Home / News & Publications / Michigan Catholic News / 2008 / Bishop Quinn shares parting thoughts as he heads to Winona
Bishop Quinn shares parting thoughts as he heads to Winona
by Robert Delaney of The Michigan Catholic
Published December 12, 2008
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Robert Delaney | The Michigan Catholic
Bishop John Quinn talks about his impending move to become coadjutor bishop of Winona, Minn., which means he will become the diocesan bishop upon the retirement of Winona's current ordinary, Bishop Bernard Harrington, also a former Detroit auxiliary bishop. |
Bishop John Quinn was to be received as coadjutor bishop of Winona, Minn., in a ceremony yesterday at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Winona. Bishop Quinn, who has served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Detroit since 2003 sat down for a farewell interview Dec. 2 with Michigan Catholic reporter Robert Delaney.
Here are excerpts from that interview.
What were you doing when you got the call about becoming coadjutor bishop of Winona?
I had just returned from teaching a class at Sacred Heart Major Seminary. I walked in the door, and my secretary told me I'd just received a call from Archbishop (Pietro) Sambi (the apostolic delegate to the United States), and that he wanted me to call him back. I presumed it had to do with the Madonna gala (back in September) that he was coming into town for, and that he was wondering who was going to pick him up, or how that was going to proceed. When I called him, he said he hoped I was having a nice day, and I said I was having a beautiful day. Then he said, "I'm going to make your day even more beautiful," and that's when he told me about the appointment to Winona.
What was your reaction?
I was overwhelmed. I was shocked, surprised. I'm not sure what Archbishop Sambi said to me after that. All I remember is feeling so totally unworthy and very humble at being named by the pope to be the coadjutor of Winona. I also felt an immense sense of gratitude that I would be invited to lead God's people in another diocese a sense of the immense privilege of being asked to shepherd the people of Winona.
What can you tell us about your new diocese?
It's the very southern tiers of Minnesota counties, and has about 140,000 Catholics. It's very much an agricultural area, but I think most people are familiar with the Mayo Clinic, which is in the diocese.
You're coming from Detroit, with all its diversity. What's the ethnic make-up of the population of the Winona Diocese?
It is not as diverse as here. Most of the people are of a western European background, but I learned on my one visit that there is a significant Hispanic population, so I will have to learn Spanish and be able to celebrate the liturgy in Spanish and I look forward to doing that. There is also a growing Asian population in the diocese.
What do you anticipate you will like the most about Winona and Minnesota?
What I know I'm going to love is the people to get to know the parishes, as I make my visits on weekends, and also to come to know the priests and the deacons. We also have a Catholic university in the diocese, St. Mary's University, sponsored by the Brothers of the Christian Schools, and that's going to be a great resource in building up the life of the Church.
Also, in the diocese we have Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary. So, I will be able to visit my seminarians, and I will be able to celebrate Mass at the seminary to encourage these men on their journey. It is owned and operated by the diocese, but we have candidates from the entire region maybe as many as 20 dioceses sent there for their college-level formation as priests.
As coadjutor bishop of Winona, you will be working under Bishop Bernard Harrington, who was also a former Detroit auxiliary bishop, until he retires. Has he given any indication when he plans to step down?
Just when he will retire is yet to be determined between Bishop Harrington and Archbishop Sambi, but I believe that's going to happen sometime in the spring of 2009. I keep encouraging Bishop Harrington to stay on as long as he wants, as I'd really like to get to know the diocese a while before becoming its bishop. He, on the other hand, says, "I'm past 75; I'm ready to go."
Did you know Bishop Harrington well before he left Detroit to become bishop of Winona? Had you ever worked with him here?
I hadn't worked with him, but I've known him over the years. I knew him because of his work as an associate superintendent of Catholic schools in the archdiocesan Department of Education he was in charge of the high schools. His reputation for competence and dedication was known far and wide. I knew him at Sacred Heart Seminary he was rector for several years, and the priests were all appreciative of his leadership. And then, when I became an auxiliary bishop, being both Detroiters, our friendship has brought us together on numerous occasions. So, if the Diocese of Winona liked one bishop from Detroit who has white hair and is of Irish descent, I have at least the hope they're going to welcome me.
What do you think you will miss the most about the Detroit area and the Archdiocese of Detroit?
I'm going to miss the priests, because they are not just my friends, they have formed me with a priestly heart. Alongside that, I'm going to miss Sacred Heart Major Seminary a huge amount. This is the place that formed me for priesthood, and a place to which I have returned to teach and to be with the young men who are preparing for priesthood. But also, I love metro Detroit if you look for generosity, for diversity, there is no nicer place than right here. I'm going to miss the Tigers. I'm going to have to become a Minnesota Twins fan now. And, of course, I'll miss the Red Wings they give us a great season absolutely every year.
What ministry in which you have served during your years with the Archdiocese of Detroit has done the most to help deepen your faith?
There are two that have deepened my faith. First, has been my ministry in a parish to be able to celebrate the liturgy, to be able to preach, to be able to be with people in a variety of settings, from joyous moments to very sad moments, particularly to do that in the city. I was pastor of St. Luke Parish (on Detroit's west side), and all the diversity that we had there, and the joy I experienced from that. The other ministry has been education. I have loved education. I have loved teaching. I have always done everything I could to support Catholic schools from pre-school right up through university, and faith formation. And faith is formed not just in schools, but in families.
How did becoming an auxiliary bishop affect your faith life or prayer life?
It affected it, because it made me deepen it. I realized that in my faith life I needed to be even stronger in trusting in the Lord. I needed to be stronger in my relationship with the Lord, because now I was going to share in the cardinal's work as the chief shepherd, and be a shepherd wherever I went in the archdiocese. The second thing was that it made me more prayerful, it caused be to take more time in my prayer life, to pray for our Church not just to solve problems, but simply to pray, because if I'm not praying, how can I call others to it?
Any other farewell thoughts?
Just to take this opportunity to say thank you to the Archdiocese of Detroit. And within that I include my family, I include the priests, I include the lay people, the religious all who have touched my life. And all I can say is thank you to every single one of them, from my parents who brought me into the world, to everyone who has helped me over these years to become who I am. The best way I can say thank you to them is to always pray for them and have a grateful heart. I just hope I will be a good bishop of Winona, that I'll represent our Archdiocese of Detroit so well that they'll all be proud.
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