Bishop Blair installed as seventh bishop of Toledo

Published: 2003-12-18

TOLEDO, Ohio (CNS) -- A capacity crowd of 1,400 at Our Lady, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary Cathedral in Toledo participated in the Dec. 4 installation Mass of Bishop Leonard Paul Blair as the seventh bishop of Toledo. Broadcasting by the major television stations in Toledo enabled people throughout the 19-county diocese to share the moment of celebration and witness the seating of a new shepherd for the 325,000 Catholics of the region. "This is a proud and happy moment for the Diocese of Toledo," declared Auxiliary Bishop Robert W. Donnelly at a jubilant vespers service the night before the installation. "St. Paul tells us in Ephesians that Christ gifts individuals to rule and teach so as to make the community ever more Christlike," he added. "We believe his coming to us as our new bishop is a grace-filled moment for him and a grace-filled time for all of us." Named an auxiliary bishop of Detroit in 1999, Bishop Blair brings vast experience in ministry. From working in the Vatican as secretary to Cardinal Edmund C. Szoka to working as a seminary professor, his background "has great breadth," said Father Michael Billian, episcopal vicar.

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