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New Bishop of New Ulm, MN - Bp. Elect John Levoir
A friend of mine has just been made the new Bishop of New Ulm, MN.
Please pray for Bishop-Elect (or "Designate" as some prefer) John LeVoir, presently pastor of St. Michael’s and St. Mary’s in Stillwater, MN (home of the famous bookstore). Also he was once pastor of St. Augustine’s in South St. Paul, where the Extraordinary Form has been celebrated for many years.
Fr. LeVoir was with us for several days last week for an annual gathering of clergy, about which I wrote elsewhere.
Il Santo Padre Benedetto XVI ha nominato Vescovo di New Ulm (U.S.A.) il Rev.do John LeVoir, del clero di St. Paul and Minneapolis, Parroco di "St. Michael and Mary" a Stillwater.
Rev.do John LeVoir
Il Rev.do John LeVoir è nato il 7 febbraio 1946 a Minneapolis (Minnesota). Ha compiuto i suoi studi alla "La Salle High School", e presso la "University of St. Thomas" e la "Dallas University." Ha ottenuto un diploma in ragioneria e ha lavorato per un periodo come contabile. È entrato nel Seminario St Paul dell’Arcidiocesi di St. Paul and Minneapolis e ha conseguito un Master in Teologia.
Ordinato sacerdote il 30 maggio 1981 per l’arcidiocesi di Saint Paul and Minneapolis, ha poi ricoperto i seguenti incarichi: Vice-parroco a "St. Charles Borromeo" (1981-1992); Parroco alla "Most Holy Trinity" (1992-2004); parroco di "St. Augustine" (2000-2004). È membro dell’ "International Federation of Priests". È co-autore di: "Covenant of Love: John Paul II on Sexuality, Marriage, and Family in the Modern World" e "Faith for Today". È inoltre co-autore della serie "Image of God", adottata a livello nazionale per l’istruzione religiosa cattolica nelle scuole primarie e secondarie.
Attualmente è Parroco di "St. Michael and Mary" a Stillwater, Minnesota. Nell’ambito delle due parrocchie è compresa anche una scuola regionale.
UPDATE: 1317 UTC 
More about the New Bishop of New Ulm.
Frankly, I thought he was going to be made Auxilliary of St. Paul and Minneapolis!
Statement by Bishop-designate John M. LeVoir
on acceptance of appointment as
fourth bishop of the Diocese of New Ulm
It is with faith in God and with devotion to Pope Benedict XVI that I accept his appointment of me as the fourth Bishop of New Ulm. I am most grateful to the Holy Father for his confidence in me.
My background is that of a parish priest. I was an Associate Pastor at St. Charles Borromeo in St. Anthony for eleven years, and Pastor of Holy Trinity in South St. Paul for twelve years and for four of those years, I was at the same time Pastor of St. Augustine in South St. Paul. I have been Pastor of St. Michael and St. Mary in Stillwater since 2004.
I am grateful to the parishioners of all of these parishes for their goodness to me. I am especially grateful to the late Monsignor Richard Schuler [pastor for 33 years at St. Agnes in St. Paul] for the support that he gave me during my seminary years and for Father Francis Kittock, who was my Pastor and mentor at St. Charles Borromeo where I was his Associate. [What a great difference good priests as examples and mentors can make for vocations… at every level.]
I am particularly grateful to my parents, Marvin A. LeVoir, now deceased, [A career police officer, who worked also with my own mother, also a cop.] and Mary A. LeVoir, now 93 years old, and to my brothers Frederick J. LeVoir and Paul W. LeVoir, [Who leads the Gregorian chant schola at St.Agnes Church in St. Paul.] and my sister, Mary Ellen Steinkraus. In his retirement years, I was blessed to have known Bishop Alphonse Schladweiler, the founding Bishop of the New Ulm diocese. He was a kind and gentle shepherd. [He was also a former pastor of St. Agnes, where Msgr. Schuler was pastor.]
I am pleased that this announcement is being made on July 14, the Feast of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha (1656-1680). She was beatified in 1980 by Pope John Paul II. Kateri is the first Native American to be declared Blessed.I am going to be a new Bishop. I know that I have much to learn about serving as a Bishop and about the New Ulm diocese. Archbishop Nienstedt has assured me of his advice and help. I appreciate that so much. I ask the clergy, the religious, and the people of the diocese to be patient with me and to pray for me, as I will for them. With the help of God’s grace, I will do my best to be a faithful shepherd. [And I am sure he will be!]
UPDATE: 1716 UTC
Fr. LeVoir co-authored books with the nephew of Msgr. Schuler, Fr. Richard Hogan. Here are a couple titles.
Covenant of Love: Pope John Paul II on Sexuality, Marriage, and Family in the Modern World
Faith for Today: Pope John Paul Ii’s Catechetical Teaching
Jesus, the Way, the Truth, and the Life (Image of God Series)
A friendly word of correction: A president is elected, so before he takes office we call him “president-elect.” A bishop, however, not having been elected, is termed “bishop-designate,” not “bishop-elect.”
