'He is wise, generous, humble, and caring,' says Archbishop Niederauer of Bishop John C. Wester

Intermountain Catholic

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Vested for the Feb. 20 Mass of Gratitude and Farewell for Bishop Wester, Archbishop George Niederauer enjoys the people dropping by the sacristy of Saint Mary of the Assumption Cathedral in San Francisco to trade stories. ?Bishop Wester's love for the church and her priests makes him a good shepherd anywhere,? the archbishop said. IC photo by Barbara S. Lee

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — The last weeks of February were emotional and busy for the people of the Archdiocese of San Francisco, as they celebrated the 31 years of service Bishop John Charles Wester has given them. Preparing for Bishop Wester’s leaving to become the ninth bishop of the Diocese of Salt Lake City created an air of sadness, but also one of great joy for the honor Bishop Wester is receiving.

"Bishop Wester is wise, generous, humble, and caring," said Archbishop George H. Niederauer. "He has a good sense of humor, and his love for the Catholic Church and her people would make him a good shepherd anywhere."

In a statement he wrote for Catholic San Francisco, the official newspaper of the archdiocese, Archbishop Niederauer wrote: "The appointment of San Francisco Auxiliary Bishop John Wester as ninth bishop of Salt Lake City is a double joy for me: the diocese I served for 11 years is welcoming a peerless priest and bishop, and my dear friend and coworker is soon to lead and serve a diocese of great vitality, a Catholic people who will welcome him with joy and warmth and genuine Christian love."

Archbishop Niederauer pointed out especially Bishop Wester’s experience in dealing with people of diversity and his work in and dedication to Catholic education.

"The Catholic schools in the Diocese of Salt Lake City are a growing system," he said. "They are exciting, and he will enjoy them."

The archbishop cited Bishop Wester’s "good political sense in the best use of the word," saying people of all religions will welcome the new bishop.

"He reads situations very well, and he’s done a lot of different things. As vicar for clergy, the priests have come to trust and love him, and that means a lot."

Archbishop Niederauer said he will miss Bishop Wester, whose playful sense of humor is a good match to his own.

"Bishop Wester has a healthy sense of the absurd," he said. "It will be very difficult to see him go, but God provides."

Describing Bishop Wester as a man who "sees the whole picture," and one "of deep spirituality," Archbishop Niederauer said in the year the two have worked together, "Bishop Wester has been a helpful support for me. I have always found the support of our regional bishops very helpful, and I think he will, too."

As chairman-elect of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Committee on Migration, Bishop Wester has been the source of many statements on the subjects of migration and refugees, Archbishop Niederauer said.

"He has addressed those issues and all issues with intelligence and sensitivity. People will find him easy to talk to."

Bishop Wester and his family were on the archbishop’s mind. The bishop’s mother, Helen, his brother, Barry, his two sisters, Nancy and Kathy, Kathy’s husband, Terry O’Sullivan, and four of Bishop Wester’s nine nieces and nephews were seated in the front row at the Mass of Gratitude and Farewell for Bishop Wester in the cathedral Feb. 20.

"He has a lot of family support, but it can’t be easy to leave a place after living there for 56 years. I’m sure there will be many visits as he introduces his family to Utah’s beautiful parks, skiing, snow-boarding, mountain biking, and hiking. I’m sure he’ll miss the people of San Francisco."

Archbishop Niederauer gave Bishop Wester a copy of Bernice Maher Mooney’s, "Salt of the Earth: The History of the Catholic Diocese in Utah 1776-1987." It was one of the last books to be packed for the move to Utah.

As vicar for clergy, Bishop Wester has been deeply involved in the archdiocese’s handling of the clergy sex abuse scandal. Archbishop Niederauer said Bishop Wester proved to be a friend to both victims and priests.

"He assisted Archbishop Leveda from 2002 onward, and he dealt with the archdiocese in terms of their application of the ‘Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.’ His outreach has been very effective."

Bishop Wester, the archbishop said, will be a tremendous asset to the Diocese of Salt Lake City, dedicating his energy and his many gifts to the mission diocese that is still seeing new Catholic communities crop up and mission churches being built.

"Bishop Wester has touched so many people with his deep faith, his loving heart, and his strong witness," Archbishop Niederaur said. "I’m not sure there’s any such person as the ‘perfect fit’ for the Diocese of Salt Lake City or the Diocese of Boise, or any other diocese. But Bishop Wester would be pretty close to perfect no matter where he serves."