Detroit – Cardinal Edmund C. Szoka’s 40 th anniversary of episcopal ordination will be observed at a special Mass on Thursday, Aug. 11, at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament.
Cardinal Szoka, 83, who was born in Grand Rapids and grew up in Muskegon, began his service to the Church as a priest of the Diocese of Marquette in 1954. On July 20, 1971, he was consecrated as the first bishop of the newly formed Diocese of Gaylord.
He was to go on to become archbishop of Detroit in 1981, and was elevated to the College of Cardinals in 1988.
Cardinal Szoka left Detroit in 1990 to take up a new ministry to the worldwide Church when the pope called him to the Vatican to serve as president of the Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See.
In 1997 the cardinal was called to a different ministry, as president of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State – informally as “governor” of Vatican City State. He retired fully from his Vatican positions in 2008, and now resides in Northville.
To help celebrate the occasion of Cardinal Szoka’s 40th jubilee as a bishop, The Michigan Catholic will publish a special commemorative supplement with its Aug. 12 issue, featuring an interview with the cardinal and stories that look back over his long and varied career.
| Jubilee Mass What: Mass to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Cardinal Edmund C. Szoka’s ordination as a bishop Where: Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament, 9844 Woodward Ave., Detroit When:Thursday, Aug. 11, 2 p.m. How: Obtain free ticket by going to www.aodonline.org |
In the interview, Cardinal Szoka reminisces about becoming a bishop and shares his thoughts on how a bishop must balance pasotral and administrative duties. He reflects on his time in Detroit and tells how he continues to exercise his ministry in retirement.
In particular, the cardinal discusses the “re-founding” of Sacred Heart Major Seminary
He also talks about what gives him hope for the future of the Catholic Church.
The special supplement is designed to give readers an opportunity to learn more about the history and current thinking of a man who, over the past 40 years, has gone from being a founding bishop of a new diocese to the Archbishop of Detroit, to one of the highest ranking Vatican officials ever from the United States.
