DETROIT -- Upon learning of the passing of former Detroit archbishop Cardinal Edmund C. Szoka, His Holiness Pope Francis sent a telegram to Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron and the Archdiocese of Detroit to express his condolences and impart his apostolic blessing. The pope's greeting, along with remembrances and tributes from friends, colleagues and those mentored by Cardinal Szoka, are below.
"To the Most Reverend Allen H. Vigneron, Archbishop of Detroit:
"Having learned with sadness of the death of Cardinal Edmund Casimir Szoka, archbishop emeritus of Detroit, I offer heartfelt condolences to you and to the clergy, religious and lay faithful of the archdiocese. Recalling with gratitude the late cardinal's tireless episcopal ministry in Gaylord and Detroit, and his years of service to the Apostolic See and the Vatican City State, I willingly join you in commending the soul of this generous servant of Christ and the Church to the merciful love of God our Heavenly Father. To all who mourn Cardinal Szoka in the hope of the Resurrection I cordially impart my apostolic blessing as a pledge of consolation and peace in the Lord."
Franciscus PP.
(Pope Francis)
Detroit Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron:
"We mourn the loss of a dedicated shepherd. For 60 years Cardinal Szoka gave himself totally to his priestly service of Christ and his Church. He has gone home to the Heavenly Father with our prayers. May the Lord give him the reward of his labors."
(On Cardinal Szoka's spiritual/prayer life)
"Always at the moment of the Mass, at the elevation, when the priest holds up the host and he’s consecrated it and it becomes the Body of Christ – (Cardinal Szoka had) great devotion that he showed in that act. (It was) obviously something he had grown up with, something of the piety that he had developed, but it was constant throughout his life."
Cardinal Adam J. Maida, archbishop emeritus of Detroit:
“(Cardinal Szoka) was a faithful priest. He was a faithful bishop. And he was a faithful cardinal. And he lived it day and night. Church was his life. He wanted to serve the Lord and serve the Church. He was a true friend, and one who cared, and one who was generous and thoughtful. I admired his fidelity to doing God’s work in different situations.
“The Holy Father (Pope John Paul II) trusted him. The had a good personal relationship, but they also had a good Church relationship, in doing the work of the Church.”
Gaylord Bishop-elect Steven J. Raica:
"I was saddened to hear of the passing of Cardinal Edmund Szoka who had served God and His Church with such commitment, dedication and great love. He was a holy priest, a gifted leader whose response to the Lord’s call was always a resounding “Yes,” no matter where he was called.
"As I reflect on the role he played in my own life since being appointed to follow in his footsteps as Bishop of Gaylord, I am grateful for the ways he entered into my life. Cardinal Szoka was a priest of my home Diocese of Marquette before being appointed the first Bishop of the newly-formed Diocese of Gaylord in 1971. He ordained me to the diaconate just six years later. While I was studying and later worked in Rome, Cardinal Szoka served there. We had our last conversation just a short time ago after he learned Pope Francis had appointed me the Fifth Bishop of Gaylord. It was an honor to know Cardinal Szoka. I hope that I can lead in a manner worthy of the legacy he leaves behind.
"My most heartfelt condolences and prayers go out to the family, friends and all those who, like myself, were touched by the faith, life, and dedication of Cardinal Szoka.
"May the angels lead you into paradise;
may the martyrs come to welcome you
and take you to the holy city,
the new and eternal Jerusalem."
Msgr. Francis J. Murphy, administrator of the Diocese of Gaylord:
"Today is a sad day, in a sense, as a chapter of our diocese has passed for this life, but it’s also a good day for Cardinal Szoka. I know he has been hurting physically in the past few years and so this time of suffering is over, so that can be a blessing, and I would expect that he’s gone to his reward.
"I have many fond memories of Cardinal Szoka which go back to even before he was installed as the first Bishop of Gaylord. Prior to his episcopal ordination, I was asked to move to Gaylord to represent the Grand Rapids diocese to help him set up the new diocese and get it going, along with Fr. Larry Boks from the Saginaw diocese. Then-Msgr. Szoka would come across the Bridge and we would all meet in Mackinaw City as plans were being made for the celebration.
"He was our first bishop and of course the first of anything is always very special and very important. Right from the start he created an atmosphere of drawing people together and I think that remains today. He stayed close to the diocese and even when he’d come back from Rome, we would all try to get together to visit. He was gregarious, very hospitable and very talented. He loved people and he loved the Church. He was there for us and I think we were there for him. It really was an honor to start out with him. May he rest in peace."
Archbishop Bernard A. Hebda, coadjutor archbishop of Newark, N.J., and former bishop of Gaylord:
"Recalling Cardinal Szoka’s kindness to me and the many helpful insights that he graciously offered when I was serving as Bishop in his beloved Diocese of Gaylord, I was deeply saddened to learn of his passing. As he shared with me stories about the challenges of his early days in Gaylord, he would often touchingly add that his heart would always belong to Gaylord, his first love. He set the bar high as a Shepherd and I am confident that the Lord of Life will now reward him in abundance for his generous service."
Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder:
"Today our state mourns the loss of Michigan native Cardinal Edmund Szoka.
"Born of Polish immigrant parents in Grand Rapids, Cardinal Szoka served his church for 60 years in Marquette, Gaylord, Detroit and at the Vatican, where he was a key adviser to Pope John Paul II. Cardinal Szoka devoted his life to his church and to serving his fellow Catholics in Michigan and beyond. For that he will be remembered.
"Sue and I extend our heartfelt condolences to those grieving Cardinal Szoka's loss, and we keep them in our thoughts and prayers."
Paul A. Long, president and CEO of the Michigan Catholic Conference:
“The news of Cardinal Szoka’s death has struck the heart of the Michigan Catholic Conference, as His Eminence played a significant role in the life of this organization since its inception in 1963. Serving the MCC while a pastor in the Diocese of Marquette, then as Bishop of Gaylord, and later as Cardinal Archbishop of Detroit, His Eminence strongly believed in the mission of the MCC to advocate for the common good for all in Michigan. Cardinal Szoka believed equally as strong in the ministry of the Bishops to provide administrative services for the common good of the Catholic Church throughout the state. His acumen in various subjects, particularly finance and business, helped to propel Michigan Catholic Conference toward the 21st Century.
“A particularly affectionate memory for this organization was when His Eminence, while serving as President of the Governatorate of Vatican City State, celebrated Holy Mass at the Tomb of St. Peter for the National Association of State Catholic Conference Directors, who were on pilgrimage to Rome in 1999. A pastor with firm direction, of deep faith and a love for the State of Michigan, especially the City of Detroit, Cardinal Szoka will be fondly remembered and mourned by this organization and the many others who were touched by his large heart and concern for all.”
Portland Archbishop Alexander Sample, former bishop of Marquette:
"His Eminence was always very kind to me and very supportive. When I was ordained Bishop of Marquette, Cardinal Szoka did me the great kindness of giving me my episcopal ring. It is inscribed with both his coat of arms and my own. He was a great and faithful servant of Christ and his Church, even serving the Holy Father in a very close and personal way. Yet he always looked on his simpler days as a parish priest in Marquette as some of the happiest of his life. He will be greatly missed. Requiescat in pace!”
Msgr. Anthony Tocco, pastor of St. Hugo of the Hills Parish, Bloomfield Hills:
“When he went to Rome, I stayed with him several times. He was a very prayerful man; people don’t see that part of him because they don’t see him intimately when he’s in his own chapel. He was a very brilliant man. He always left whatever church he was in better off when he left than when he got there. It was true of the Archdiocese of Detroit. I was certainly true of Gaylord. And it was true of his two positions in Rome.
“I remember him as a close friend and I really enjoyed his company, especially after he was retired.”
Grand Rapids Bishop-emeritus Walter Hurley, former moderator of the archdiocesan curia under Cardinal Szoka:
“I first met the cardinal in 1981 when he first came to Detroit, and later I was moderator of the curia and judicial vicar, so I got to know him and served as a canonical adviser for him. Over that period of time, I came to have a great respect for his insight and personal commitment to the Church. He was just a very faithful priest and a very faithful bishop. He had a passion about priestly ministry, and a deep love for the priests of the diocese.”
Bob Berg, press secretary (1983-93) for former Detroit Mayor Coleman Young:
“The mayor had a lot of respect for the cardinal, and they had a great relationship both personally and professionally. I know when the cardinal got the news that the pope was coming to Detroit, one of the first people that he called was the mayor to make sure he knew about it. The city worked very closely with the archdiocese to put all that together.”
“I remember the two of them sitting down afterward just chatting, like two old friends.”
Msgr. Michael LeFevre, rector of the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament and former priest-secretary to Cardinal Szoka:
"Cardinal ordained me back in 1982. So I think there’s always a special relationship between the bishop who ordained you throughout your time. In the late 80s I came on his staff before he went to Rome, so I was with him in those days. He could be as gentle as a giant, and also as pesky as he wanted to be. That was kind of his personality. When he was getting ready to go to Rome, he was obviously going to take a priest secretary with him. He looked at me and said, ‘You don’t know any languages, you won’t help me over there!’ So that was my invitation that I was staying home and he was going to Rome. He just had a very human touch to him."
Msgr. Todd Lajiness, rector of Sacred Heart Major Seminary and former priest-secretary to Cardinal Szoka:
"He was a man of great resolve and great faith. He was tireless in bringing transparency to the (local Church). He was deeply committed to it. He felt transparency was essential; I admired that."
Pope Francis, others offer condolences on Cardinal Szoka’s passing
