Posted on 01/05/2009 7:51:59 AM PST by NYer
Pope Benedict XVI has named Bishop Allen Henry Vigneron to succeed Cardinal Adam Maida. Maida submitted his resignation nearly four years ago when he turned 75 but stayed on at the Pope's request while a search for a successor was conducted.
The 60-year old Vigneron, currently working with the Diocese in Oakland, California, will officially take over as archbishop January 28th, and in a written statement expressed his gratitude to Pope Benedict, acknowledged Cardinal Maida’s welcome home, and addressed southeast Michigan’s economic struggle.
“I recognize that this challenge for our civic community is – as all societal problems are – a pastoral challenge as well. To that challenge,” he said, “I want to bring all the riches of grace which the Holy Spirit has bestowed on the Church,” he said. Maida will continue to serve as apostolic administrator of the archdiocese during this month’s transition.
Vigneron was born in Mt. Clemens and grew up in Immaculate Conception Parish, Anchorville. He attended Immaculate Conception Grade School before going on to Detroit’s Sacred Heart Seminary High School and College. Later, he studied at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome and the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.
Prior to being named Bishop of Oakland, California, in 2003, Archbishop-elect Vigneron was an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Detroit. His background includes assignments as rector/president of Sacred Heart Major Seminary, work in the Administrative Section of the Vatican Secretariat of State, and service as associate pastor at Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish, Harper Woods.
An estimated 1.4 million Catholics live in Metro Detroit.
Ping!
Anybody know him?
what kind of priest is he? I hope he is the opposite of my bishop.
Detroit Catholics seem to tend toward the conservative side.
I attended mass there once, and I found it very pleasant. It was a new modern building, but felt like a Catholic church to me. I hope he is, as my own bishop will be replaced soon enough and I am hoping for a more discerning man. One who will not attend gay unions being performed in his own diocese.
Is this the only city where the vestments are made of kevlar?
Be sure to read the comments at Fr. Z's site!
Abp. Vigneron will be greatly missed. He has been very generous with the Latin Mass and traditional sacraments, even before Summorum Pontificum. He is also vocally pro-life.
**He is also vocally pro-life.**
He’s a winner right there in my estimation.
However, he was not on Deal Hudson’s list of the Bishops who supported the pro-life issue as the #1 election issue.
BUT, he is orthodox in his thinking and does adhere to the Holy See. Best of luck to him cleaning up Detroit.
He recently died at age 98 or 97, can't remember which. Prayers for him.
Any idea on who will fill the Oakland slot? I have family in that archdiocese.
As an aside, no disrespect to Bishop Vigneron, it sounds like he did not have much to do with the design or plans, but my Mom describes that multi-million dollar Cathedral as looking like “a huge, glass nuclear power plant.”
I even had a chance to meet Bishop Vigneron at a reception last year when he came to St. Margaret Mary's to give a lecture. A very nice person, and I enjoyed talking to him, because we are both from Michigan.
Bishop Vigneron even celebrated (Pontifical??) High Mass in the Traditional Latin Rite at St. Margaret Mary's when he came there last year to do the annual Confirmations (I believe he has do so in previous years too). It was a beautiful Mass (Bishop Vigneron’s Latin is very good), and besides, how often does one get to see their Diocesan Bishop celebrate the Traditional Latin Mass these days?? Not often, I would wager, as I have never seen so many Priests and Religious sitting in the Congregation of a Mass in my entire life!!
In addition, each January, there is a huge Pro-Life March through the streets of San Francisco, just across the Bay. I have attended the last three, and Bishop Vigneron was at the head of all three of them (along with the other local Bishops). He has taken many stands against abortion, and came out with a strong statement against homo “marriage” within the past year (much to the dismay of many in the San Francsico Bay Area!!).
No one is perfect, and Vigneron has occasionally not been as Orthodox about some things as I might have hoped, but it seems to me that all in all, Detroit is getting a good Bishop. I wish him well, and am sorry to see him leave Oakland (I sometimes wish I could go back to Michigan too, as the San Francisco Bay Area can get on your nerves at times!!).
I pray that Bishop Vigneron does a good job in Detroit, and I also ask everyone's prayers that Oakland's new Bishop be as good as Vigneron (unfortunately, the left wing Catholic Blogger Rocco Palamo (or whatever his name is), has said that there is a rumor that one of Cardinal Mahoney’s Sub-Bishops from Los Angeles is being touted as Vigneron’s replacement here in Oakland - let us hope not!! We have enough Mahoney-cronies running other Diocese's all around us).
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