It is a joy to thank
God for the appointment of Monsignor Marc Trudeau to serve as an Auxiliary
Bishop of Los Angeles!
It was my privilege
to ordain our Bishop-Elect to the Sacred Priesthood in 1991, and to have worked
closely with him over the years.
His pastoral heart
has always been in serving as a parish priest, and he has done that so well
over the years. His two pastorates, St.
Pius X in Santa Fe Springs, and St. Margaret Mary Alacoque in Lomita, is where
he wanted to spend all of his priestly years.
In between those two
pastorates, I was privileged to have him as my priest secretary in service to
the entire Archdiocese. His pastoral
experience and his great love for people endeared him to everyone who had
contact with the Archbishop’s office. He
was a great support during those tumultuous years when the clergy scandal was
in its settlement phases.
While serving with
me, the doctor’s discovered cancer.
Fortunately, he had a form which was curable. However, those many weeks of chemotherapy
were very difficult. We were blessed to
have him with us at the Cathedral residence during his treatment protocol. He showed great humility, patience, and
lessons in how to suffer after the manner of Jesus. His witness touched all of us in the
residence.
It was not long
before Archbishop Jose Gomez recognized Bishop-Elect Trudeau’s gifts and
talents, and he was assigned to St. John’s Seminary to prepare to take over as
the Rector. His priestly and pastoral
gifts were a great grace in the ensuing years in the formation of young men for
the priesthood.
When I spoke with the
Bishop-Elect about his appointment, he stated “I would prefer to be going back
to serve in a parish.” I responded—you are,
except there are many more parishes in your Pastoral Region than in just one parish!!
May Jesus Christ, our
Good Shepherd, continue to shape the heart and ministry of Bishop-Elect Marc
Trudeau!
