“In recent years, I have witnessed a remarkable increase in my belief in the effective, prayerful intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary,” he stated in his remarks. “It is with this assurance that I dedicate the ministry of Bishop of the Diocese of Rapid City to the intercession of the Mother of God. Our Lady of Perpetual Help, pray for us!”

The bishop-designate, whose episcopal ordination and installation is scheduled for Sept. 23, expressed his appreciation to Pope Francis for appointing him as Rapid City’s new leader. He also extended thanks to Archbishop Bernard A. Hebda of St. Paul and Minneapolis for providing him with “a warm welcome … to this area — this quite extensive area!” and for the “assurance of his prayers.” The archbishop serves as the metropolitan of the province encompassing the dioceses in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota.

Initial years and schooling

Bishop-designate Bullock was born on October 26, 1963, to Alexander and Mildred Bullock in Royal Oak, Michigan, and he is the youngest of three siblings. He has an older brother, Robert, and an older sister, Christine. The family resided in Michigan until the summer preceding Scott’s fifth-grade year, at which point they relocated to Elkton, Maryland, where he completed high school and started college the following year at the University of Delaware. Eventually, he earned a bachelor of science degree in industrial engineering in 1985 from General Motors Institute in Flint, Michigan, subsequently working as an engineer in the automotive sector.

“Around this period, a genuine contemplation of the calling to the priesthood emerged within his heart and spirit, encouraged by the heartfelt invitation of several individuals in a Bible study group,” his biography states. “Instead of answering the call at that moment, he chose to relocate to Iowa to pursue his graduate studies in statistics at Iowa State University.”

A vocation to the priesthood

During the initial semester of his academic journey, he sensed a urge to contemplate priesthood and joined the seminary as a postulant for the Archdiocese of Dubuque. Following four years of education at the Pontifical North American College in Rome, he was ordained as a priest on June 22, 1991, by Archbishop Daniel W. Kucera.

Following two assignments in parish ministry as an associate pastor, he was directed to pursue studies in canon law at The Catholic University of America in Washington, where he obtained a licentiate in canon law in 1997.

Later roles comprised rector of the St. Pius X Seminary at Loras College in Dubuque (2002-2014); judicial vicar of the archdiocese (2010-2020); and two roles as a pastor, including at St. Edward Parish in Waterloo, from 2014 to the present, along with simultaneous duties as the pastoral coordinator of Cedar Valley Catholic Schools in Waterloo. He also presently holds the position of dean of the archdiocese’s Waterloo Deanery.

Individual passions and accomplishments

During his free time, he earned a master’s degree in English literature in 2015 and subsequently instructed literature and English composition courses at the collegiate level for Catholic high school students via a nearby community college. In addition to his passionate reading and exploration of literature, he is also an eager long-distance cyclist and a learner of global cinema.

“Most importantly, though,” his biography noted, Bishop-designate Bullock “is a remarkably joyful priest with 33 years of experience!”

The Diocese of Rapid City spans 43,000 square miles and has a Catholic community of 23,668 among a total population of slightly more than 230,000.

Contributing to this story was Laurie Hallstrom, editor of the West River Catholic, the news outlet of the Diocese of Rapid City.