| The Most Reverend John George Vlazny |
|
|---|---|
| Archbishop of Portland in Oregon | |
| See | Portland in Oregon |
| Enthroned | December 19, 1997 |
| Predecessor | Francis George |
| Successor | incumbent |
| Other posts | Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago (1983-1987) Bishop of Winona (1987-1997) |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | December 20, 1961 |
| Consecration | December 13, 1983 |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 22, 1937 Chicago, Illinois |
| Styles of John George Vlazny |
|
|---|---|
| Reference style | The Most Reverend |
| Spoken style | Your Excellency |
| Religious style | Archbishop |
| Posthumous style | not applicable |
John George Vlazny (born February 22, 1937) is an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He is the tenth and current Archbishop of Portland in Oregon, serving since 1997.[1] He previously served as Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago (1983-1987) and Bishop of Winona (1987-1997).[2]
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John Vlazny was born in Chicago, Illinois, to John and Marie (née Brezina) Vlazny, who were of Czech ancestry.[3] His father was originally married to the sister of Vlazny's mother, Hattie Brezina, who died when their daughter, Marcella, was 13.[4] In addition to his half-sister, he has a younger sister, Marion.[5] His father, who died from cancer when Vlazny was 18, owned a pharmacy at a three-story building at the corner of 18th and Throop Streets.[4]
Vlazny received his early education at the parochial school of St. Gall Church.[6] After attending Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary, he studied at St. Mary of the Lake Seminary in Mundelein, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1958.[6] He continued his studies in Rome, where he attended the Pontifical North American College and the Pontifical Gregorian University.[1] He there earned a Bachelor of Sacred Theology in 1960 and a Licentiate of Sacred Theology in 1962.[7]
On December 20, 1961, Vlazny was ordained to the priesthood by Archbishop Martin J. O'Connor at St. Peter's Basilica.[2] He was ordained alongside his fellow American, William Levada, who would become a cardinal and prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.[5] Following his return to the United States, he served on the faculty of Quigley Preparatory North, later Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary, in Chicago from 1963 to 1979.[1] He was also Dean of Studies at Quigley North from 1969 to 1979.[7]
In addition to his academic duties, Vlazny served as an associate pastor at St. Paul of the Cross Church in Park Ridge from 1962 to 1963.[5] He then served at St. Clement Church in Lincoln Park from 1963 to 1968, and earned a Master of Arts degree in the Classics from the University of Michigan in 1967.[3] He became an associate pastor at St. Aloysius Church in Humboldt Park in 1968, and served as its pastor from 1979 to 1981.[5] In 1972, he earned a Master of Education degree in School Administration from Loyola University Chicago.[1]
From 1976 to 1977, he was president of the Presbyteral Senate for the Archdiocese of Chicago.[7] He was also a diocesan consultor and member of the Diocesan Clergy Personnel Board.[6] He served as rector of Niles College Seminary from 1981 to 1983.[3]
On October 18, 1983, Vlazny was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago and Titular Bishop of Stagnum by Pope John Paul II.[2] He received his episcopal consecration on the following December 13 from Cardinal Joseph Bernardin, with Bishops Alfred Abramowicz and Nevin Hayes, O. Carm., serving as co-consecrators, at Holy Name Cathedral.[2] He took as his episcopal motto: "Go and Make Disciples" (Matthew 28:19).[8]
As an auxiliary bishop, he served as Episcopal Vicar for Lake County and northwestern suburban Cook County.[7] He also worked closely with the Office of the Hispanic Apostolate.[6]
On May 19, 1987, Vlazny was appointed the sixth Bishop of Winona, Minnesota.[2] He succeeded Bishop Loras Watters, who had retired, as the spiritual leader of Catholics in southern Minnesota. He was installed on the following July 29.[2]
During his tenure, Vlazny increased the involvement of the laity, decentralized the diocesan staff, and created the Offices of Youth and Family Life.[5] He also started the tradition of the "Harvest Mass," an annual outdoor liturgy celebrated on a farm in the diocese. As a member of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, he was elected chairman of the Committee on Evangelization in 1993.[7] In 1994, he asked Catholics to consider ending gambling as a source of revenue for parishes and schools.[5]
On October 28, 1997, Vlazny was appointed the tenth Archbishop of Portland in Oregon.[2] Installed on the following December 19, he succeeded Archbishop Francis George, who had been named to the Archdiocese of Chicago.[1]
An opponent of assisted suicide, Vlazny supported the unsuccessful repeal of the Oregon Death with Dignity Act, saying, "Many have expressed a dread about what will happen when the power over life and death may be put into the hands of a society that is driven by economics, expedience and efficiency, a society that flees from suffering, weakness or limitations of any kind."[5] In 1998, when the first legal assisted suicide occurred in Oregon, Vlazny declared that the death "can only bring anguish to those who have resisted the public policy initiatives that changed the law in Oregon."[9]
During the 2004 presidential election, Vlazny said Catholic politicians who supported abortion rights, like Democratic nominee John Kerry, should refrain from receiving Communion.[5]
In July 2004, the Archdiocese of Portland became the first American Catholic diocese to file Chapter 11 bankruptcy in response to the Catholic sex abuse cases.[10][11] Vlazny described his actions by saying, "This is not an effort to avoid responsibility. It is, in fact, the only way I can assure that other claimants can be offered fair compensation."[10]