Roger Paul Morin (March 7, 1941 – October 31, 2019)[1] was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He was the third Bishop of Biloxi. Pope Francis accepted his resignation on December 16, 2016.[2]


Roger Paul Morin
Bishop Emeritus of Biloxi
ArchdioceseMobile
DioceseBiloxi
AppointedMarch 2, 2009
InstalledApril 27, 2009
Term endedDecember 16, 2016
PredecessorThomas John Rodi
SuccessorLouis Frederick Kihneman
Previous post(s)Auxiliary Bishop of New Orleans
Orders
OrdinationApril 15, 1971
ConsecrationApril 22, 2003
by Alfred Clifton Hughes, Philip Hannan, and Francis B. Schulte
Personal details
Born(1941-03-07)March 7, 1941
DiedOctober 31, 2019(2019-10-31) (aged 78)
MottoWALK HUMBLY AND JUSTLY
Styles of
Roger Paul Morin
Reference style
Spoken styleYour Excellency
Religious styleBishop
Ordination history of
Roger Morin
History
Priestly ordination
DateApril 15, 1971
Episcopal consecration
Principal consecratorAlfred Clifton Hughes
Co-consecratorsPhilip Hannan,
Francis B. Schulte
DateApril 22, 2003

Early life and education

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Roger Morin was born in Lowell, Massachusetts, to Germain and Lillian Morin; he has two brothers, James and Paul, and three sisters, Lillian, Elaine, and Susan. He was a native of Dracut and was a communicant of Ste-Thérèse Parish. He attended St. John's Seminary in Brighton, from where he obtained a bachelor's degree in philosophy in 1966, and then pursued his graduate studies in theology there for two years.

In 1968, he became director of The Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, a social service organization run by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans, having previously worked in the archdiocese's summer Witness program. He entered Notre Dame Seminary that same year, earning a Master's in Divinity in 1970.

Priesthood

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Morin was ordained to the priesthood on April 15, 1971, and then served as an associate pastor at St. Henry's Church in New Orleans. He received a Master of Science degree in urban affairs from Tulane University in 1974, and became director of the Archdiocesan Social Apostolate in 1975.

From 1978 to 1981, at the request of Mayor Ernest Morial, he served as a volunteer special assistant in the office of the mayor, dealing with federal programs and projects. In 1981, Morin was named archdiocesan vicar for community affairs and parochial vicar of Incarnate Word Church in New Orleans, later serving as its pastor from 1988 to 2002. He was raised to the rank of monsignor in 1985, and organized preparations for Pope John Paul II's visit to New Orleans in 1987. He was named vicar general and moderator of the curia for the archdiocese in 2001.

Episcopal career

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On February 11, 2003, Morin was appointed auxiliary bishop of New Orleans and titular bishop of Aulon by John Paul II. He received his episcopal consecration on the following April 22 from Archbishop Alfred Hughes, with Archbishops Philip Hannan and Francis Schulte serving as co-consecrators. He selected as his episcopal motto, "Walk Humbly and Act Justly."

Within the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Morin has served as chairman of the Subcommittee of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, and as a member of the Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development and the Committee on National Collections.

Bishop of Biloxi

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Morin was later named the third Bishop of Biloxi, Mississippi, by Pope Benedict XVI on March 2, 2009. He succeeded Thomas John Rodi, who was promoted to Archbishop of Mobile in April 2008. He was formally installed at the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary on the following April 27; the papal bull of appointment that is customarily read at a bishop's installation did not arrive by the time of Morin's own installation.[3]

As Bishop of Biloxi, Morin was the spiritual leader of 68,000 Catholics in southern Mississippi.

Bishop Morin died on October 31, 2019.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Remembering Bishop Morin: Funeral arrangements announced". Retrieved 2020-06-29.
  2. ^ "Pope Names Texas Priest as New Bishop of Biloxi, Accepts Resignation of Bishop Roger Morin". www.usccb.org. Retrieved 2020-06-29.
  3. ^ "For His Friends » Blog Archive » BISHOPS AND BULLS". bishopsblog.dosp.org. Archived from the original on 2009-05-07.
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Episcopal succession

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Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Bishop of Biloxi
2009—2016
Succeeded by
Preceded by Auxiliary Bishop of New Orleans
2003–2009
Succeeded by