Those who have served with Bishop-elect Michael Izen at the parishes and schools he has ministered to as a priest recall his attentiveness to people’s needs and the love of Christ he strove to bring into every situation.
Pastor of the Churches of St. Michael and St. Mary in Stillwater the past seven years, as well as parochial administrator of St. Charles in Bayport and canonical administrator of St. Croix Catholic School, the bishop-elect served at three other parishes since his priestly ordination in 2005.
St. Raphael, Crystal, 2012-2015
When Bishop-elect Izen was assigned to St. Raphael in Crystal he followed the ministry and sudden death in June 2011 of Father Richad Hogan, the pastor, a loss that left parishioners reeling.
“We were a parish that had lost its way a little bit,” said Dave Johnson, who has taught physical education, science and health during his 46 years at the parish school. When Bishop-elect Izen arrived, Johnson was teaching physical education and serving as athletic director.
“Father Izen got us back on our feet” with all eyes on the Lord, Johnson said. He recalled Bishop-elect Izen’s Masses as “so prayerful” that “you felt you were right up on the altar with him.” His homilies were “powerful, profound and impactful,” giving content “that you could work on all week,” he said.
“Every Mass he celebrated, it just felt like his first Mass,” Johnson said. He recalled teachers taking notes during his homilies so they could bring his thoughts and words back to the classroom.
At school, Bishop-elect Izen moved from table to table in the lunchroom, each filled with about 20 children, Johnson said. “He was alive and fully present, just like with our Lord, when the crowds would come and just wanted to be with him, around him and listen to him,” he said.
After school, the bishop-elect attended students’ games because he wanted them to know he loved all parts of their lives, not just when they were in church, Johnson said.
It was difficult when Bishop-elect Izen was reassigned, called by the archdiocese to serve the Stillwater-area parishes, Johnson said. The bishop-elect told him they would always be connected, that “we’re always going to be in each other’s hearts,” he said.
“When Father Izen was here, he touched hearts, he changed lives and then he would move on,” Johnson said. “We saw him as our pastor, as the light of the Lord, the light of Christ. His light shined into others’ hearts by saying people’s names,” he said.
St. Timothy, Maple Lake, 2007-2012
Bob Donnett, 50, has been a member of St. Timothy since 2004 and a member of the school board for the past 15 years. He and his wife have 10 children, and the Donnett clan attends St. Timothy School.
Donnett recalled Bishop-elect Izen as pastor being “over and above supportive of the parish school.” When he arrived, the school served children in grades K-6. “He helped broker and get things in place to add on 7th and 8th grades to the school, which has been highly successful,” Donnett said. “He’s a big believer in strong, authentic Catholic education, which is awesome,” Donnett said. “As a parent, it’s just refreshing.”
The bishop-elect took his priestly duties seriously, but he did so with “such a joy” that left an impression on children and parents, Donnett said. “They see that, and you have the ability to make an immediate connection with that gift.”
Bishop-elect Izen has “plenty of intellectual horsepower” and took matters of faith seriously, he said. But he immediately pointed toward the happiness that faith can bring “and put the teachings in light of that.”
Loyal to the magisterium, Bishop-elect Izen explained things clearly, but it was always in a framework of being joyful, Donnett said. “God loves you, God wants you to be happy,” he said. “God wants you to be happy just like a father wants his kids to be happy. And sometimes he has to tell what you can do, but don’t treat it like a bunch of rules. Treat it like, ‘here’s a guideline to be happy,’” he said.
A conversation with Bishop-elect Izen left people “feeling better about the Church, where you’re at and how much God loved you,” Donnett said. “And I think that was a pretty cool way to be a pastor.”
Another gift Donnett appreciates is the way Bishop-elect Izen handles confession, as a “remarkably gentle and patient man.”
“He always had insight and was encouraging in such a way that (said), ‘don’t give up, keep going, God loves you, don’t give up (the) good fight,’” Donnett said. That’s an important message for the faithful to hear, he said.
Many people don’t take advantage of frequent confession, Donnett said, “but he made the experience make you want to go back.” Confession is humbling but Bishop-elect Izen also encouraged him in his faith, Donnett said.
As with many people who knew Bishop-elect Izen, Donnett recalled the bishop-elect’s gift with remembering names. He does so because it says, “I care about you as an individual,” Donnett said.
Peggy Marquette said she has taught first grade for 25 years at St. Timothy, which has about 160 students in preschool through eighth grade. Marquette recalled how much the children enjoyed interacting with Bishop-elect Izen, whether at lunch, recess or the occasional field trip. For example, he traveled to an environmental camp for sixth graders each year to preside at Mass.
Bishop-elect Izen started a program at the school that involved students writing letters to seminarians, Marquette said. “That’s something we continue today,” she said. The bishop-elect spoke to the children in classrooms and asked that the children pray for the seminarians and write letters throughout the year. One of those seminarians today is Marquette’s son, Alex.
Divine Mercy, Faribault, 2005-2007
Divine Mercy has had its share of role models over the years, and Bishop-elect Izen is one of them, said Regina Ashley, who joined Divine Mercy School as a teacher 34 years ago and accepted the post of principal 11 years ago. The list of role models includes Bishop Andrew Cozzens, bishop of the Diocese of Crookston, who was a parochial vicar at the parish, as was Bishop Joseph Williams, now auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.
Bishop Donald DeGrood of the Diocese of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, grew up on a farm outside Faribault and “came all the way through our school system,” Ashley said. “I really do feel we’ve been blessed in a lot of ways.”
During his ministry as parochial vicar at Divine Mercy, Bishop-elect Izen had an impact on her grade school students. He has “lots of energy,” and a friendly and outgoing nature that showed itself in many ways, Ashley said, including playing kickball and other outdoor games with students on the playground. He will bring many gifts to his new role, including connecting with people, listening and relating to them, she said.
“He certainly understands the importance of Catholic education and how that plays into our Church as a whole,” Ashley said. As someone who has dedicated decades of her own life to that work, “that’s important to me,” she said.
