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The people of Utah – not just Catholics – will genuinely miss Bishop George Niederauer as he leaves the state to become Archbishop of San Francisco.
During his ten years as Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake, he has won the enduring love of those he served pastorally, along with the respect and admiration of people of all faiths.
It has been a decade of unprecedented growth for the Catholic Church in Utah – from a counted membership of 75,000 to more than 200,000 today. Bishop Niederauer oversaw the creation of five new parishes and a number of missions. As well on his watch, Catholic education expanded dramatically.
Beyond the church, though, Bishop Niederauer will be remembered for building bridges of understanding. His kindly disposition and optimistic demeanor, along with keen intellectual abilities helped bring people together in the search for common ground. The broader community, without doubt, has been blessed by his civic involvement.
For similar reasons, he will be, as one fellow Priest observed, “a gift to the people of San Francisco.”
KSL joins the community in thanking Bishop Niederauer for the many positive things he accomplished during his time among us. And we wish him well as he assumes his new duties on the West Coast.
