Bishop Boyea: Shepherd and teacher
On May 22, 1937, the Diocese of Lansing was created out of territory that had formerly been part of the Archdiocese of Detroit. That same year, Bishop Joseph Albers was named as our first bishop. Colloquially, he is known as “The Founder.” His responsibility was helping to move the diocese forward in its life and to shepherd the initial growth of its parishes and schools. Upon his death in 1965, Bishop Albers was succeeded by Bishop Alexander Zaleski. Bishop Zaleski was often referred to as “The Builder” as he helped to guide our diocese through a time of tremendous growth. When Bishop Zaleski died in 1975, he was succeeded by Bishop Kenneth Povish, who had served as a priest and pastor in the Diocese of Saginaw, until he was named Bishop of Crookston, Minn., in 1970. Because Bishop Povish had served as a parish priest for so many years, he was often referred to as “The Pastor,” since he had a keen understanding of the challenges and blessings of daily parish life. Bishop Povish was granted early retirement due to health concerns, and was followed by Bishop Carl Mengeling, who served as the fourth Bishop of Lansing from 1996 until his retirement in 2008. Because of his apostolic zeal and his service during the time of the New Evangelization begun by Pope Saint John Paul II, Bishop Mengeling is often referred to as “The Evangelizer.”
On May 22, 1937, the Diocese of Lansing was created out of territory that had formerly been part of the Archdiocese of Detroit. That same year, Bishop Joseph Albers was named as our first bishop. Colloquially, he is known as “The Founder.” His responsibility was helping to move the diocese forward in its life and to shepherd the initial growth of its parishes and schools. Upon his death in 1965, Bishop Albers was succeeded by Bishop Alexander Zaleski. Bishop Zaleski was often referred to as “The Builder” as he helped to guide our diocese through a time of tremendous growth. When Bishop Zaleski died in 1975, he was succeeded by Bishop Kenneth Povish, who had served as a priest and pastor in the Diocese of Saginaw, until he was named Bishop of Crookston, Minn., in 1970. Because Bishop Povish had served as a parish priest for so many years, he was often referred to as “The Pastor,” since he had a keen understanding of the challenges and blessings of daily parish life. Bishop Povish was granted early retirement due to health concerns, and was followed by Bishop Carl Mengeling, who served as the fourth Bishop of Lansing from 1996 until his retirement in 2008. Because of his apostolic zeal and his service during the time of the New Evangelization begun by Pope Saint John Paul II, Bishop Mengeling is often referred to as “The Evangelizer.”
Bishop Earl Boyea was installed as the fifth Bishop of Lansing in April 2008. Prior to his arrival in Lansing, Bishop Boyea had spent much of his ministry in seminary work, helping to form future priests and pastors to serve the Church. Because of this, Bishop Boyea is often referred to as “The Teacher.” This penchant has been shown through the years in his adoption of social media as a way to teach and spread the Good News. If you page through back issues of FAITH Magazine during his time as our bishop, you will see that his nature as a patient, gentle and dedicated teacher of faith shines through.
Having served many of my years as a priest during his time as our bishop, I have come to know Bishop Boyea as someone who cares deeply for the people and parishes of our diocese. He is a bishop who seeks to be a good spiritual father to the priests of our diocese. He also has an irrepressible sense of humor and is not afraid to share a good laugh with others, sometimes at his own expense. He is a careful and attentive listener in meetings or appointments, offering good observations and recommendations for courses of action.
As Bishop Boyea turns 75, he is required by canon law to submit his request for retirement. How long it may take Pope Leo to name a new Bishop of Lansing is anyone’s guess. For now, though, we have an opportunity to thank Bishop Boyea for his guidance as our bishop and his dedication to the teaching charism that is an important aspect of the ministry of a bishop. Let us all pray that, God willing, Bishop Boyea may have a fruitful and productive time of retirement, whenever that may arrive. For now, we pray that God will grant him the strength he needs to continue to shepherd and patiently teach the people of our diocese, as he has done these last 18 years. And so, our journey in FAITH continues.
