21 April 2009

Bishop Robert Carlson, meet me in St. Louis, Louis!!

The faithful of Saginaw and Sioux City welcomed Bishop Carlson to his last appointments. As St.Louis prepares to roll out the red carpet for the new Archbishop, some may wonder what the expectations of his former dioceses were and how he lived up to them.

For a look back:
The Saginaw Blessing



Guidance in Voting

and again here

"The decisive leadership of Bishop Robert Carlson is causing a vocation surge in the Diocese of Saginaw, Michigan. Bishop Carlson led the vocation-rich Diocese of Sioux Falls from 1995 to 2004 before his transfer to the vocation-poor Diocese of Saginaw, which ranked 150th in the nation early last year. In his February 2005 installation homily, he announced: I am Bishop Robert J. Carlson, and I come to you as an apostolic missionary and a servant of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I consecrate my ministry among you to the intercession and care of the Blessed Virgin Mary . . . I promise as your bishop to teach only authentic Catholic doctrine . . . And, as of today, I am the vocation director for the Diocese of Saginaw, and I invite the men of this diocese, young and old, who have the necessary gifts and state in life, to seriously ask God if they have a vocation to the diocesan priesthood."


In Sioux Falls, the bishop also developed a reputation for being a good listener. The Detroit Free Press reported that in one year he had hosted 2,000 people for coffee, cake or dinner.

Ordains Grandfather

Lifestyle Choices and More
"it became public over the weekend that the incoming bishop of Saginaw, Bob Carlson -- an appointment I previously referred to as the "American Chur" -- had decided on a
$330,000 home before he even takes possession of the diocese. (For those in need of briefing, Carlson's predecessor, Ken Untener, spent every month or so in a different rectory in the diocese, eliminating the need for a central bishop's residence.)

How Happy is Saginaw - survey




If you have links to add, place them in your comment and I'll load them here.