Te Deum Laudamus!
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The Holy Father has named Fr Paul Sirba, 49, vicar-general of St Paul and Minneapolis, as bishop of Duluth, succeeding Archbishop Dennis Schnurr, who was named coadjutor of Cincinnati a year ago this month.
This is the 5th bishop I actually know! Fr. Sirba is one of the kindest, holiest priests I have ever known. He is friends with Bishop Christensen in the diocese right next door to his... what a pair. God bless them.
I will miss Fr. Sirba very much.
H/T to Ray for sending me the announcement after he found it on Whispers...
This is as good a time as any to mention that these guys were not at all ambitious for such honors - being named bishop was most likely never even on their radar screen. "He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has exalted the lowly!"
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Prayers and best wishes for Bishop Sirba. Read more here.
May our Lord bless and keep his Bishops, esp. Bishop-elect Sirba and Bishop Sample, who is undergoing a real trial right now.
ReplyDeleteHoly Mother Mary, Saint Joseph, Saint Teresa, pray for them! AMEN.
I agree with you, Terry, that Fr. Sirba and Bishop Piche' never struck me as being ambitious priests in the usual undertanding of that word. Ambitious to be good shepherds and to save souls -- yes -- but not ambitious to "advance" in the hierarchy. (I can think of one otherwise good and solidly orthodox priest whose sheer ambition alone is enough to disqualify him for the position). I suspect that the lack of ambition might be a fairly common trait of saintly bishops throughout history.
ReplyDeleteFr. Sirba is a priest unafraid to preach truth. He gave a very strong homily on the traditional family at my parish last year. Our priest was out of town (though he would not have flinched either) and Fr. Sirba was covering his Masses.
ReplyDeleteYou mention, Terry, that Bishops Christensen in Superior and Sirba in Duluth are right next door to each other.
ReplyDeleteClayton reminded me that it was Peter and Paul right with each other.
Blessings for the Twin Ports of Lake Superior.