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	Lennon Has Always Said Yes When Asked to Do Tough Jobs By David Briggs Cleveland Plain Dealer April 5, 2006 http://www.cleveland.com/living/plaindealer/index.ssf? /base/living/1144234734158490.xml&coll=2 He had been an auxiliary bishop only a little more than a year. But Richard Lennon did not hesitate in December 2002 when the Vatican asked him to lead the Archdiocese of Boston while it sought a replacement for embattled Cardinal Bernard Law, who resigned in the face of an explosive clergy sex-abuse scandal. When Lennon was put in charge of overseeing church closings in Boston, he not only agreed to the thankless task but also accepted that one of those churches would be his home parish, St. James the Apostle, built with the physical labor of his uncles. So when the call came from the Vatican two weeks ago asking if he would become the next bishop of Cleveland, Lennon answered the only way he knew how. "I've always said yes since I've been ordained as a priest," Lennon said Tuesday. The son of a firefighter whose family prayed the rosary daily, Lennon was a serious student who was active in both sports and the church growing up in Arlington, Mass. He was an altar boy at St. James, and in a religious association in high school. He attended Boston College before answering the call to the priesthood and entering St. John's Seminary in Brighton, Mass., where he received graduate degrees in church history and sacramental theology. After his ordination in May 1973, he served in a variety of roles, from parish priest to assistant for canonical affairs to rector of St. John's Seminary. He even served for one period as a Fire Department chaplain, sometimes participating as a firefighter. Lennon was ordained an auxiliary bishop on Sept. 14, 2001. Throughout his career, Lennon gained a reputation as an able administrator. Boston Cardinal Sean O'Malley praised Lennon Tuesday for his "intellect, commitment and deep faith" during 33 years of faithful service to the archdiocese. In welcoming Lennon to Cleveland, Archbishop Daniel Pilarczyk of Cincinnati said in a statement that the new leader "brings to the appointment a wealth of experience as educator and diocesan administrator." But Lennon also came in for some criticism during his last years in Boston, from both advocates for sexual-abuse victims who felt he did not do enough to undo Law's legacy and from Catholics in parishes scheduled for closing. Lennon, who will have to face long-postponed decisions on church closings in the Cleveland Diocese, said he "appreciates, in the real sense, there's pain and a very real sense of loss" involved in those situations. In introducing himself to the Diocese of Cleveland Tuesday, the smiling 6-foot-2 prelate admitted he did not know much about the city, having been here only once for a canon law conference. But the man who will be installed as the 10th bishop of Cleveland May 15 said he looked forward to getting to know people throughout the diocese. "God is love," he said. "As God loves us, we are called in turn to love others." So far, he said, it had been an auspicious beginning. The opening line of the Mass he celebrated with Bishop Anthony Pilla Tuesday morning advised worshippers to "Put your faith in the Lord, take courage and be strong," Lennon said. Still, if you can send the bishop to Cleveland, no one can take the Boston Irish completely out of the Massachusetts native. Asked whether he would become a Cleveland Indians fan, Lennon smiled and took a few moments to come up with a diplomatic response. "I will try to be as supportive of the Indians as possible," Lennon said, "but I must admit, us Red Sox fans, we're real diehards." To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: dbriggs@plaind.com, 216-999-4812
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