Bishop Thomas J. Paprocki, 57, who has served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Chicago for the last seven years, was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI to be the ninth bishop of the Diocese of Springfield, Ill., April 20. The appointment was made public in Washington, D.C., by Archbishop Pietro Sambi, apostolic nuncio to the United States. Bishop Paprocki will succeed Bishop George Lucas, who was appointed to lead the Diocese of Omaha, Neb., in June 2009. He will be installed at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield on June 22. Bishop Paprocki, who is both a civil and canon lawyer, called on another Illinois lawyer in the statement he released upon being appointed bishop of Springfield. “President Abraham Lincoln has been a hero of mine since my first visit to Springfield when I was in eighth grade,” Bishop Paprocki wrote. “In a speech given in Springfield on Jan. 27, 1838, Abraham Lincoln said, ‘We find ourselves under the government of a system of political institutions, conducting more essentially to the ends of civil and religious liberty, than any of which the history of former times tells us. We, when mounting the stage of existence, found ourselves the legal inheritors of these fundamental blessings.’ “It is indeed a ‘fundamental blessing’ which I am profoundly privileged to inherit as the new shepherd of the flock that comprises the Catholic community of central Illinois.” Bishop Paprocki said he was inspired to learn about Lincoln after class trips to the state capital with his eighth-grade class at St. Casimir School and his senior class at Quigley South high school seminary. In a statement on the archdiocesan website, Cardinal George said, “The Archdiocese of Chicago will no longer directly enjoy the many gifts that Bishop Paprocki brings to his episcopal ministry, but we rejoice with the Diocese of Springfield on their receiving their new bishop.” The cardinal also thanked Msgr. Carl Kemme, who has served as diocesan administrator in Springfield since Bishop Lucas departed. Ready to serve Bishop Paprocki told the Catholic New World that he feels “well prepared” to be the ordinary of a diocese. “I’ve been blessed to work so closely with two great archbishops, Cardinal Bernardin and Cardinal George,” he said. “Obviously, when the responsibility falls on you, it’s a little more daunting. The buck stops there.” Bishop Paprocki has served as episcopal vicar for an area of the archdiocese that takes in a slice of the Northwest Side as well as Cook County suburbs west of Chicago since becoming a bishop. He also serves as Cardinal George’s liaison to the Polish community and the cardinal’s liaison for health and hospital affairs. The Diocese of Springfield comprises approximately 146,000 Catholics in 131 parishes in central Illinois. The diocese includes 28 counties. Bishop Paprocki’s vicariate in Chicago included about 418,000 Catholics in 60 parishes. In a telephone interview as he was traveling back to Chicago from Springfield April 20, Bishop Paprocki acknowledged that it is a different kind of area. “There will be some more time, more miles,” he said. “But I’m looking forward to visiting the parishes and other institutions and meeting the people.” Polish roots Born in Chicago to a Polish family, the bishop knew early on that he was called to the priesthood. In a 2003 interview with the Catholic New World, his mother, Veronica, recalled him “playing Mass” in the family dining room. He started his seminary education at age 14. After being ordained in 1978, he continued his studies, earning a civil law degree from DePaul University in 1981, the same year he helped found the Chicago Legal Clinic. By 1985, he was vicechancellor of the archdiocese, and he went to Rome to study canon law from 1987 to 1991. During that time, he also went to the Catholic University of Lublin to learn Polish. After returning to Chicago, Bishop Paprocki was named chancellor in 1992. He held the post for eight years. After two terms as chancellor, he became pastor of St. Constance Parish, which offers three Polish Masses each Sunday, on the Northwest Side. Many family members — including his mother, a parishioner at St. Bernadette in Evergreen Park, and seven of his eight brothers and sisters — remain in the Chicago area, and Bishop Paprocki said he is glad to be staying in Illinois. The bishop is an avid athlete who started running marathons 15 years ago and now tries to run one marathon each year. In the 16 marathons he has run, he has raised more than $265,000 for charity. He also plays ice hockey.