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Bishop LeVoir given fond farewell

Staff photo by Clay Schuldt Bishop John M. LeVoir talks with some nuns who drove through his reception line Sunday afternoon at the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity.

NEW ULM — A special drive-by farewell for Bishop John M. LeVoir, Bishop of the New Ulm Diocese, was held at Cathedral of the Holy Trinity Sunday.

A line of cars waited in the Cathedral parking lot for a chance to speak with LeVoir again and thank him for his service to the New Ulm Diocese and wished him luck in retirement.

LeVoir announced his resignation as bishop of the Diocese of New Ulm in August. LeVoir resigned for health reasons. Since early July, Bishop LeVoir has been undergoing a physical and psychological assessment at Sacred Heart Mercy Health Care Center in Alma, Mich., operated by the Religious Sisters of Mercy.

A native of Minneapolis, Bishop LeVoir was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis in 1981. He was serving as pastor at the Church of St. Michael and the Church of St. Mary in Stillwater, Minn., when Pope Benedict XVI appointed him on July 14, 2008, as the fourth bishop of New Ulm.

LeVoir was appointed bishop of New Ulm on July 14, 2008, and served in that position for 12 years. LeVoir said in some ways it was a long time, but in others, it seems to go by fast.

Many of the church members who visited with LeVoir inquired of his plans. Within the next month, he said he will move to the Leo C. Byrne Residence St. Paul near St. Thomas. This is a senior living apartment for retired priests.

“I am going to give retirement my best shot,” he said.

LeVoir was candid about his immediate goals. In retirement, his first goal was to get healthy. LeVoir said physically he was doing relatively well but had some mental health issues he wanted to treat.

“I appreciated the support of the community,” he said.

During his time as bishop, the Diocese faced many challenges including bankruptcy to deal with clerical sexual abuse lawsuits, parish closings, parish mergings and now COVID-19. He believed his successor’s first challenge would be to help the church through the ongoing pandemic, but also continue on the good work started by the church.

In leaving New Ulm, LeVoir wanted his last message to be “God bless the Diocese of New Ulm and it’s people.”

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