A wonderful civic honor for a wonderful priest.
Fr. Johnson is leaving the Cathedral after a short term as Rector - only six years. Yet he accomplished much in a very short time. He will definitely be missed by many - including the Mayor of St. Paul, Chris Coleman, who honored Fr. Johnson with a special day today.
From the Catholic Spirit...
Sunday, June 24, will be declared “Very Rev. Joseph R. Johnson Day” in the City of St. Paul.
Mayor Chris Coleman will make the proclamation at a reception for the departing Cathedral of St. Paul rector in Hayden Hall following the 10 a.m. Mass June 24 at the cathedral.
During Father Johnson’s six years as rector, the cathedral has been designated a national shrine, the parish’s debt has been reduced, and efforts have been made to preserve the historic church through the Cathedral Heritage Foundation.
“[Father Johnson] has been just a wonderful curator of the building,” Coleman said in a June 15 phone interview.
“I’ve had a number of occasions to actually take a tour of the cathedral with other guests with Father Joe in the lead, and he just always amazed me with his depth of knowledge — not just of the building itself, but really of art history and the architectural history and how all the iconography relates to the history of the church,” Coleman said. “He’s very impressive that way.”
Father Johnson announced to Cathedral parishioners in April that he would be leaving in July to serve as the new pastor of Holy Family in St. Louis Park. - Read more.
Father Johnson also raised the cathedral’s visibility
by hosting public events like the
Red Bull Crashed Ice skating
competition in January,
Congratulation Fr. Johnson!
I saw this earlier. Good for him!
ReplyDeleteMy priest...how I will miss this man of God! As I told him, I am not sure I would still be a Catholic had it not been for him. Oh I would--because it is God's grace, but God used him at some very crucial crossroads in my life and I will never, never forget that. He will be in my daily prayers from now onward as well.
ReplyDeleteHe is one of the most kind and charitable priests I have ever known.
Deletecbr,
ReplyDeleteI hear good things about Fr. Ubel.
Ubel is brilliant and solid - a very well rounded and balanced priest. I can't say enough good about him.
DeleteAnd his brother teaches here at Duke, where I work. Also very smart, very nice - I can see the similarities in them. Doesn't quite share the same politics, though - he's the black sheep of the family!
DeleteMitchell - I meant to say hi before and to thank you for stopping by - so I do it now.
DeleteThat's interesting about his brother - black sheep are good to have. :)
Hi back, Terry! Even when I don't chip in, you've always got something worth reading!
DeleteWow, congrats! At this rate they will wait to rename the city back to Pigseye for years.
ReplyDeleteWouldn't that be great!
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