Pope Francis has appointed the Rev. Frank R. Schuster as auxiliary bishop of Seattle. Bishop-elect Schuster is a priest of the Archdiocese of Seattle and currently serves as pastor of Saint Vincent de Paul parish in Federal Way, Washington.
Father Schuster was born May 20, 1971, in Mount Vernon, Washington. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Washington in Seattle (1994), and studied at Mundelein Seminary in Illinois (1994-1999). He was ordained to the priesthood on June 12, 1999.
Bishop-elect Schuster’s assignments after ordination include parochial vicar (1999-2000) and pastor (2003-2007) at Church of the Assumption parish in Bellingham; parochial vicar (1999-2000) and pastor (2006-2007) at Sacred Heart parish in Bellingham; chaplain for Catholic Campus Ministry at Western Washington University in Bellingham (2000-2003 and 2006-2007); dean of the Archdiocese of Seattle’s presbyteral council (2004-2007); and pastor at Saint Teresa of Calcutta parish in Woodinville (2007-2021). Since 1995, he has served as director of permanent diaconate formation for the Archdiocese of Seattle, and since 2021, he has served as pastor at Saint Vincent de Paul Parish in Federal Way.
“I am very grateful to the Holy Father for trusting me in this way,” said Bishop-elect Schuster, who has served as a priest of the Archdiocese of Seattle for nearly 23 years. “I’m also especially grateful to Archbishop Etienne for his support of me. I am enthusiastic to do what he needs me to do as his auxiliary.”
“It is truly a blessing to have Father Frank Schuster appointed to this auxiliary role,” said Seattle Archbishop Paul D. Etienne. “His love for Jesus and joy for the priesthood is expressed through his love of service and enthusiasm for the Gospel. As an auxiliary bishop, he will join Bishop Eusebio Elizondo, and together, as shepherds, they will extend the ministry of our Lord Jesus accompanying people in their faith life. He will join in this season’s confirmations, attend deanery events, celebrate with the faithful, and be a partner for the Gospel out in the field. As such, I intend to keep him with his parish community so that he may continue to be one with the people.”
The Archdiocese of Seattle is comprised of 28,731 square miles in the State of Washington and has a total population of 5,994,070, of which 600,605 are Catholic.
