Gulf Pine Catholic

Gulf Pine Catholic • November 15, 2019 9 Reflections From page 8 Remembering Bishop Roger Paul Morin He was indeed in slow motion a great deal of the time; however, in making decisions relating to the lives of the faithful, he was slow in a good fashion. When others were pressing for quick action on an issue, he would slow the process to allow for a complete under- standing of all the issues. He was never quick to throw anyone under the bus. He was quick to give others a second chance. I found Bishop Morin to be a man of great respect and love. He respected everyone’s rights and had great love for his family. He was close to his family -- both those in the northeast and his adopted family in New Orleans. Father Jimmy Jeanfreau I was very blessed to become friends with Bishop Roger Morin in 1997 when I met him at a priest retreat. We have been good friends ever since. My concern for social issues has been nourished by his witness. I have also witnessed the slander that is often directed towards those committed to serving the poor. He bore this slan- der with grace and dignity. I will always remember him by his saying; “If you teach people to be generous, they will be generous. If you teach them to be stingy, they will be stingy.” He said this when we were talking about supporting the second collections, which so many pastors seem to loath. I have also witnessed a man that suffered greatly from significant health issues with a courage and reso- lution. I know that he gave his all to be present and celebrate with God’s people when he was in significant pain. Yet, most people would never have known he was suffering. Like St. Paul, who would rather have left the suffering of this world to be with the Lord, Roger con- tinued to serve with grace and dignity while he was here. His Excellency Bishop Roger Morin was a great human being and amazing Bishop. He really cared for his priests and the people of God entrusted to him. I only have good memories of him. He was the one that accepted me as a seminarian for the Diocese of Biloxi in 2010. He was extremely generous with his seminar- ians. At the beginning, it was hard for him to remember my name or the name of the other Mexican seminarians and priests. But, once he got it, he never forgot it. I will never forget that thanks to his generosity and the generosity of the people of the Diocese of Biloxi and some of his friends from the Archdiocese of New Orleans, he was able to ordain me in Mexico in com- pany with my whole family and the family of Father Daniel Martínez. My family loved him and they were deeply saddened to hear the news of his death. I will always remember his great sense of humor, his very peculiar way to make a comment and the way he smiled. May God have mercy on his soul and send consola- tion to his family and the Diocese of Biloxi. Father Everardo Mora-Torres With gratitude in my heart, I would like to say that Bishop Morin has been a tremendous bishop, pastor, priest, teacher and a lovely father, brother and friend to me. Father Ignacio Jiménez Morales My relationship with Bishop Morin started while I was a deacon and I noticed he had a wonderful wit Father Michael Marascalco about him. He and I would banter back and forth and it made our relationship special. I grew quite fond of him during Sundays at the Cathedral. He was always such a jolly man and I referred to him often as a nice big hug- gable teddy bear. I shall always be grateful to God for the privilege of having Most Rev. Roger Morin as my Bishop. He wel- comed me into this diocese, ordained me a deacon and a priest, and appointed me pastor and vocation director. He always challenged me to become more and more generous to God and His Church. More than that, he made me feel at home, and it is primarily because of Bishop Morin that Biloxi became a second home to me. He was the first bishop I ever had dinner with and the first bishop who patiently listened to the challenges and joys of my vocation. He was not only a bishop to me but a true mentor and father. Bishop Morin was a man of faith and the true son of the Church. He believed in God of infinitive love and boundless mercy, whom he professed and proclaimed. I will miss his sense of humor and his compassionate, caring, and cordial heart. I will miss his guidance and support. Today, I mourn him like I mourned Pope John Paul II. I trust and pray Bishop Morin is in heaven; nevertheless, his death is still a significant loss. Father Adam Urbaniak I was ordained to the Priesthood on June 7, 2014, by our beloved Bishop Roger Morin at the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Cathedral in Biloxi. I remember the day of my Ordination very well and the incredible joy that I shared with Bishop Morin that day. During my reception, Bishop Morin told me that since he became a bishop, he did not remember ever witnessing such a beautiful ordination like mine and Fr. Adam Urbaniak’s. Father Peter Kmiecik SEE REFLECTIONS, PAGE 12