Bishop Earl Boyea today offered his warm congratulations the Most Reverend Steven Raica, former Chancellor of the Diocese of Lansing and present Bishop of Gaylord, who has been named today as the new Bishop of Birmingham in Alabama by Pope Francis.
“Bishop Raica had served as Chancellor of the Diocese of Lansing, among many other positions, prior to his being named the Bishop of the Diocese of Gaylord,” said Bishop Boyea in a statement, March 25.
“As the Bishop of Lansing, I know that we bishops of Michigan will deeply miss our brother and his fraternity in our state.”
“He will indeed be a great blessing to the Catholic community of the Diocese of Birmingham and we pray for God’s grace as he assumes this new ministry.”
“As an angel visited Mary on today’s Feast of the Annunciation, may this appointment also be a visitation from on High.”
Born in 1952 in Munising, Bishop Steven Raica was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Lansing in 1978. In 1998, Pope St. John Paul II named him a prelate of honor.
As a priest, he served in various parishes in Burton, Flint, Ovid, Charlotte and Bellevue. He served as co-rector of Lansing’s St. Mary Cathedral and chaplain of Olivet College in Olivet.
He was also superior of Casa Santa Maria, the North American College’s graduate studies house in Rome. He served as spiritual director and adjunct faculty at the college from 1999-2005. He was appointed Bishop of Gaylord in 2014.
Bishop Raica succeeds Bishop Robert Baker of Birmingham who is retiring at the age of 75 after 13 years in his present post.
Bishop Raica’s Mass of installation is due to be held June 23 at the Cathedral of St. Paul in Birmingham. Bishop Boyea's Statement upon the appointment of Bishop Steven Raica as Bishop Designate of Birmingham, Alabama, is reproduced in full below:
"The Diocese of Lansing offers congratulations to the Diocese of Birmingham, Alabama, on the announcement today by our Holy Father of your new bishop, Most Reverend Steven Raica. Bishop Raica had served as Chancellor of the Diocese of Lansing, among many other positions, prior to his being named the Bishop of the Diocese of Gaylord. As the Bishop of Lansing, I know that we bishops of Michigan will deeply miss our brother and his fraternity in our state. He will indeed be a great blessing to the Catholic community of the Diocese of Birmingham and we pray for God’s grace as he assumes this new ministry. As an angel visited Mary on today’s Feast of the Annunciation, may this appointment also be a visitation from on High."
Photo credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA-EWTN.