The influence of Archbishop Weisenburger

 

It was November of 2017, during my second year of college seminary in Mount Angel, Oregon, when we received news that a new bishop had been appointed for the Diocese of Tucson. I felt a sense of excitement to meet our new shepherd, and also a sense of gratitude for Bishop Gerald Kicanas who had accepted me as a seminarian. 

The first time I met Bishop Edward J. Weisenburger was in the Cathedral of St. Augustine. All the seminarians were gathered to meet our new bishop. Upon meeting him I immediately felt that he had a pastoral heart, and a great interest and care for priestly vocations. That first impression remained true throughout the whole time I have been blessed to have Bishop Weisenburger as my bishop.  

Throughout all of my years of formation his constant care and support was always felt. His availability to meet, his attentiveness in listening, and his compassionate heart are some of the qualities that I will always remember from Bishop Weisenburger. I will especially always recall with great fondness the time Bishop Weisenburger visited my family in Nogales, after I informed him that my grandfather was sick. In the words of St. Pope Paul VI, in his encyclical Sacerdotalis Caelibatus, through the care of Bishop Weisenburger I experienced the kindly care of my father in Christ, the bishop. Bishop Weisenburger was the bishop that ordained me as a deacon and as a priest. In the words of my spiritual director from Mundelein Seminary, he was the channel God used for the Holy Spirit reached us on the day of ordination. This is of course something that will remain with me forever.  

As Bishop Weisenburger departs for the new assignment that the Lord, through his Church, has entrusted to him I will continue to keep him and the Archdiocese of Detroit in my prayers, and we as a local church should do the same. Our local church here in Tucson should also pray for our new bishop, especially in the words found in the Roman Missal, “O God … grant in your boundless fatherly love a pastor for your Church who will please you by his holiness and watchful care.” Thank you, Bishop Edward Weisenburger, for everything!