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August 31, 2006
Sioux Falls gets its bishop
(No English yet - but in short...Monsignor Paul Joseph Swain, Vicar General of the Diocese of Madison, born in 1943, has a law degree, served in the military, received into the Catholic Church in 1982, ordained in 1988.)
The see has been vacant since 2004, and you can't help but wonder now if the story the American Papist reported a few weeks ago is true...Il Santo Padre Benedetto XVI ha nominato Vescovo di Sioux Falls (U.S.A.) il Rev.do Mons. Paul Joseph Swain, finora Vicario Generale di Madison.
Rev.do Mons. Paul Joseph Swain
Mons. Swain è nato il 12 settembre 1943, da una famiglia di confessione Metodista. Dopo aver seguito le scuole elementari e medie, ha continuato la sua educazione superiore prima nella Ohio Northern University, dove nel 1965 è diventato Bachelor of Arts in History; poi, all’University of Wisconsin-Madison, dove nel 1967 ha conseguito il Master of Arts in Political Science; e successivamente, presso l’University of Wisconsin Law School, dove ha conseguito il titolo di Juris Doctor, nel 1974. Nel frattempo ha partecipato alla Guerra in Vietnam (1967-1971), come Air Intelligence Officer. Per i suoi meriti ha ottenuto l’onorificenza di Vietnam Veteran Bronze Star. Laureatosi in Diritto Civile, ha seguito la pratica giuridica: prima come Assistant Legal Counsel, League of Wisconsin Municipalities (1975-1976); poi come Avvocato (1976-1979); e successivamente come Legal Counsel del Governatore dello Stato di Wisconsin, Sig. Lee Sherman Dryfus (1979-1983).
Dopo la sua conversione, è stato ricevuto nella Chiesa Cattolica nel 1982. Nel 1983 ha iniziato la sua formazione per il sacerdozio, presso il Pope John XXIII National Seminary a Weston, Massachusetts. Ha concluso nel 1988 conseguendo il titolo di Master of Divinity.È stato ordinato sacerdote il 27 maggio 1988 dal Vescovo Cletus F. O’Donnell. Ha poi ricoperto i seguenti incarichi: 1988-1993: Vicario cooperatore di Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary a Sun Prairie. 1993: Segretario di S.E. Bullock, Moderatore della Curia e Vice-Cancelliere. 1994-1997: Parroco di St. Mary of Pine Bluff. 1997-1999: Rettore della Cattedrale di St. Raphael di Madison. 1997-2000: Vicario Generale. 2002: Parroco di St. Bernard a Middleton. È Prelato d’Onore di sua Santità dal 14 giugno 1997 e membro dell’Ordine Equestre del Santo Sepolcro di Gerusalemme. Attualmente è Vicario Generale della diocesi di Madison e Rettore della Cattedrale di San Raffaele.
On - *ahem* - deep background, comes the tale of a member of the Diocese of Sioux Falls, South Dakota calling the Vatican regarding a somewhat related topic. Towards the end of the conversation there is a sudden pause on the other end, and then in a surprised tone, "What? You don't have a bishop? We thought you did!"
Posted by Amy Welborn | Permalink
Comments
Born in 1943, raised as a Methodist, trained as a civil lawyer, received into the Catholic Church in 1982, began studying for the priesthood in 1983 ... among other things.
Posted by: mio at Aug 31, 2006 8:40:28 AM
Bronze Star in Vietnam as an Air Intelligence Officer as well.
Interesting.
PVO
Posted by: mulopwepaul at Aug 31, 2006 8:55:08 AM
Hopefully the Diocese of Lake Charles will be next on the list...they've been without a bishop for well over a year.
Posted by: Michael at Aug 31, 2006 9:00:30 AM
A convert, an historian, and a veteran. The signs are good.
Posted by: Hunk Hondo at Aug 31, 2006 9:07:28 AM
BTW, Amy--a single entity takes a singular verb, even when it is a name in plural form (e.g., Sioux Falls.) I always remember this because of an example one of my English teachers used to illustrate the point: "Are 'Giants in the Earth' in our local library?"
Posted by: Hunk Hondo at Aug 31, 2006 9:12:11 AM
And of course, the same goes for the number of pronouns too. Guess I was asleep at the switch myself.
Posted by: Hunk Hondo at Aug 31, 2006 9:14:46 AM
A convert! Sioux Falls, hold on to your hats...it's gonna be a fun ride! Thanks be to God.
