Rev. John G. Berger elected to govern diocese

Father John G. Berger, Judicial Vicar and Vice Chancellor of the diocese will now serve, in addition to his present diocesan duties, as Diocesan Administrator while the diocese waits for the appointment of a new bishop.

"Somehow I guess I have to believe that the hand of God is in this. That is the only way that I can say yes to this position and trust that the Holy Spirit will carry us through these weeks and months ahead," said Father Berger as his election was announced to the diocesan staff.

"As I see it, I am a caretaker. That is how I see my role. I am the interim caretaker and we are bishop-less. That is our situation at the moment. My position is to somehow stay the course. I count on you people [diocesan staff] to do that and I will count on you, and I will rely on you, and I’m going to trust you. We pray that soon we will have a new bishop."

In a flurry of activity the Diocesan Board of Consultors met to ballot for an administrator on November 21, 2000. The seven member board elected Father Berger and notified him of their election results within the eight day period as prescribed by Canon Law.

On November 28, Father Francis Garvey, senior member of the Board of Consultors, announced to the diocesan staff the news of the Father Berger’s acceptance of his role of authority as Diocesan Administrator.

"It’s the role of interim care taker," Father Berger explained later in a radio interview for CPR-Catholic People’s Radio. I would compare it to the situation of a parish being without a pastor. If for some reason a pastor suddenly dies or is moved and there is no pastor, someone would be appointed to be in charge and life goes on, but it is different. It is not the same. So, in this period of time, we are bishop-less. I think we have to keep remembering that. I am an administrator. I am just a care taker."

Father Berger hopes to continue to minister to the people at the St. Peter State Hospital as well as maintain his pastoral ministry at the Church of St. Paul, Nicollet. But, he says time will tell.

"We have never been through this as a diocese. When our first Bishop retired, Bishop Lucker’s appointment was announced. We didn’t live through this kind of transition. We are going to have to grow into it and grow through it. Hopefully we will grow out of it rather quickly with the arrival of a new bishop."