Bishop Untener remembered as a true good shepherd

Published: 2004-04-02

SAGINAW, Mich. (CNS) --The good shepherd theme reverberated through a celebratory April 1 funeral Mass for Saginaw's Bishop Kenneth E. Untener, a man widely noted for his simple lifestyle and depth of spirituality. The leader of 140,000 Catholics in east central Michigan died March 27 at the age of 66, just six weeks after announcing that he was suffering from leukemia. An overflow crowd of more than 1,800 people filled St. Stephen Catholic Church and an adjoining gymnasium for a funeral that evoked tears and laughter, audible "amens" and a standing ovation. In the homily for his longtime friend, retired Archbishop John R. Quinn of San Francisco said Bishop Untener was one of the most distinguished of bishops, "a man of Catholic faith, a good shepherd, prayerful, unselfish, learned and articulate."

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