Rev. Msgr. Ted Bertagni

Monsignor Ted Bertagni was ordained a Franciscan priest in 1978 in Omaha, NE, and was invested as Prelate of Honor (Monsignor) by Pope St. John Paul II in 1999. He graduated from St. Louis University and is presently incardinated into the Diocese of Mandeville, Jamaica.

Monsignor Bertagni has an international background having studied and lived in Europe and Caribbean. He holds a STL and STD degrees from Sant’ Anselmo, the Pontifical Liturgical Institute in Rome. He served 20 years as a parish priest, pastor and professor in Louisville, KY, Carey, OH, and San Antonio, TX., before dedicating himself full time to the service of the poor. His journey to help the poor started with a mission trip with University students from San Antonio where he was chaplain. That experience of the abject poverty he experienced led him to volunteer to serve the poorest of the poor full time through pastoral ministry and preaching, in order to bring the plight of the poor to the Church in the U.S.

In 2016 he was commissioned as a Missionary of Mercy by Pope Francis in Rome. He continues to serve the poor through his work at Cross Catholic Outreach, preaching at parishes in the U.S. as well as serving also as Director of clergy and diocesan relations and meeting regularly with the bishops on our Board of Directors to help promote the spiritual and corporal works of mercy funded by Cross Catholic. He also serves as the liaison with the Vatican and the Dicastery for Integral Human Development, which is the Holy Father’s charitable arm to aid the poorest dioceses in the World.