Warm day, warm hearts greet Bishop Izen at his episcopal ordination Mass

By Joe Ruff The Catholic Spirit

More than 2,500 people filled the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul on a sunny and warm April 11 to celebrate the episcopal ordination Mass of Bishop Michael Izen, and his appointment as auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

“How wonderful to have all of you here as we celebrate the ordination of our newest auxiliary,” said Archbishop Bernard Hebda, consecrator and principal celebrant of the Mass. “I’ve never prayed before that we would have a larger Cathedral, but we could have used one today.”

The Churches of St. Michael and St. Mary and St. Croix Catholic School in Stillwater and St. Charles in Bayport are the last parishes and school Bishop Izen, 56, served in his 18 years as a priest of the archdiocese. Other schools were part of parishes Divine Mercy in Faribault, St. Timothy in Maple Lake and St. Raphael in Crystal. Teachers and students in each school said Bishop Izen knew everyone by name, and he enjoyed giving nicknames to many.

As the temperature climbed comfortably into the 70s, Archbishop Hebda noted in his homily that Bishop Izen must be particularly loved by God. Co-consecrator Bishop Andrew Cozzens of Crookston was ordained and assigned as an auxiliary bishop to St. Paul and Minneapolis when it was minus 2, the archbishop said. Co-consecrator and Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Williams was ordained when it was minus 4, and the archbishop received the pallium as having metropolitan jurisdiction when it was minus 11.

“That’s 86 degrees colder than it is today,” the archbishop said to laughter. “You get the picture. Bishop-elect Izen is clearly loved by the Lord.”

About 16 bishops concelebrated the Mass, mostly from Minnesota and surrounding states. They included Archbishop Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States, and former priests of the archdiocese Bishop Peter Christensen of Boise, Idaho; Bishop Donald DeGrood of Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Bishop Emeritus John LeVoir of New Ulm; and Bishop

By Rebecca Omastiak

The Catholic Spirit

Joy, humility and service are qualities that many who attended the episcopal ordination of Bishop Michael Izen said they have seen him live out.

Bishop Izen, 56, was ordained April 11 at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul with the support and presence of his family, friends, fellow bishops, priests and religious, and the faithful who traveled from throughout the state to pack the pews or who watched via television or livestream at home.

Joni Polehna, 69, a member of St. Mary in Stillwater for the past 43 years, was aboard one of the two full buses transporting St. Michael and St. Mary parishioners to the ordination. Bishop Izen most recently served as pastor of the two churches in Stillwater. People on the bus were filled with excitement, Polehna said. “People are overjoyed for Bishop Izen.”

The joy comes, in part, from deep appreciation of Bishop Izen’s ability to relate to people. Reflecting on Bishop Izen’s preaching, Polehna said, “His humanness brings the message of God and Jesus to the people because everybody can relate … it’s the little stories that he gives that are so human; you stop and say, ‘Yeah, that’s happened to me before, OK, got it. Now I can turn that into prayer. I can turn that into an offering.’ And so, his examples are just so beautiful. He’s got a lot of them and they’re all wonderful.”

Patty Hooley, 60, a parishioner of St. Michael in Stillwater for the past 37 years, expressed her fellow parishioners’ shared excitement over Bishop Izen’s ordination. “We’re very happy, very proud. We’re going to miss him, so there’s a bit of sadness in that, but I

Emeritus Richard Pates of Des Moines, Iowa, recently appointed as apostolic administrator of the Archdiocese of Dubuque, Iowa. Bishop Pates served as an auxiliary bishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis from 2001 to 2008.

Priests of the archdiocese concelebrated, and the procession included members of the Knights of Columbus, Knights and Ladies of St. Peter Claver, and the Knights and Dames of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta.

Bishop Izen helped lead a decade of the rosary his siblings and the congregation recited before the Mass. He was joined by his brothers Tom and Paul and sisters

Geri Martin, Ann Wehner and Mary Izen Book. The rosary was an important prayer for the Izen siblings growing up in Fairmont in the then-Diocese of Winona, with their late parents, John and Joanna.

