A “Windy City” native, he became a priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago in 1976 and was named an auxiliary bishop there in 2003. As both a canon lawyer and a state-licensed civil lawyer, Bishop Paprocki has already garnered a fair amount of publicity in the central Illinois diocese as a person who likes sports, is himself an athlete, and a person who admires Springfield’s most famous native son, Abraham Lincoln.  

To begin the Mass of Reception and Installation, seminarians and deacons led the entrance procession into the Cathedral. They were followed by well over a hundred priests — the Springfield diocesan priests wearing diocesan vestments with royal blue and gold trim and the Chicago archdiocese priests and priests from elsewhere wearing white albs and stoles of significance to their respective dioceses or religious order.

Next came 37 bishops, including Archbishop George Lucas of Omaha, bishop of this diocese from December 1999 until June 2009. Also included were Archbishop Robert Carlson of St. Louis; Springfield natives, Bishop Kevin Vann of Fort Worth and retired Bishop Victor Balke of Moorhead, Minn. From the Province of Chicago, which includes the six dioceses in Illinois, came Bishop Daniel Jenky, CSC, of Peoria; Bishop Edward Braxton of Belleville; Bishop Thomas Doran of Rockford; and Bishop J. Peter Sartain of Joliet.

Following the bishops and archbishops were Cardinal Francis George, OMI, metropolitan archbishop of the Province of Chicago, and retired Cardinal William Keeler of Baltimore.

Father Peter Harman, Cathedral pastor, Father Richard Weltin, senior member of the College of Consultors; Msgr. Carl Kemme, diocesan administrator, and Father Stephen Thompson, recently ordained as a Springfield diocesan priest, came to meet Bishop Paprocki as he entered the Cathedral. Father Harman held a cross, which Bishop Paprocki reverenced.

Upon entering the sanctuary, Bishop Paprocki took a seat near Cardinal George, who gave the Sign of the Cross and greeting.

Msgr. Kemme welcomed everyone gathered, offering a special welcome to Bishop Paprocki, drawing laughter from the audience when he acknowledged he was pleased to relinquish his duties as diocesan administrator.

Msgr. Marco Sprizzi, representing Archbishop Pietro Sambi, apostolic nuncio to the United States, read the papal bull, the apostolic letter from Pope Benedict XVI, naming Bishop Paprocki bishop of the Springfield diocese. Msgr.Spizzi presented it to Marlene Mulford, the diocese’s chancellor, who showed it to the College of Consultors, and then to the assembly.

Then, after receiving the pastoral staff, Bishop Paprocki sat down on the cathedra and the cathedral erupted in applause.

Bishop Paprocki’s mother Veronica, seven of his eight siblings and other relatives filled one front section of pews. A young cousin who is a seminarian in the Diocese of San Jose, Calif., sat several rows behind. A friend from law school, Ed Grossman, and his wife were in attendance. Grossman and Bishop Paprocki founded a legal aid clinic to help people in need.

“He is a great guy. You are really going to like him,” said Grossman.

Members of the lawyers’ hockey team Bishop Paprocki belongs to came from Chicago to watch their “holy goalie” installed as bishop of the Springfield diocese. Team members have started a travel fund so Bishop Paprocki can continue playing with the team.

Chicago Black Hawks legends Grant “Granny” Mulvey and Stan Mikita were guests of the new bishop. Bishop Paprocki joked during his homily one of the reasons his installation ceremony was scheduled two months after his appointment was he needed to stay in Chicago “until my beloved Blackhawks had won the Stanley Cup.”

During his homily Bishop Paprocki spoke of Abraham Lincoln as one of his heroes.

“I have been a visitor to Springfield since my childhood. I am happy to call Springfield my new home,” he said.

During his homily, he spoke of his vision of being bishop of the Springfield diocese. “I see my primary task as bishop is to love you, more precisely, to radiate Christ’s love with the help of God’s grace throughout the 28 counties of central Illinois that comprise the Diocese of Springfield. I come to our state capital not as a sort of Catholic lobbyist, but as a shepherd of souls. But for me to radiate Christ’s love also means to proclaim his truth, since if we seek to love as he did, then we must do our best to act as he did and do everything we can to make sure that our deeds conform to his divine will to love.”

Bishop Paprocki concluded his homily by doing something he says he likes to do, particularly when he is confirming young people: sing. He used lyrics written by Brian Littrell, previously of the Backstreet Boys, and now a writer/performer of Christian music.

The bishop sang the lyrics a capella and the diocesan choir sang the response, “Jesus loves you.”

The crowd in the Cathedral rose to their feet in applause when he ended.  

The liturgy, which was over two hours long, was followed by a reception in a tent on the Cathedral grounds.