Sister Andrea Welcomes Archbishop Hebda's Permanent Appointment

St. Catherine University
March 24, 2016

https://www.stkate.edu/news-and-events/news/2016/03/from-rome:-sister-andrea-welcomes-archbishop-hebda's-permanent-appointment

Archbishop Hebda at St. Catherine University, where the first of a series of "listening sessions" were held last October to help inform Pope Francis's decision for the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. Photo by Julie Michener.

Today is an exciting day for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis! Together with the entire St. Catherine University community, I am delighted to welcome Archbishop Bernard Hebda to his permanent appointment as Archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis! Our excitement and happiness on learning this news must reach all the way from Rome, where St. Catherine students, campus ministry leaders, Chaplain Fr. John Forliti, and I are celebrating Holy Week at the liturgies of our Holy Father, Pope Francis.

We look forward to welcoming Archbishop Hebda to our cities on a permanent basis and to working with him as spiritual leader of our Archdiocesan and University faith communities.

Already encouraged by his intelligent and wise engagement over the past months, the University looks forward to many fruitful years of engagement with our new Archbishop. Since his arrival in our Archdiocese some months ago, Archbishop Hebda has worked tirelessly to address the many challenges we face and has been an enthusiastic, pastoral and thoughtful supporter of our mission at St. Catherine and of my service as president. Notably, Archbishop Hebda has encouraged St. Catherine’s commitment to social justice, and offered me counsel and direction as we work to strengthen our Catholic identity.

Personally, I thank Archbishop Hebda for his wise counsel to me as St. Catherine’s president, and for his strong stands on behalf of our core Christian values of compassion and justice as he has worked to heal our Archdiocese. We admire, respect, and seek to emulate Archbishop Hebda’s intelligent, healing, and enabling approach to his public ministry in the Church.

St. Catherine University joyfully pledges our active collaboration with Archbishop Bernard Hebda and looks forward to many years of working together to advance the Church’s and St. Catherine University’s distinct but deeply entwined missions.

Andrea J. Lee, IHM

President, St. Catherine University

From Rome, Italy

March 24, 2016