New Bishop of New Ulm

Today, Pope Benedict named Father John LeVoir as the next Bishop of the Diocese of New Ulm.  Fr. LeVoir is the author of the EXCELLENT "Image of God" series of books for religious education programs.  I was first exposed to the series as a seminarian, when I taught religious education to 6th and 7th graders on a military base in Maryland.  To me, it is the "no brainer", hands-down choice for what series to use if I was ever asked to run a religious education program.  He also wrote a bit on Pope John Paul II's Theology of the Body, so it's great to see someone tuned in to that great body of teaching being elevated to the episcopate.

For those of you in my generation asking, "Where the heck is New Ulm?", let your imagination go back to growing up watching "Little House on the Prairie". The Diocese of New Ulm is in Minnesota, and the diocese's territory includes towns like "Sleepy Eye", "Mancato", and the granddaddy of them all: good old "Walnut Grove".

Congratulations, Bp. Elect LeVoir!  Treat yourself to some penny candy over at the Oleson's mercantile on me.  Just stay away from that nasty Nellie Oleson!