Youngest bishop in the U.S. ready to “propose the mystery” of the Church to Detroit

Detroit, Mich., Nov 29, 2006 / 22:00 pm

The youngest bishop in the United States was ordained yesterday for the Archdiocese of Detroit. Bishop Daniel Flores will assist Cardinal Adam Maida as one of six auxiliary bishops.

The 45-year-old bishop was ordained at Blessed Sacrament Cathedral. He is the first bishop of Latino descent in the archdiocese.

Bishop Flores came to Detroit from Corpus Christi, Texas, where he most recently served as vicar of Corpus Christi Cathedral.

Cardinal Adam Maida, Archbishop of Detroit, was the principal consecrator at the ordination Mass. Bishop Edmond Carmody of the Diocese of Corpus Christi, and Bishop Rene Gracida, Bishop Emeritus of Corpus Christi, were selected as co-consecrators.

The cardinal said he was “delighted” that Bishop Flores agreed to the nomination and that he will be the first Hispanic bishop in the diocese.

After the mass, Bishop Flores remarked that, "the presence of so many family and friends here is a personal reminder that Catholicity begins with professing ones faith, and bears fruit in a real communion of life and love."

In an interview with The Detroit News, the new bishop said he will initially spend time getting to know the parishes and then eventually focus in on the large and growing Hispanic community of the Archdiocese.

His priority will be to “preach and propose the mystery of what the Catholic Church offers; the mystery of the sacraments, the mystery of the life and of grace, the mystery of the communal life of the Church,” he told the newspaper. “I think if we set about doing the good that Jesus asks us to do then by God's grace people are attracted to that.”

Growing up, he said, he had thought of becoming a lawyer. But by age 16, the priesthood became the most appealing choice for him.

“I've always been very happy as a priest and I expect to be very happy in just kind of getting to know people,” he told the newspaper. “I think one of the most important things a priest does is that he has an opportunity to spend time with people and … I'm looking forward to that."