Celebrating my 1st Birthday as Bishop of Saginaw!

The diocesan staff surprised me with cake again today while I was at a luncheon with priests following the annual Senior Priests' Mass at the Center for Ministry. ( I told you they love any excuse to have a party!)

With yesterday being the anniversary of my priestly ordination and today being my birthday, I often enjoy asking children how it could be possible that I was ordained when I was 25, but didn't celebrate my first Mass until I was 26. Their first response is often that it must have been because I needed more training. (Don't you just love kids?!) The truth is that I celebrated my first Mass on my 26th birthday, which was the next day following my ordination in 1975.

Thank you to all of you who have wished me a happy anniversary and happy birthday during this, my first year as Bishop of Saginaw. God love you!

35 Years as a Priest!

The diocesan staff celebrated the 35th anniversary of my ordination to the priesthood - May 17, 1975 -  with cake this morning at the Diocesan Center. (Boy, these people will use any excuse to have a party!)

Homily from Friday's Ordination to the Order of Deacon (and more)

You also may read the text of my homily and see photos from Friday's ordination. 

Bishop's Charity Ball Photos

Click here to see more photos!

From the 2010 Bishop's Charity Ball ...

Tonight I sang Lefty Frizzell's 1964 No. 1 country hit "Saginaw, Michigan" for the participants of the 2010 Bishop's Charity Ball at the Horizons Conference Center in Saginaw. The Bishop's Charity Ball benefits Catholic schools and parish religious education programs. This year's event was the first for me since I installed as the Diocese of Saginaw's sixth bishop in July 2009. The Communications Office has promised more photos and uploads from tonight's ball to be posted online next week. 





You also can read about this year's Bishop Murphy Award winner.

Ground Breaking at St. Brigid School in Midland

I had the honor today of breaking ground on a very exciting building expansion project at St. Brigid of Kildare School in downtown Midland. Read more about it at see videos on the DoS News blog.

From FAITH Saginaw: Raising holy families is 'domestic engineering'

As a young priest, I was engaged in parish visitations. It was customary each year for the priests to visit the homes of all registered parishioners. Besides spending a few minutes with parishioners in their homes, particularly those who were not accustomed to coming to Mass or practicing their faith, we also took the time to conduct a yearly census.

We collected various information, e.g. who lived in the home, ages, educational background, sacramental history and practice, as well as occupations and other helpful data. In order to fit the information on a small census card, we had to use codes. When it came to “occupation,” “P” meant Professional; L=Laborer; M=Management; HW=Housewife; and so on.

In one home, next to the name of the wife and mother, my predecessor wrote “DE.” I didn’t know what this abbreviation meant, so I asked the woman if she knew. With an air of satisfaction, the woman said: “I told the priest last year, I did not like the term ‘housewife’ because it doesn’t reflect the dignity of what I do in my life. So I told Father I was a “Domestic Engineer!”

While she was referring to her everyday responsibilities within the home, I do not think she understood just how “theologically correct” her response was. The Second Vatican Council, when speaking of family life, referred to the family as the “Domestic Church.”

Read of the rest of my column on pages 14 and 15 of the new Spring 2010 issue of FAITH Saginaw magazine.