Posted by: midwestmom at Aug 31, 2006 9:58:08 AM
Just heard the news. We will greatly miss Msgr. Swain in downtown Madison but the people of Sioux Falls will be getting a wonderful priest as their new bishop.
Posted by: Marie at Aug 31, 2006 10:24:49 AM
Knew that Msgr. would be leaving us eventually. Never dreamed it would be so soon.
He's a very respectable man. The people of Sioux Falls are indeed blessed.
Posted by: RDS at Aug 31, 2006 10:46:47 AM
Re. the American Papist bit, I think the Vatican must have gotten Sioux Falls, SD, confused with Sioux City, IA. It's an easy mistake to make if you're not very familiar with the Great Plains.
Posted by: Dennis at Aug 31, 2006 10:54:23 AM
Sounds like a really interesting shepherd is on his way! (Maybe the wait was the Holy Spirit at work....)
Posted by: Maureen at Aug 31, 2006 11:40:05 AM
In British English usage a singular noun can take a plural verb if it is seen as a collective action rather than the action of a single entity.
Example: "Iron Maiden have finally released their long-awaited new album."
Of course this isn't Britain and Sioux Falls isn't being used collectively, but it made for a good diversion.
Posted by: Dave at Aug 31, 2006 11:57:21 AM
I am sure he will do great things there.
Hopefully, he won't stop the indult Latin Mass at the Cathedral in Sioux Falls.
In Madison there are no indult Masses, so when I visit family there I end up at the SSPX Mass.
I called and asked the diocese if any Latin Masses were available and I was first transfered to the 'Hispanic outreach', then told that "Latin Mass is against church law since Vatican II, and we are a modern Diocese".
OK, but perhaps the SSPX in your midst lets you know the people are crying out for Latin Mass.
One would hope that particular Madison school of though wouldn't come with him to Sioux Falls.
Posted by: mary martha at Aug 31, 2006 12:28:20 PM
Mary, I've heard that he celebrates the Novus Ordo in Latin in (one of) his parishes, so I doubt we'll see a stop to the Indult Mass at the Cathedral.
Posted by: Chris Burgwald at Aug 31, 2006 1:43:32 PM
If he celebrates Novus Ordo in Latin in Madison he must be keeping it a secret from the diocese. Or they don't want to let people know for some unknown reason.
I would absolutely rather go to a Latin Novus Ordo Mass than a schismatic one. It's the best way to ensure I won't be singing 'Eagles Wings' or 'I am the Bread of Life'.
Posted by: mary martha at Aug 31, 2006 2:40:39 PM
" On - *ahem* - deep background, comes the tale of a member of the Diocese of Sioux Falls, South Dakota calling the Vatican regarding a somewhat related topic. Towards the end of the conversation there is a sudden pause on the other end, and then in a surprised tone, "What? You don't have a bishop? We thought you did!" "
May we assume that this is all a joke?
If the Vatican doesn't know which dioceses do and don't have bishops, things are even worse than I thought they were.
Posted by: Jimmy Mac at Aug 31, 2006 8:51:17 PM
Jimmy, efficiency isn't exactly a hallmark of Italian culture, at least once you get much south of Milan.
I'm from SF, and I'm not surprised... that's just the way Romans work... always have, always will. Years ago, Cardinal Ratzinger proposed that Italian inefficiency was ironically necessary, that the Vatican -- paradoxically -- wouldn't "work right" in a place like Germany (or, presumably, the US).
FWIW.
Posted by: Chris Burgwald at Aug 31, 2006 9:30:08 PM
Mary Martha... a bit of a correction to my earlier posts.
It turns out that Msgr. Swain does not say the novus ordo in latin regularly. However, some who are "involved" with the Indult Mass at Cathedral have met with him, and have told me that he is "a man of Pope Benedict" who will be as generous as the Church, meaning specifically that the Indult Mass will most certainly continue.
Posted by: Chris Burgwald at Sep 1, 2006 9:37:14 AM
Just jumping into the fray, here. One of the downtown parishes Monsignor Swain "pastors," Holy Redeemer, has an infrequent tradition of offering Novus Ordo Masses in Latin. Not on a regular basis, usually just a couple of times a year. Once in a while we're privileged to have our classical choir provide musical accompaniment for these special Masses. Anyway, Monsignor has been very generous (and a good sport, too) about continuing this tradition. Paul Swain is a very wonderful priest. We've been blessed to have him in our midst!
Posted by: Redeemerite at Sep 5, 2006 3:40:31 PM
