The appointment was announced at 5 a.m., April 20 in Washington, D.C., by Archbishop Pietro Sambi, apostolic nuncio to the United States. An installation liturgy and Mass of Welcome will be held Tuesday, June 22, at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield. Cardinal Francis George, OMI, will preside.
Bishop-designate Paprocki is a native of Chicago, born Aug. 5, 1952. He is one of nine children and was ordained to the priesthood on May 10, 1978 in Chicago. He is a canon lawyer, with a doctoral degree from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome (1991), and is also a graduate of DePaul University College of Law in Chicago (1981).
In addition to his parish assignments, he served the Archdiocese of Chicago (1985-2000) as vice-chancellor and then chancellor. He was ordained auxiliary bishop for the Chicago Archdiocese on March 19, 2003. He serves Cardinal George as vicar for Vicariate IV; the cardinal’s liaison to Polonia (the Chicago Polish community); and the cardinal’s liaison for Health and Hospital Affairs.
“We are grateful to God, to His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI and to Francis Cardinal George for choosing such a gifted and dedicated priest and bishop to serve us,” said Msgr. Carl Kemme, diocesan administrator, who introduced Bishop-designate Paprocki to the community at a press conference later in the morning on April 20.
“We are most grateful to Bishop Paprocki for accepting this appointment,” Msgr. Kemme continued. “Together, we pledge our prayers, support and loving cooperation to him in the ongoing work of proclaiming the Gospel.”
At the press conference, Bishop Paprocki was introduced not only to the press, but to priests, religious sisters and brothers, members of the Curia, a group of Cathedral school children and lay people gathered in the atrium of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. He later met with the entire Curia staff at the Pastoral Center.
“The spirit with which I intend to approach my pastoral ministry is best expressed with the episcopal motto that I chose when I was first named to be a bishop by Pope John Paul II seven years ago,” Bishop Paprocki said, “which is Lex Cordis Caritas, Latin for ‘The Heart of the Law is Love.’
“My hope is to radiate the love of Christ to everyone that I meet in my pastoral care,” he said. “I pledge to do my best with the help of God’s grace and your support to build on the fundamental blessings established through the dedicated ministry of the previous bishops of Springfield, especially my immediate predecessor, the Most Reverend George Lucas, now archbishop of Omaha.
“I wish to express my sincere appreciation to my fellow priests and bishops of the Archdiocese of Chicago with whom I have been fortunate to work for the past 32 years,” he said. “Most of all I thank His Eminence, Francis Cardinal George, OMI, Archbishop of Chicago, for being a true mentor over the past 13 years … . I am pleased that we will continue to be co-workers in the vineyard of the State of Illinois that comprises the Province of Chicago.”
Archbishop Paprocki also spoke about his hobbies. “I am a marathon runner, so because of that I have developed a sense of endurance and a commitment to going the distance,” Bishop Paprocki said. “So you may see me from time to time literally running around town. Of course, I won’t be dressed like this, but you’ll recognize me by the Sox cap that I’ll be wearing.”
And joking to the members of the press that were present at the press conference, he added, “I play hockey and I am a goalie — they call me the ‘holy goalie.’ I get enjoyment from standing in front of a net and having people shoot pucks at me at 100 miles per hour. With that in mind, I will now take your questions.”
Bishop Paprocki said during his first months in the Springfield diocese he will be in “a mode of learning.” However, he said he is no stranger to Springfield. “I was just here last month and in fact, the past two years for Catholics at the Capitol with the Catholic Conference of Illinois.
“Over the years, I have been here on various occasions, including the Mass for the 150th anniversary of the Diocese of Springfield in 2003, shortly after I became auxiliary bishop,” he said. He said visits he made to Springfield when he was in grade school and high school introduced him to the state capital and to the world of Abraham Lincoln. “Since that time, the 16th president of the United States has been a hero of mine.”
Between now and the time he is installed, Bishop Paprocki will finish up some of his business in the archdiocese and — and because his appointment came during confirmation season — he’ll be confirming hundreds of young people.
In describing how he sees himself as a bishop, Bishop Paprocki concluded, “I basically try to be a faithful leader of the church. I would like to see more people fall in love with Jesus Christ. … My hope is to radiate the love of Christ to everyone with the help of God.”
Diane Schlindwein, Catholic Times staff writer, also contributed to this story.
