Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Bishop Paprocki to Springfield

This morning Rome announced that Chicago Auxiliary Bishop Thomas Paprocki was made Ordinary of the Diocese of Springfield, IL.

I've known about the Bishop for years, and he and I share a love for hockey and especially playing goalie. A few years ago, when I had started playing on the ice again after some 20 years, I wrote to His Excellency. He wrote back, enclosing a signed photo from his cover shoot for USA Hockey Magazine.

In the letter, he wrote this:
"My most important tip for a goalie is the mental aspect of the goalie's game. To be successful, a goalie needs to play with CONFIDENCE. Interestingly, the word 'confidence' comes from the Latin, con + fide ("with faith"), which means that a goalie needs to play with great faith in God and in the talents, skills and abilities that God has given to him. Remember that Jesus said, 'All things are possible with God' (Mark 10:27)."
I also love the fact that the Bishop who loves having pucks shot at him is made the head of his own Diocese on the day when, in the Gospel for Mass, St. Stephen is having rocks shot at him! If only Stephen had the pads :-)

I finish with a little thing on You Tube I found on the Bishop.

1 comment:

ProudCatholic said...

Wow! A Bishop who plays hockey. And good Bishop that he is, he uses it as a witness to the faith. God bless him. I think the Habs could use him on their side--will GLADLY trade Gomez for the Bishop anytime!
Neal