At last!

Fr. Lee Acervo reports, "New Archbishop of Detroit" (Father Acervo's Corner, January 5, 2009):

Pope Benedict XVI has accepted the resignation of Cardinal Maida (mandatory when he turned 75 in 2005) and has appointed Bishop Allen Vigneron, formerly of the Diocese of Oakland, as the new Archbishop of Detroit.

Ordained in 1975, Archbishop-elect Vigneron was an Auxiliary Bishop here in Detroit from 1996 to 2003. In that year, he was appointed Bishop of Oakland, California.

He began teaching at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in 1985, becoming its rector in 1994. I had the privilege of being in the seminary during his last year as the rector, and I found him to be someone who is brilliant and humble with a great understanding of what it is to be pastoral. Even though he was simultaneously rector and Auxiliary Bishop, he always found time for his seminarians. He truly was a pastor of the seminary.

Please pray for Cardinal Maida as he moves into his retirement, and for Archbishop-elect Vigneron as he begins his new mission as Archbishop of Detroit.

You can read more about the appointment of the Archbishop-elect on the Web Site of the Archdiocese of Detroit.

Here is the video (.wmv format) of the Archbishop-elect’s acceptance.

Yesterday, His Excellency visited Sacred Heart Major Seminary for meetings with the students, faculty and administration. Te Deum Laudamus.