You Will Be Missed
“Bold” Archbishop Emeritus was alumnus
and “second founder” of seminary.
W
ith sadness and great hope in the Resurrection
location. It was a bold decision and one that
we recognize the death and honor the life of
speaks of his commitment to the core mission of
Sacred Heart alumnus Cardinal Edmund Casimir
the Church.
Szoka, who served as Archbishop of Detroit
“We are who we are today at Sacred Heart
from 1981 until 1990. He went on to oversee
because of Cardinal Szoka.”
the government of the Vatican City State under
Following his retirement from active ministry
Pope John Paul II and Pope
in 2006, Cardinal Szoka had been
Benedict XVI.
living in Northville. He died
Cardinal Szoka considered
August 20 of natural causes at the
his greatest accomplishment
age of eighty-six years.
in the city of Detroit to be the
Edmund Casimir Szoka
transformation of Sacred Heart
was born September 14, 1927,
Major Seminary, according to
in Grand Rapids to Polish
a 2011 interview. It was his
immigrants Casimir and Mary
decision in 1988 to close St.
Szoka. After graduating from
John Provincial Seminary in
Sacred Heart Seminary in 1950
Plymouth and move its graduate
and St. John Provincial Seminary
school of theology to Sacred
in 1954, he was ordained a priest
Heart College Seminary in
on June 5, 1954, to serve the
Detroit, thereby re-founding
Diocese of Marquette.
Sacred Heart as a “major”
He served as chancellor in
seminary. The transformation
the Diocese of Marquette until
was physical—for instance, he
being named the first bishop
Edmund Cardinal Szoka (19272014). As Archbishop of Detroit,
commissioned the replacement
of the newly-created Diocese
Cardinal Szoka made a commitment
of 2,400 windows and all
of Gaylord in 1971. Pope John
to the city of Detroit by keeping
the electrical wiring—and
Paul II named him Archbishop
Sacred Heart Major Seminary open
intellectual—he revamped the
of Detroit in 1981 and a cardinal
as the archdiocesan seminary.
undergraduate program and
in 1988. Shortly thereafter, the
established a program to educate
pope appointed Cardinal Szoka
lay ministers.
to oversee economic affairs at the Vatican City
He is often called the “second founder” of
State, in April 1990. He was succeeded in Detroit
the seminary and remained a loyal supporter, for
by Archbishop (Cardinal) Adam J. Maida.
example attending the most recent Archbishop’s
Cardinal Szoka oversaw the Vatican City
Gala fundraiser in June. The seminary library is
State under both Pope John Paul II and Pope
named after him to honor his legacy.
Benedict XVI. He was made President of the
“Cardinal Szoka was always an exceptionally
Governorate of Vatican City State in 1997, and
strong leader. He made many difficult decisions,
president of the Vatican City State in 2001. He
but never without a tremendous amount of
is credited with balancing the budget of the
prayer and thought,” recalls Msgr. Todd Lajiness,
Vatican and restoring its financial health after
rector of Sacred Heart. Monsignor served as
decades of red ink.
Cardinal Szoka’s personal secretary from 1997A day after his seventy-ninth birthday in
2002. That strength of leadership moved him to
2006, Pope Benedict XVI accepted Cardinal
re-found the seminary, Monsignor says.
Szoka’s resignation, after which he returned to
“When many people supported closing
Michigan and to his beloved Detroit area. He
the seminary or moving it out to Plymouth,
is laid to rest at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in
the Cardinal Szoka made the decision to keep
Southfield.
Sacred Heart in the city of Detroit, at its original
Cardinal Szoka, you will be missed.
FAll 2014
SAcred HeArt MAjor SeminAry
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