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	Retiring Winona Diocese Bishop Weathers Trials of Position By Matt Russell Post-Bulletin January 8, 2008 http://www.postbulletin.com/newsmanager/templates/localnews_story.asp?a=322360&z=2 The end is in sight for Diocese of Winona Bishop Bernard Harrington, who is expected to retire in September when he turns 75, an age at which Catholic bishops are required to submit their resignations. Harrington is a native of Detroit. He served five years as an auxiliary, or assistant bishop in the Archdiocese of Detroit before coming to the Diocese of Winona in 1999. Harrington voiced strong opinions on several hot-button issues during his time in the Diocese of Winona, opposing abortion, gay marriage and the war in Iraq. The bishop also faced the sex-abuse scandal that hit the Catholic Church in 2002. The diocese formed a local board of review for sexual misconduct after the scandal hit and launched an online "learning community" for recognizing and reporting child abuse. The diocese also passed audits for compliance with the U.S. bishops' Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. Harrington took steps to prevent abuse, but he could have released more information about priests suspected of past abuse, said Bob Schwiderski, Minnesota director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. "Some people would probably want more details," Harrington said in a 2003 interview, "but I have to do two things: I have to say 'Are we in compliance with the charter?' and 'This is how we are in compliance with the charter.'" Another challenge Harrington faced was an ongoing priest shortage. He stepped up recruitment of prospective priests, encouraged lay ministers to play a greater role in parishes, and furthered a program of clustering churches, a program in which congregations share pastors. The diocese has 65 priests for 115 parishes in Minnesota's 20 southern-most counties. Five more priests are expected to be ordained this year. Harrington was a strong leader and superb administrator, said the Rev. Dale Tupper of Queen of Angels Parish in Austin. "He's been very fair and considerate, and he listens well," Tupper said. "You couldn't ask for anything more, really." Transition plan in place Harrington has been preparing for the diocese's transition to a new bishop. Last month he published a pastoral letter outlining goals for his final months on the job. A major part of Harrington's plan is getting parishes more active in encouraging students to consider the priesthood. He wants parishes to schedule special events aimed at sixth-graders and sophomores in high school, for example. Harrington's other priorities include increased outreach to teens and Hispanics. He also wants to get Catholics more actively involved in their parishes and communities. The bishop stressed that his goals are merely a guide to be followed until his successor forms his own vision. Replacement talk The diocese's three bishops before Harrington came from the Midwest: John Vlazny came from Chicago, and his two predecessors, Loras Watters and Edward Fitzgerald, came from Iowa. There has been an increasing trend for bishop appointments to have a regional flavor, but the new one for the Diocese of Winona could come from anywhere in the country, said Don Briel, director of the Center for Catholic Studies at St. Thomas University. Harrington's replacement could be a priest or assistant bishop transferring from another diocese, Briel said. "You would want somebody with a significant amount of pastoral experience and some administrative ability," Briel said. "But it also wouldn't require the same kind of length of experience that you would require for a large diocese." One way to keep the stability Harrington brought to the diocese would be the appointment of a transitional bishop, called a coadjutor bishop, who would serve alongside Harrington and take his place immediately after Harrington's retirement, Tupper said. Such an arrangement exists in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. In April, Pope Benedict XVI picked Bishop John C. Nienstedt of New Ulm, Minn., as coadjutor bishop to Archbishop Harry Flynn, who faces his mandatory retirement age when he turns 75 in May. The new Diocese of Winona bishop will provide an overarching vision for the diocese, limited by what is already in place and church tradition, Briel said. A lot of emphasis is placed on the personalities of bishops as indicators of changes they might bring, Briel said, but he discourages reading too much into the personality of the next bishop. "It's not as if this is going to make a major difference in approach or tone," he said. "The church has a 2,000-year tradition, and it doesn't change quickly in the light of a new leader." Contact: mrussell@postbulletin.com
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