Archbishop Pierre, who read the mandate from Pope ORDINATION CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE just think for the greater archdiocese, it’s going to be a really great thing. He’s going to bring a lot of great gifts. I spoke to somebody last night (at a vespers service at St. Michael) and I just said that the joy … just the deep joy of loving Christ that he brings to people, it affects people. It makes people want to be a part of the Church even more.”

Hooley attended the ordination at the Cathedral with her husband, Tom, 60, who has been a lifelong St. Michael parishioner. In the process leading up to the ordination, Bishop Izen has “stayed very humble,” Patty said. “He really is a servant. He serves and he does it

Bishop Michael Izen greets students of St. Croix Catholic School in Stillwater after his ordination Mass.

DAVE HRBACEK THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT very quietly and very joyfully.”

Michael Gerads, 53, and his wife, Sarah, 50, knew Bishop Izen when he served their parish, St. Raphael in Crystal.

“He is just such a humble soul and a good shepherd to everyone in the parish,” Sarah said. She said Bishop Izen “made me feel welcome so much in the Catholic faith, and he had so much to teach and is just a really awesome gentleman,” she said. “I’m so happy for him.”

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Francis for Bishop Izen’s ordination and appointment to St. Paul and Minneapolis and the titular see of Newport in South Wales, noted the bishops’ studies in mathematics and computer science.

“But you never calculated that you would be elected bishop,” Archbishop Pierre said with humor. While students from St. Croix Catholic School will miss the bishop, he will now “be able to share his care for the people of God with all the faithful of the archdiocese,” the archbishop said.

Bishop Izen had commented in the past about feeling trepidation in being named a bishop. Archbishop Hebda and Archbishop Pierre talked of his openness and humility in expressing that, and yet his courage in going forward by trusting the Church.

“You said you were a little terrified of being a bishop,” Archbishop Pierre said. “It is OK, to be a little bit terrified. But just a little bit, by the way.”

Bishop Izen exuded only joy as he walked with a broad smile through the Cathedral with the papal mandate in hand, displaying it for the congregation as people responded with sustained applause.

In his homily, Archbishop Hebda noted that the readings were for the Mass of the day — Tuesday in the Octave of Easter.

“That these Easter readings would speak volumes to a newly ordained bishop and to the Church that he is called to serve would be no surprise,” the archbishop said. “They give him two wonderful companions from this day forward in his episcopal ministry — Mary Magdalene and Peter. It is interesting that they are both disciples who are well aware of their own weaknesses. We know from John’s Gospel that Peter knew deeply Jesus’ forgiveness after he denied him.”

St. Luke holds that seven demons afflicted Mary

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Stephanie Eckerman, 47 — a St. Michael parishioner for 13 years along with her husband and two daughters, ages 13 and 16 — also expressed the joy she felt at the ordination.

“We're all just so happy and so proud of him,” that there’s excitement “to see what he'll do for the greater community, now.” Eckerman said both her daughters were students at St. Croix Catholic School in Stillwater when then-Father Izen joined their parish. “We got to know him and have so much affection for him.” She went on to say, “He took pride in the fact of learning everyone’s name, but it was so much more than just knowing your name; he knew your family, he knew where you belonged, he knew your story. And I just know he's going to continue that love and that genuine care and interest for his new flock here in the archdiocese.”

Marie Droske, a fifth grader at St. Croix Catholic School in Stillwater, which brought all its 285 students to the ordination, said not only would Bishop Izen know students’ names, but he would also give them nicknames. “He’s really funny,” said Droske, who has known Bishop Izen for eight of her 11 years.

Molly Gallagher, 34, who now works for NET Ministries in Ohio, recalled meeting then-Father Izen the summer before her first year teaching at St. Croix Catholic. She mentioned his comments at a golf tournament fundraiser at which he spoke briefly. “He said, ‘A lot of people send their kids to a Catholic school for different reasons, to be good students,’ and he listed reasons,” Gallagher said. But then-Father Izen said, “We want your kids to leave here and become

Magdalene until she was healed by Jesus, the archbishop said.

