Still alive, and still interested in blogging.

Sorry about the light posting--family, work, and being nearly freeze dried have limited the blogging of late.

Three quick hitters with respect to our new Archbishop-designate, Allen Vigneron.

First: Hurrah! On two levels. Yes, impeccable on orthodoxy/catechesis/liturgy, which means the upward trend continues. Second, he's a local, an eastsider, even. Born and raised here, then served as a priest in the archdiocese. That means a lot. He spent a lot of time addressing the economic pain of the region, which was heartfelt and stood him in good stead with the local media, which gave him a sympathetic hearing. He's off on the right foot, which is good. Being a local offers another advantage: he's familiar with the archdiocese and its personnel. It won't take him much time to get up and running. And he knows where the fights will start. The clumsy feeling out/transition period will be minimal.

Second: his appointment has ticked off all the right people in the archdiocese.

Third: he's the first archbishop I've ever met personally. I can confirm his dry sense of humor. Back in 2002, he conducted a parish visit. During a meeting with various lay people involved in the parish programs, he asked me what I did. At the time, I was teaching catechism to 6th graders and told him so. He offered a sage nod and said "Ah. That's the age God takes back their souls."

I took a liking to him right there.

More posts as time permits, but it does look like I'm surfacing at this point.