Comment by Nicholas — 14 July 2008 @ 7:24 amThe Italians are comfortable with Vescovo eletto.
Comment by RBrown — 14 July 2008 @ 7:37 amRBrown: As am I. Bishop-Elect is perfectly acceptable.
Comment by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf — 14 July 2008 @ 7:42 amJust because only the Pope votes doesn’t make it less of an election,in canonical terms.:)
Comment by Louis E. — 14 July 2008 @ 8:10 amThe usual meaning of electus is “chosen”, without reference to the mechanism of choice.
Comment by Henry Edwards — 14 July 2008 @ 8:16 amA worthy successor to Bishop Schladweiler!
Comment by Tim Ferguson — 14 July 2008 @ 8:34 amIf I am not mistaken, this is BIG
!! I mean really BIG! A priest with a markedly traditional/orthodox/conservative/EF/ orientation being chosen bishop.
Apparently they did not run this appointment by Archbishop Jadot.
Comment by John — 14 July 2008 @ 9:51 amI for one am glad that we have a bishop again. I am looking forward to learing more about him and watching to see what he has planned for us.
Thank you Holy Father!
Dave
Comment by Dave — 14 July 2008 @ 11:34 amHe was also appointed by Archbishop Harry Flynn as the first chaplain to Faith in Action, the local chapter of the Courage apostolate in the Archdiocese. He gave an interview to Catholic Parents Online about Courage and same-sex attraction, which is available as an audio podcast here.
Comment by Clayton — 14 July 2008 @ 11:52 amI also see that bishop-elect LeVoir was a theological consultant for the Image of God catechetical series (published by Ignatius Press), which is, IMO, the best religious ed series for grades K-8 out there.
Great news!
Comment by francis — 14 July 2008 @ 12:07 pmAxios! Axios! God grant the Bishop-Elect John Levoir many happy and blessed years!
Fr. Deacon Daniel
Comment by Fr. Deacon Daniel — 14 July 2008 @ 1:20 pmThe good Fr. LeVoir will now be walking on nails, as is Abp. Nienstedt.
May St Michael and Bl. K. Tekawitha protect him!
Comment by dad29 — 14 July 2008 @ 1:55 pmI am under the impression that a “bishop-elect” is one who is any priest appointed to a see, and a “bishop-designate” is a bishop who is being transferred to a diocese. I don’t believe the terms are interchangeable at all.
Comment by JBD — 14 July 2008 @ 5:47 pm... in Stillwater, MN (home of the famous bookstore)
What famous bookstore?
Comment by PMcGrath — 14 July 2008 @ 7:06 pmLoome Booksellers the finest used theological bookstore in North America…at least.
Comment by Tim Ferguson — 14 July 2008 @ 7:57 pmSuperb choice! I’m sorry to see him leave the Archdiocese of St. Paul/Minneapolis. The faithful of New Ulm are lucky to have him. He’s going to need lots of prayers. Archbishop Nienstedt made some progress in New Ulm but the Bishop-elect is still going to have a lot of clean-up work ahead of him.
Comment by Cathy_of_Alex — 15 July 2008 @ 1:49 pmThis is good news, even for those of us over here just across the river from the diocese of New Ulm (I can see the diocese of New Ulm from my front window, but live in the diocese of Winona – near the School Sisters of Notre Dame…). I am no longer afraid that I will have to give up the delicious ironies that arise from living in the territory of one diocese and working in the territory of another. I am sure that Bishop-elect (the term “elect” ultimately has to do with being “brought out” or “chosen” – as in electives in College – not necessarily voted on) that the Bishop-elect will carry on the policies of Bishop Nienstadt, including the strict adherence to Friday abstinence in Lent. There have been a few times when I was enjoined not to eat meat at lunch at work (New Ulm diocese), but could eat meat at dinner that evening (Winona diocese). And perhaps Bishop LeVoir will re-establish the Cathedral schola in New Ulm.
Deo gratias.
P.S. I was tempted here to make a bad pun on the word Luck and Luckier but, thinking before posting, I thought better of it.
Comment by Denis Crnkovic — 15 July 2008 @ 11:28 pmThis is great news!
Comment by Michael B. — 16 July 2008 @ 5:48 pmCongratulations to the Diocese of New Ulm.
Hmm, a Cathedral Schola trained by Paul LaVoir, wouldn’t that be great!
Makes me want to take a vacation at Loome’s this summer.
Hello Fr. Z!!,
After a conversation with a mutual friend of ours from my time living at St. Agnes, we have concluded that this is the first “miracle” on the road to having Monsignor Schuler canonized.
It is a beautiful thing that Bishop-elect LeVoir is going to be in New Ulm. It is fitting, first that Schladdy went there from St. Agnes, now there is another native son heading to lead the flock.
I am sure, positive, and quite certain that Monsignor is settling into his eternal digs just a bit, and as we know, he has pull, so I offer prayers for Bishop-elect LeVoir. I am sure that Monsignor is doing the same.
Deo Gratias
!
Comment by Andy Milam — 18 July 2008 @ 9:36 amDeo gratias, and to our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI
Comment by ssoldie — 28 January 2009 @ 10:07 am