AREA PASTOR ATTENDS BISHOP'S INSTALLATION
Wednesday, March 2nd, 2005 -- 2:07 PM
Area Catholics have a new Bishop. Jerome Listecki was installed as the 19-county La Crosse Diocese?s ninth Bishop.Pope John Paul II appointed Listecki bishop in December, succeeding Raymond Burke, who was named archbishop of St. Louis.
Father Woodrow Pace of St. Mary?s Church here in Neillsville attended the Installation Tuesday in La Crosse.
"It is certainly a grand ceremony filled with beautiful music, a precession with all the priests, bishops and cardinals as well as representatives from Rome," Father Pace says.
The Installation also includes a ?homily? ? a chance to speak the people on a pastoral level.
Listecki will have a big role in the workings of the church. His duties are broken into three areas.
"He's the primary teacher, he's also given the role of governing and lastly, he has a sanctifying role," Father Pace says, "He protects the people's holiness and relationship with God."
Bishop Listecki?s predecessor, Raymond Burke, was an outspoken leader. Father Pace believes the new Bishop will pick up where Burke left off.
"He's already made several comments about his relationship with now Archbishop Burke."
"I think he'll have a strong stance on human dignity and the issues Bishop Burke began for our Diocese in media relationships," Pace says.
The Bishop will make his first trip to Neillsville in November for confirmation ceremonies.
The La Crosse diocese serves more than 200,000 Catholics in 164 parishes in west-central Wisconsin, including the nearly 1,500 parishioners at St. Mary?s Church here in Neillsville.
Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.