“So aware of their own frailties, they knew that Christ loved them gratuitously. It’s not an earned love, but a love that pours forth spontaneously from the heart of Jesus. And it’s a love that changes everything,” Archbishop Hebda said. “It’s Jesus’ love that gave them both courage to carry out the mission that Jesus entrusted to them.”

“No matter how unworthy you feel or how inadequately prepared you fear you may be, the Lord is calling you, as he did Mary Magdalene and Peter, to rely on his strength rather than on your weakness,” the archbishop told Bishop Izen. “You’ve done that beautifully in your many years of priestly service and I trust that will continue. It’s crucial that you keep before your eyes the tender encounters that you have had with the Lord. I know that you are a man of prayer and have made prayer a priority in your preaching. No matter how great the demands of your work may be, I hope that you’ll never allow your work to get in the way of your relationship with the Lord, who alone is our strength.”

After the homily, Archbishop Hebda queried Bishop Izen with the Promise of the Elect, asking a series of questions including whether he was resolved to preach the Gospel faithfully and unfailingly, to guard the deposit of the faith, build up the body of Christ and encourage the people of God.

Responding “I do” and “I do, with the help of God,” Bishop Izen then prostrated himself before the altar for the Litany of Supplication of the saints before the laying on of hands by the archbishop and other bishops present, the prayer of ordination, anointing of the head, receiving the book of the Gospels, the ring of office, the miter upon his head and the crosier in his hand.

After Communion, Bishop Izen addressed the congregation and then walked through the assembly, imparting his episcopal blessing.

Thanking all present and God first and foremost, Bishop Izen said the receiving line for a blessing outside under a large tent with cake, coffee and other refreshments was likely to be long, but he would be there as long as people wished.

“God bless you all,” he said. “Thank you.” elevation to bishop, and to see their pastor elevated to this position,” said Fury, 28. “We’ve had the fortunate opportunity to hear from him over the past few months since he’s been named bishop,” he said, sometimes during homilies, sometimes when stopping in at classes. “He says Mass for us occasionally, so many (students) have a relationship with him,” Fury said.

Many school families had planned to attend the ordination, taking their children out of school because it was important to them, Fury said, “so we decided that, well, if it’s really important, then we should just bring the whole school.” He went on to say, “We're very lucky to be able to witness this as a school community.” saints.” Gallagher said, “as a new teacher at that school, I thought, ‘I want to follow this guy.’ … this is exactly where I’m supposed to be, and this is a mission I want to be on.

Before the ordination Mass started, clusters of seminarians gathered in the Cathedral’s common areas. Nicholas Deutsch, 21, a member of Most Holy Redeemer in Montgomery, and Martin Gawarecki, 22, a member of Holy Family in St. Louis Park — both archdiocesan seminarians — were among those gathered.

“So now to see him become a bishop, knowing that’s where his mind is … that it’s not just about a good education or a nice way to pray, or a nice church to be part of — it’s about being saints.”

Dan Fury, a teacher at Chesterton Academy of the St. Croix Valley in Stillwater, brought to the ordination the more than 40 students at his school, most of whom he said were St. Michael or St. Mary parishioners.

“This is great for them to witness (Bishop Izen’s)

“I think it's amazing to see Pope Francis pick (another) bishop from this diocese … all the priests know him and it’s just amazing to see all the priests get together,” Deutsch said. Gawarecki added, “It’s just a beautiful experience to be able to attend the ordination, to come together as a diocese to celebrate the gift of Bishop Izen and just witness his consecration.”

Also waiting with anticipation was Josephine Lohnes, 69, a member of St. Charles Borromeo in St. Anthony, who said, “I’m excited, I love being with Catholics.” Her decision to attend the ordination comes from her prayer for vocations, she said. “I am a Serran, so I support vocations, that is our apostolate, to support vocations, so that's why I'm here, to be a support.”