continue at NCRegisterAs Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz entered canonical retirement last fall — after two decades as the shepherd of the Diocese of Lincoln, Neb. — colleagues and friends reflected on the extent of his influence, both as a priest and as a bishop.
The breadth of his legacy may have started, albeit unknowingly, as pastor of St. Bernard’s Parish near Milwaukee. In 1986, then-Msgr. Bruskewitz took an obscure Presbyterian minister under his wing, instructed him through RCIA and received him into the Church.
The convert — Scott Hahn — gradually developed into a nationally known Scripture scholar and author. Hahn recalled fondly the affirmation he received from the priest with "a pastor’s heart and a theologian’s mind" — the man he calls a "spiritual daddy."
"I remember going through a crisis," Hahn said. "How could I as a layman — who was Protestant my whole life — make a contribution to the Church?"
Hahn said Msgr. Bruskewitz was always encouraging him to discover what God would reveal to him.
According to Bishop James Conley, installed Nov. 20 as the ninth bishop of Lincoln, Bishop Bruskewitz played a similar role early in his episcopacy.
"The ’80s and ’90s were a time of confusion," Bishop Conley said. "Perhaps even among the bishops it wasn’t always clear where we were headed."
HT Diane @ TeDeum
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