Happy Anniversary to Francis Cardinal George, OMI on His 22 years as a Bishop!

You won' this item in any of the Chicago Newspapers - Sneedless to say.

The Men of Leo High School congratulate 'our guy' Francis Cardinal George on the anniversary of 22 years as a Roman Catholic bishop.

Yesterday, September 21, 2012 marked twenty-two years of episcopal service by Chicago's own Francis Cardinal George.  Born on April 7, 1930,  the future Archbishop of Chicago (May 7, 1997) and Leo Man ( May 11, 2012), is the son of Francis J. and Mary R. (nee McCarthy) George and a graduate of St. Paschal's Grammar School on Chicago's northwest side.

Cardinal George is a priest's priest - ordained in 1963.  Yesterday, on the anniversary of his consecration as Bishop of Yakima, WA, the Missionary Oblate of Mary Immaculate, who never allowed disease or disappointment to hold him back from serving Christ and His Church, Cardinal George counseled a high school freshman from Leo High School who was having a bit of difficulty.

We arrived at the Archbishops Residence, built in 1885 by Archbishop Patrick Feehan, who was instrumental  in the rebuilding of Chicago after the Great Fire.  Sister Theodosia greeted us and quietly informed me that the day was the Cardinal's twenty second anniversary as bishop.  He was seeing us. Well, not me; I 'm the driver.

Cardinal George welcomed the two of us as he emerged from a morning meeting with Jimmy Lago, Chancellor of the Archdiocese.

The young Leo Man and The Shepherd of 2.5 million Catholics in Cook and Lake Counties - roughly 1,500 square miles of Catholics went into conference.

I was not party to the conversation, but I heard gales of laughter sweep through the closed door and most it coming from the Cardinal's voice.

At one point, the phone in the hall rang.  Sister Theodosia, the residency wrangler and boss of the Episcopal home, knocked on the door, opened it gently and informed the Cardinal that there was a very important phone call.  I could see the two conversationalists one in a Roman collar and sweater and the other in a Leo Football jacket and heard the guy in the stiff collar say, " Thank you, Sister! I am in a very important meeting at the moment. Ask the gentleman to call back in another half hour."

It was a half hour and change.

The young man emerged from the long and uninterrupted conversation animated and assured that an understanding father has his back.

That is a priest.

Facta Non Verba, Jack.

See	Chicago
Appointed	April 7, 1997
Enthroned	May 7, 1997 (15 years, 137 days)
Predecessor	Joseph Bernardin
Other posts	Cardinal-Priest of S. Bartolomeo all’Isola
Orders
Ordination	December 21, 1963 by Raymond Peter Hillinger
Consecration	September 21, 1990 by Agostino Cacciavillan
Created Cardinal	February 21, 1998
Rank	Cardinal-Priest
Personal details
Birth name	Francis Eugene George
Born	January 16, 1937 (age 75) Chicago, Illinois, USA
Nationality	American
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Previous post	Bishop of Yakima (1990–1996) Archbishop of Portland(1996–1997)
Motto	Christo gloria in ecclesia
Coat of arms

Diocesan bishops

See: Diocesan bishop#Roman Catholic Church

1. William J. Quarter (1844–1848)
2. James Oliver Van de Velde, SJ (1848–1853)
3. Anthony O'Regan (1854–1858)
4. James Duggan (1859–1880)
5. Patrick Augustine Feehan (1880–1902)
6. James Edward Quigley (1903–1915)
7. George Mundelein (1915–1939)
8. Samuel Stritch (1939–1958)
9. Albert Gregory Meyer (1958–1965)
10. John Cody (1965–1982)
11. Joseph Bernardin (1982–1996)
12. Francis George, OMI (1997–present)