Bishop Richard Pates
It was a beautiful October evening on Center Lake in Lindstrom. Coadjutor Archbishop Leo Byrne seized the occasion to walk to the end of the dock near his modest cabin. In this setting and true to his exuberant self, he thrust his arms into the air and exclaimed, “It’s great to be alive!”
Archbishop Byrne (1908-1974) served as coadjutor archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis for several years. This was his calling: second in command. He had been auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of St. Louis and coadjutor bishop of Wichita, Kansas, before coming to the Twin Cities.
Serving as the archdiocese’s vice chancellor and Archbishop Byrne’s secretary beginning in 1973, I knew him to be friendly and outgoing. His fellow bishops nominated him to be vice president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. A few weeks before his exuberant lake experience, he withdrew his nomination, most likely sensing health issues.
Archbishop Leo Byrne
Times were trying for all Church leaders and especially for this irrepressible Irishman. When a number of priests left ministry for marriage, it stung him to the core. Changes following Vatican II, to which he was devoted, plus the personal cost for a number of the religious, became a heavy burden for Archbishop Byrne.
The day following the visit to Center Lake, I had finished celebrating Mass for the Blessed Virgin Mary Sisters when I had a phone call. The frantic voice of the sister-housekeeper shouted, “Come home! Come home!”
Arriving at the archbishop’s residence, I was ushered into his room. The archbishop was stretched out lifeless, the victim of a heart attack.
His death was received with disbelief and sadness. His vitality, compassion, and identification with the ordinary person and the poor contributed to his widespread acclaim.
His funeral at the Cathedral was packed to overflowing. From the altar, I recognized Vice President Hubert Humphrey, whose exuberant voice joined the powerful chorus of “He will raise him up.” In a very uplifting liturgy, the spirit of Leo Byrne in his new status pervaded this space.
In the days following, a spontaneous movement to memorialize him was realized with the construction of a long-proposed home for retired priests of the archdiocese on the property of The St. Paul Seminary. It was named the “Leo C. Byrne Residence” to affirm the archbishop’s long-standing determination to ensure that retired priests were cared for properly.
The current Byrne Residence has served generations of retired priests in two locations. Still situated on The St. Paul Seminary campus, it pays tribute to Archbishop Byrne and to residents who have served 40, 50 and over 60 years in parishes and institutions of the archdiocese. They have been faithful and untiringly generous to their communities.
After 26 years the residence is due for a substantial renovation. The recounting of the foregoing history is obviously timed to provide background for those interested in supporting this worthy cause through the contribution envelopes provided in this edition of The Catholic Spirit. Consider your gift a continuation of Leo C. Byrne’s effort to care for those who have fostered our faith.
Bishop Pates is Bishop Emeritus of Des Moines, Iowa, and a former auxiliary bishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis. More information about the Catholic Community Foundation’s Leo C. Byrne Residence Renovation Project is at ccf-mn.org/byrneresidence.
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