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| Bishop William Higi receives tje Mother Maria Theresia Bonzel Award from Sister Jane Marie Klein. |
The award is
presented to a person whose service to our Franciscan Alliance health ministry
most clearly reflects the personal attributes of the Venerable Mother Maria
Theresia Bonzel, Foundress of the Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual
Adoration. Bishop Higi accepted the award from Sister Jane Marie Klein, Chair,
Board of Trustees for Franciscan Alliance.
The award
honors Bishop Higi for holding some of the personal qualities that
characterized Mother Maria Theresia Bonzel, including leadership, joyful
service, compassion, perseverance and acceptance of the will of God. Bishop
Higi is a servant leader, dedicated to the betterment of others. He walks
humbly in the service of others, his God, his Church, his Community and our
health care ministry.
Bishop Higi
well understands the importance of our health care ministry in the community.
He was instrumental in the merger between St. Elizabeth Hospital and Greater
Lafayette Health Services and the merger of both into Franciscan Alliance.
Bishop Higi
has been a loyal and steadfast supporter of our Congregation and health care
ministry for over 25 years. In the early 1970’s, he was instrumental in
re-establishing Perpetual Adoration in the St. Elizabeth chapel. Bishop Higi was born in Anderson, Ind., on
Aug. 29, 1933. He was ordained to the priesthood on May 30, 1959 and served as
associate pastor of Saint Bridget’s Church in Logansport for nine months before
being transferred to the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception,
where he served as associate for five years. He was named Secretary to Bishop
John Carberry in August 1962; Vice-Chancellor of the Diocese in 1965,
Chancellor in 1967 and Vicar General in 1979.
He also served
as pastor of Saint Augusta parish in Lake Village from June 1970 until his
ordination as Bishop of the Lafayette Diocese in June 1984.
Bishop Higi
joined with the management team and community leaders in the groundbreaking
ceremony for the new Franciscan St. Elizabeth Health – Lafayette East hospital
and led the dedication of the new facility.
One of the
roles of a Bishop is to be a defender of the faith. The Healthcare Ministry is certainly part of
the “Faith” that needs to be defended.
On more than one occasion, Bishop Higi assisted us in making sure that
the Sisters of St. Francis’ Health Ministry was supported and defended.
Even though
the office of Bishop is a very hectic and demanding job, Bishop Higi
exemplifies the beatitudes in his outreach to others. On many occasions he can
be seen walking the hospital halls and visiting the ill.
His entire
life has been dedicated to enriching the spiritual lives of his flock, to
caring for those less fortunate, to supporting education and health care
ministries, to guiding priests and providing a moral compass that we can all
follow.
The award
presented to Bishop Higi is a miniature version of a statue of Mother Maria
Theresia that is located in a sitting area in the midst of the apple orchard at
the Convent in Mishawaka. This is the sixth Mother Maria Theresia Bonzel
service award presented.
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About
Franciscan Alliance
A
trusted leader in providing faith-based, integrated health care, Franciscan
Alliance, whose mission is “Continuing Christ’s Ministry in our Franciscan
Tradition”, brings together the latest technology, innovative procedures and
the brightest, most compassionate people to serve our patients in Indiana,
Illinois and Michigan. Throughout our 13 hospitals and many medical practices,
we offer a number of nationally recognized Centers of Health Care Excellence.
For
more than 135 years, Franciscan Alliance has stayed true to our founding
mission to care for everyone who comes through our doors. We treat our patients
with the best possible care by following the guiding ethical values embodied by
our founding congregation, the Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration.
Always mindful of our faithfulness to the values and teachings of the Roman
Catholic Church, we minister with joy, care and compassion according to the
ideals of St. Francis of Assisi and our founder, Mother Maria Theresia
Bonzel. For
more information, please visit FranciscanAlliance.org.
