society of Saint Pius the Tenth without Vatican approval. He was born in Williston in 1980, and was ordained as a priest in Winona in 2004. It is considered that he participated in an unauthorized bishop ordination.

The Vatican says the pope only has the authority to appoint bishops, and the ceremony is being called a schismatic act. A schismatic act is when a decision is made in order to cause division within an established religious body.

FOLLOW US FOR INSTANT UPDATES!