Home / News & Publications / Michigan Catholic News / 2008 / Bishop Boyea says Lansing assignment gives him 'great joy'
Bishop Boyea says Lansing assignment gives him 'great joy'
Catholic News Service
Published March 7, 2008
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Bishop Earl A. Boyea
Pope Benedict XVI has named Detroit Auxiliary Bishop Earl A. Boyea, 56, as the next bishop of Lansing, Mich. He succeeds retiring Bishop Carl F. Mengeling, 77. The changes were announced in Washington Feb. 27 by Archbishop Pietro Sambi, apostolic nuncio to the United States. Bishop Boyea is pictured in an undated photo. (CNS photo/courtesy of Diocese of Lansing) (Feb. 27, 2008) See LANSING Feb. 27, 2008. | Washington — Bishop Earl Boyea has a "deep passion for learning, for studying and sharing the faith, and preaching the Gospel," said Cardinal Adam Maida upon learning that Bishop Boyea was named as bishop of the Diocese of Lansing.
After acknowledging and thanking Bishop Carl F. Mengeling for his 12 years as Lansing's bishop, Cardinal Adam Maida also said Bishop Boyea "will be a strong advocate for evangelization and Catholic education."
Pope Benedict XVI accepted the resignation of Lansing Bishop Mengeling, 77, last week. The changes were announced in Washington Feb. 27 by Archbishop Pietro Sambi, apostolic nuncio to the United States. Bishop Boyea's installation will be April 29.
"I am blessed to be the bearer and bringer of good news," Bishop Mengeling told reporters at a press conference in Lansing.
"For more than two years, we have been patiently waiting, amidst much rumor and speculation, for the announcement of a new bishop for the Diocese of Lansing," he said. "Today, we thank God and rejoice in our new bishop."
He noted that canon law requires all bishops to submit their resignation to the pope at age 75, which he did in 2005, he said.
FYI
With Bishop Earl Boyea's move to Lansing, the following changes will happen in the Archdiocese of Detroit effective April 29.
Bishop John Quinn will work with the following vicariates: Trinity, Renaissance, Central Macomb, Genesis, and SERF.
Bishop Frances Reiss will work with the following vicariates: West Wayne, Northwest Wayne, Downriver and Monroe.
Bishop Daniel Flores will work with the following vicariates: Southwest, Pontiac, and Thumb, North Macomb and Blue Water.
Monsignor John Zenz will work with the following vicariates: Lakes, BBT, Southeast Oakland, Farmington-Southfield and Southeast Oakland. |
Bishop Mengeling, ordained as the bishop of Lansing Jan. 26, 1996, said that in the last 12 years he has met Bishop Boyea on various occasions and knows that, "above all, he loves being a priest and bishop who loves Christ and his church."
"He seeks to be a eucharistic priest with a servant's heart," he said. "He is a 'people person,' friendly, relational, engaging and an available, willing and generous servant, blessed with a sharp mind and sense of humor."
"I believe he will be a good shepherd — inviting, welcoming, teaching, sanctifying and serving all in the name of Christ," he added.
Msgr. Charles Kosanke, rector of SS. Cyril & Methodius Seminary, Orchard Lake, worked with Bishop Boyea at Sacred Heart Major Seminary when he was dean of admissions and the bishop was academic dean. "Bishop Boyea has high energy and a good sense of humor, and also is a very good teacher," he said. "Detroit's loss is the Diocese of Lansing's gain.
"I'm sure that he will be an effective pastoral leader for the faithful in Lansing."
Msgr. Kosanke also pointed out that the Diocese of Lansing is home to many colleges and universities, and that his education background would likely help him in relations with those institutions.
The 10-county Diocese of Lansing covers about 6,200 square miles. It has a Catholic population of about 222,500 in a total population of 1.8 million people.
In his remarks, Bishop Boyea said the pope's decision "to entrust to me the leadership of and the care for the Church of Lansing moves me not only to give thanks to God and to His Holiness but also brings me great joy."
Bishop Boyea praised Bishop Mengeling for his "dedication, love of Christ, untiring service, gentle leadership, joyous demeanor, dynamic preaching and unstinting love" for the diocese.
He asked the Catholics of the diocese "to help me do my task well: 'Lead good lives' and let us pray for one another so that my time as your bishop will be fruitful both for me and for you."
Born in Pontiac, April 10, 1951, Bishop Boyea earned a bachelor's degree in history at Sacred Heart Seminary's college in Detroit. He went to the Pontifical North American College in Rome, earning a licentiate in sacred theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University. He was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Detroit May 20, 1978.
While serving as an associate pastor, he earned a master of arts degree in history at Wayne State University in Detroit in 1984. He earned a doctorate in Church history from The Catholic University of America in Washington in 1987, and also did graduate studies at the University of Michigan.
From 1988 to 2000, he was on the faculty of Sacred Heart Seminary. In February 2000, Msgr. Boyea was named president and rector of the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio, a position he held until 2002. Pope John Paul II named him an auxiliary bishop of Detroit in June 2002 and his episcopal ordination was Sept. 13, 2002.
Bishop Boyea is a member of several organizations including the Catholic Biblical Association, the U.S. Catholic Historical Society, the Fellowship of Catholic Scholars and the Midwest Association of Theological Schools.
Bishop Mengeling was born Oct. 22, 1930, in Hammond, Ind., to German Lutheran immigrants. Young Carl was baptized a Catholic at age 9.
A member of the first ordination class in the Diocese of Gary, he was ordained to the priesthood in 1957. The diocese was established in December 1956. He also was the first priest of the diocese to be elevated to the episcopacy.
As the fourth bishop of Lansing, he created the Office of Pastoral Planning in October 1999 to conduct a strategic planning process.
Bishop Mengeling is publisher of the award-winning Faith magazine.
The bishop also is a regular contributor to the magazine, published 10 times a year.
Bishop Mengeling envisioned a special center for youths on the campus of St. Francis Retreat Center in DeWitt, a vision that was realized in Bethany House. He presided at the blessing of the facility on the diocesan feast day, Dec. 8, 2001. It is the spiritual-life center for youths of the diocese, offering spiritual retreats, formation programs and special events.
In 2000, Bishop Mengeling implemented a revised sexual abuse policy for the diocese, well ahead of the national sexual abuse scandal of 2002. He instituted the Virtus program as part of an effort to create a safe environment for the protection of children.
Believing that building projects give people a sense of ownership and responsibility for the Church, he encouraged pastors to build new churches during his tenure. He dedicated churches and renovations at numerous parishes in the diocese.
— Michigan Catholic reporter Kristin Lukowski added to this story.
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