Detroit — Cardinal Adam Maida, former archbishop of Detroit, said of the archdiocese’s three new auxiliary bishops, “Each one is a holy man, determined to put this all together to address the needs of the people.”

Having a sufficient auxiliary bishops to assist an archbishop of a large archdiocese is important for proper pastoral care, in Cardinal Maida’s view: “Without them, there would be certain lacunae — voids — that would not be addressed in the life of the archdiocese.”

With his long-time knowledge of Bishops Donald Hanchon and Michael Byrnes as priests of the Detroit Archdiocese, the cardinal had much to say about each.

“Msgr. Hanchon was a godsend to me when the Redemptorists left Holy Redeemer Parish,” he said. “Here it was, a large parish complex, with schools, but was almost dying, and it needed someone who would give his time and talent to building it up… Msgr. Hanchon, through his great leadership, brought the parish back to vitality, and I really think he was a gift of the Holy Spirit.”

Citing Bishop Hanchon’s service as a member of the archdiocesan Board of Consultors, he added, “I grew to appreciate firsthand over a 10-year period his leadership skills and wise counsel.”

In the case of Bishop Byrnes, Cardinal Maida remembered when he was a seminarian, and mentioned that it was he who ordained him.

“He was always quiet and laid back, but could see there was a great depth to his studies and to his prayer life. There was such a depth to his spiritual life – so rooted in Christ,” the cardinal said.

He predicted that Bishop Byrnes will continue to have a great effect on seminarians and serve as a model of the priesthood, but also that he will be well-regarded by all the people of the archdiocese.

Cardinal Maida said the choice of Bishop José Arturo Cepeda as Detroit’s third new auxiliary reflects the Church’s recognition of the Detroit Archdiocese’s efforts in the field of ministering to a growing Hispanic Catholic population.

“The Holy See has been very impressed with the quality of Hispanic ministry in our diocese,” he said.

But while Bishop Cepeda will have Hispanic ministry as his primary focus, the cardinal pointed out that he is becoming an auxiliary bishop of a very cosmopolitan see, and that his ministry will be “to all of its people.”

And he added that all three “extremely well-qualified” new auxiliaries are called to provide “creative, strong and valuable help” to the archbishop in “building up the body of Christ in our local Church.”

Cardinal Maida also had high praise for Archbishop Vigneron, his successor as archbishop, as “a man of great talent, which is well-recognized.”