Home / News & Publications / Michigan Catholic News / 2009 / Bishop Vigneron leaves Oakland a legacy of healing, virtue and the new Cathedral of Christ the Light
Bishop Vigneron leaves Oakland a legacy of healing, virtue and the new Cathedral of Christ the Light
by Monica Clark of The Catholic Voice
Published January 23, 2009
Editor's note: The following story was written by Monica Clark, editor of The Catholic Voice, the diocesan newspaper in Oakland, Calif.
Oakland, Calif. — Bishop Allen Vigneron had completed nearly six years as bishop of Oakland when he was appointed Archbishop of Detroit on Jan. 5. The legacy of his short tenure here includes a new cathedral and administrative offices; a diocesan pastoral plan; the ordination of 17 diocesan priests; major reorganization of diocesan departments; and pastoral statements on liturgy, education, immigration reform, and healing from clergy sex abuse.
"While I am very much at peace in being called to Detroit, I am very sad in being called away from Oakland," he wrote in a letter to Chancery staff. "We were going to accomplish a lot this year, with God's help. Now, it will be up to God to determine the way forward and its timing."
Archbishop-designate Vigneron will be installed as Detroit's 10th archbishop on Jan. 28 at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament. For him, the appointment is a homecoming, as he grew up in Anchorville, attended Sacred Heart Major Seminary High School and College, Detroit, and was ordained as a priest in 1975. He was ordained as an auxiliary bishop for Detroit in 1996 and was appointed coadjutor bishop of Oakland in 2003, succeeding Bishop John Cummins later that year.
In a statement the day of his appointment to Detroit, Archbishop-designate Vigneron acknowledged there have been "significant challenges" during his years as chief pastor in Oakland. The two most visible were the building of the Cathedral of Christ the Light and shepherding the diocese as it continued to heal from sex abuse by priests who served in parishes in Alameda and Contra Costa counties.
He visited 14 of those parishes to lead prayer services at which he named the offending priests who had served in the parish and offered an apology for the grave harm done to the victims.
"Bishop Vigneron's commitment to the healing of survivors of sexual abuse is outstanding," said Dominican Sr. Glenn Anne McPhee, diocesan chancellor. In addition to the healing ceremonies, he continued "to support survivors and those who work with them in recovering from this difficult reality," she said.
A visible symbol of that support is the healing garden on the grounds of the new cathedral. At the garden dedication on Oct. 11, 2008, Bishop Vigneron read the entrance plaque: "This Healing Garden, planned by survivors, is dedicated to those innocents sexually abused by members of the clergy. We remember, and we affirm, never again."
The cathedral complex itself is considered by many to be Archbishop-designate Vigneron's most enduring accomplishment. Although plans for the cathedral were well underway when he arrived in Oakland, it was he who oversaw the decisions that turned the dream into a reality – from the purchase of the property in December 2003 to the dedication of the completed complex on Sept. 25, 2008.
However, Fr. Paul Minnihan, cathedral provost, said he believes there is "something far more basic and true" about Bishop Vigneron's legacy – "a witness of virtue."
"He is a man rooted in a relationship with the Lord," he said. "His prayer life governs all that he does. And, from that, I have come to appreciate that Allen Vigneron is a gentleman. He is gracious and kind, bringing the light of Christ into all of his relationships."
Others who worked closely with Bishop Vigneron also praised him for a wide range of qualities as a pastoral leader. "He is a scholar who researches projects well, listens to different sides of a controversy or situation, and makes a good, speedy decision on a path to follow," said Fr. Robert McCann, chair of both the Presbyteral Council and the Pastoral Leadership Placement Board.
Fr. McCann said Bishop Vigneron openly received all comments from the council, even "when they went against his original thought or plan. He willingly changed after hearing a convincing argument or a list of actual facts." Janet Cooke, outgoing chair of the Diocesan Pastoral Council, described the bishop as "very prayerful, very calm, and humble. There is something calming about being in his presence."
The DPC and the Presbyteral Council crafted a new diocesan plan which Bishop Vigneron promulgated in April 2008, saying it would move the diocese "farther along the path of renewal charted for us by the Second Vatican Council." The plan set forth goals and action steps in sacramental renewal, faith formation and catechesis, pastoral leadership, youth and young adults, and stewardship.
It also stated the diocesan mission: To know Christ better and make Him better known. "Ever since that was adopted," said Fr. McCann, "Bishop Vigneron has reminded every diocesan group he spoke to of that mission."
The pastoral plan continues to be in effect as the cohesive force and vision for the diocese until a new bishop is appointed, said Carol Potter, outgoing director of the pastoral planning department. The plan will be subject to the new bishop's review, she said, but in the interim she expects specifics of the plan to move forward.
The diocese's social ministries also received strong support from Bishop Vigneron, who proposed to the Order of Malta the establishment of a free health clinic for the uninsured at the cathedral; a legal clinic now offers free services, too. Solomon Belette, CEO of Catholic Charities of the East Bay, applauded the bishop for these programs and his continued leadership in linking faith to the diocese's social outreach. One example, said Belette, was the bishop's presentation on immigration reform at CCEB's annual public policy breakfast. "He spoke with a great deal of authority and conviction, clearly articulating the Church's position," Belette said.
Sensitivity to the pastoral needs of immigrants prompted Bishop Vigneron to spend a month in Mexico learning Spanish shortly after coming to the Oakland Diocese where 21 percent of the population is Latino. The diocese is one of the most ethnically diverse in the country, with 15 ethnic pastoral and cultural centers serving groups from Asian Indian to Vietnamese. "All our ethnic communities appreciate Bishop Vigneron's presence at their cultural celebrations," said St. Joseph Sr. Felicia Sarati, director of ethnic pastoral ministry. "His message to them was always to treasure their cultural religious heritage."
Incorporating various cultural traditions into the worship, education, and outreach programs at the new cathedral is a hallmark of the cathedral's pastoral plan, another of the initiatives proposed by Bishop Vigneron and completed by 15 diocesan and parish leaders in June. The plan outlines a broad spectrum of programs and services that will emanate from the cathedral.
Dominican Sr. Rose Marie Hennessy, chair of the planning committee and principal of St. Elizabeth Elementary School in Oakland, said the plan helps make concrete the bishop's vision of the "light of Christ extending to all corners of the diocese through the example and efforts of all involved and the formative aspects of the space itself."
Changing demographics, especially in urban areas of the diocese, forced Bishop Vigneron to close five parish schools in the last four years, merge two parishes, cluster two and close one more. He leaves behind the task of managing and retiring the cathedral complex debt, currently estimated to be between $60 and $70 million.
"We are sad to see Bishop Vigneron leave us," said Fr. George Mockel, who has served at the bishop's vicar general. "But we are thankful for the leadership he has provided and for the legacy he leaves behind, which certainly includes our glorious new Cathedral of Christ the Light."
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