Paul J. Swain

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His Excellency, The Most Reverend

Paul Joseph Swain
Bishop emeritus of Sioux Falls
ChurchCatholic Church
DioceseSioux Falls
AppointedAugust 31, 2006
InstalledOctober 26, 2006
Term endedDecember 12, 2019
PredecessorRobert Carlson
SuccessorDonald DeGrood
Orders
OrdinationMay 27, 1988
by Cletus F. O'Donnell
ConsecrationOctober 26, 2006
by Harry Joseph Flynn, Robert James Carlson, and William Henry Bullock
Personal details
Born (1943-09-12) September 12, 1943 (age 78)
Newark, New York
Alma mater
MottoConfitemini Domino (Give praise to the Lord)
Styles of
Paul Joseph Swain
Coat of arms of Paul Joseph Swain.svg
Reference style
Spoken styleYour Excellency
Religious styleBishop

Paul Joseph Swain (born September 12, 1943) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the eighth Bishop of the Diocese of Sioux Falls from 2006 to 2019.[1][2]

Early life[]

Paul Joseph Swain was born on September 12, 1943 in Newark, New York to William and Gertrude (née Mohr) Swain. He attended public schools in Newark and graduated from high school there in 1961. Swain then entered Ohio Northern University, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in history in 1965. In 1967, Swain was awarded a Master of Arts degree in political science from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.[3]

Following graduate school, Swain joined the United States Air Force as an intelligence officer. He served in the Vietnam War and received a Bronze Star. He was discharged from the Air Force in 1972.[1] In 1974, Swain received a Juris Doctor from University of Wisconsin Law School. After working in private practice for a few years, he served as Legal Counsel and Director of Policy for Wisconsin Governor Lee Sherman Dreyfus from 1979 to 1983. After Dreyfus left office, Swain returned to private practice.[3][1]

During his time with Dreyfus, Swain, a Methodist, became interested in the Roman Catholic Church. He began reading about the church and attending Mass. Swain was formally received into the Catholic Church in 1983 at Holy Redeemer Parish in Madison.[4] Swain then attended Blessed John XXIII National Seminary, earning a Master of Divinity in 1988.

Priesthood[]

On May 27, 1988, Swain was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Madison at the Cathedral of St. Raphael in Madison by Bishop Cletus O'Donnell.[3] His first assignment was as associate pastor of Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary Parish in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. He later served as pastor of St. Mary of Pine Bluff Parish in Cross Plains, Wisconsin and St. Bernard Parish in Middleton, Wisconsin.[1]

Swain also held served as Assistant to the Bishop, Vice Chancellor, Moderator of the Curia, and Vocations Director. Pope John Paul II named Swain a Prelate of Honor, giving him the title of "Monsignor".[5] At the end of his tenure in the Diocese, he was named rector of the Cathedral of St. Raphael and Vicar General.

On March 14, 2005, while Swain was serving at the cathedral in Madison, it was torched by William Connell, a resident of Lodi, Wisconsin. Due to its damage, the cathedral was later demolished. In 2006, Swain met with Connell to offer him forgiveness. Connell expressed great regret for his actions.[6] Swain said at the time of the fire:

As soon as I learned it was arson, I just couldn't believe somebody would do that, unless the person were troubled, and so I never really had any bitterness. I honestly believe from other aspects of my life that God uses these moments that seem tragic to deepen our faith and to call us to be more profoundly who we are.[7]

Bishop of Sioux Falls[]

On August 31, 2006, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Swain as the eighth Bishop of Sioux Falls, replacing Bishop Robert Carlson.[8] Swain was installed and consecrated on October 26, 2006 at the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Sioux Falls by Archbishop Harry Flynn, with Bishops Robert Carlson and William Bullock as co-consecrators.[9] Swain's episcopal motto is "Give Praise to the Lord".[10]

A member of the Knights of Columbus and the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, Swain served on the board of directors for both Blessed John XXIII National Seminary and Saint Paul Seminary.[1]

On March 25, 2019, Swain released a list of 11 priests from the diocese with "substantiated allegations" of child sexual abuse from the 1940s into the 1990s.[11] Swain made this statement:

Victims of sexual abuse too often suffer in silence. Many have shared that they remain silent for fear they will not be believed. By identifying those clergy in our diocese who have had substantiated allegations made against them and providing an accounting of how these were handled over the years.[11]

On December 12, 2019, Pope Francis accepted Swain's resignation as bishop of Sioux Falls.[1]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e f Bishop Paul J. Swain. Diocese of Sioux Falls.
  2. ^ Bishop Paul Joseph Swain [Catholic-Hierarchy]
  3. ^ a b c Bishop Paul Swain background
  4. ^ Pope Benedict XVI Names Msgr. Paul J. Swain Eighth Bishop of Diocese of Sioux Falls, South Dakota
  5. ^ Parish Leadership Day to focus on forgiveness (PDF)
  6. ^ "Tragic fire destroys 150-year-old St. Raphael Cathedral in 2005". Madison Catholic Herald. 2021-09-22. Retrieved 2021-11-22.
  7. ^ Callison, Jill. "Wisconsin Priest appointed Bishop." (September 1, 2006), Argus Leader
  8. ^ Diocese of Sioux Falls
  9. ^ Bishop Paul Joseph Swain
  10. ^ Joyful day for the new bishop and his diocese
  11. ^ a b stephen.lee@capjournal.com, Stephen Lee. "Sioux Falls bishop releases list of 11 Catholic priests accused of sexual abuse of children". Capital Journal. Retrieved 2021-11-22.

External links[]

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Bishop of Sioux Falls
2006–2019 		Succeeded by
Retrieved from ""