Roger Morin looks back on years as priest, bishop

He's retiring, but Bishop Roger Morin won't disappear from the Mississippi Coast.

Morin, who turns 75 on Monday, is following the Code of Canon Law and sending a letter of resignation on that day.

"It's a matter of protocol," he said. "Retirement is effective at 75. The bishop is requested by the Holy Father to turn in his resignation, is how it's put."

Morin, the bishop of Biloxi, was installed April 27, 2009, at the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Cathedral in Biloxi. He came to the Coast from New Orleans, where he was named vicar general and moderator of the curia in the New Orleans Archdiocese in 2001.

He grew up in Dracut, Mass., a suburb of Lowell. His journey to the priesthood, he said, "was not a simple path." His first thoughts of the vocation, he said, probably came when was a student in the small parochial school in the basement of the church in his home parish of St. Therese.

"When I was 8 or 9 years old, I became an altar server and served at morning Mass. That was in the days when you had to fast before the Eucharist," he said. "So I would be an altar server, go home, have breakfast, then run back to school."

His first role models were the parish priests, Morin said. As a student in public high school, the guidance counselor advised him to consider his future vocation, and that's when he began thinking about attending seminary. But in his senior year, he became active in his class and told the guidance counselor he had changed his mind. Teaching was more appealing at that point. While he was pursuing a degree with a major in English, he worked part-time at a drugstore.

"The pharmacist said, 'You'd be good at this,' so then I went to the college of pharmacy," Morin said, then gave a rueful smile. "But there was too much science, especially chemistry."

Seminary again entered his mind. He earned a bachelor's degree in philosophy from St. John's Seminary in Brighton, Mass., and continued theology studies there for two years of graduate school.

Not a simple path

"The call was difficult to discern," he said. "You can't take it lightly."

"I went to work in inner-city programs in New Orleans," he said. After some time in Boston, "I still wanted to go back to New Orleans," so he went to work for Archbishop Joseph Hannan as director of The Center, a neighborhood social-service organization run by the Social Apostolate.

"I finished my studies, and the archbishop said, 'You can be ordained now,'" he said. Morin was ordained to the priesthood by Hannan in 1971, in his home parish in Massachusetts. A master's degree in urban studies from Tulane in New Orleans proved valuable for his roles as associate director, then director, of the Social Apostolate in New Orleans, then deputy special assistant to Mayor Ernest "Dutch" Morial for federal programs and projects. In 1981, he was appointed archdiocesan vicar for community affairs.

In 1981, he assumed the full-time position of vicar for community affairs, with responsibility over nine agencies: Catholic Charities, Social Apostolate, human relations, alcoholics' ministry, Apostleship of the Sea, cemeteries, disaster relief, hospitals and prisons. He was named a monsignor by Pope John Paul II in 1985, according to the Catholic Diocese of Biloxi.

Memorable moments

One of his most memorable events was in 1987, when Pope John Paul visited New Orleans and Morin directed the archdiocese's preparations. He wears the pectoral cross the pope presented him, which has John Paul's coat of arms on the back of the cross.

Another unforgettable time was the aftermath of 2005's Hurricane Katrina. Morin did not leave New Orleans before the storm, but a few days after the devastating hurricane, mandatory evacuations were ordered for his neighborhood. He packed only an overnight bag and went to Baton Rouge. There, an acquaintance told him, "CNN is showing your house is going up in flames."

Returning to New Orleans with only what he had packed, Morin continued to do his work with social programs in the city. Then he found out he was coming to Biloxi. He was torn.

"The Holy Father wants you to go to Biloxi," the archbishop said.

"We have so much to do here," Morin replied.

Morin, smiling, repeated what the archbishop said to him in a soothing, patient voice.

"Yes, we know this. What you have is good experience. Now, you will make the announcement."

Future unclear

Morin will turn in his resignation letter as required, but when the retirement goes into effect will depend on when the Vatican accepts the letter. That can be up to a year.

In the meantime, he will continue his regular duties. What happens when the letter is approved? He plans to remain on the Coast, but his activity within the parish will depend on the wishes of the incoming bishop.

"What am I going to do? It's up to the new bishop, how much he wants you to do," Morin said. "Where am I going? I'm not going anywhere! New Orleans, New England? I am at home here, so there's no reason to pack up and leave. I'll have more time to travel and visit friends and family."

Taste for Southern life

Morin has acquired a taste -- literally -- of the Southern life. As bishop, he has been a part of parishioners lives' for years, attending events and ceremonies, and often those events include food.

"It's Southern style, what you call a covered-dish supper, and nine times out of 10, the food is done by parishioners, and that is bad for the bishop," he said with a smile. "Everybody wants you to have a taste of what they brought.

"Chicken and chocolate," he added. "They know me. They will say, 'Bishop, we will have this chicken dish, and oh, the dessert. It's chocolate."

Morin admits he's very comfortable by himself.

"I think I'm really an introvert," he said. "Being with the people is uplifting, what lifts you up. But I really enjoy just being at home. I'm a Crock-Pot cooker. I'm quite content to stay home with a book and a bowl of soup."

St. Margaritaville?

One of six children, he still has siblings who live in the Dracut area, but after two parishes combined, their old church's name has changed.

"It's now St. Marguerite d'Youville Parish," Morin said. "It's very appropriate; Marguerite d'Youville is the first native-born Canadian to be named a saint, and the area has many French Canadians. But people hear the name and say, 'The parish is St. Margaritaville?'"

This story was originally published March 4, 2016 at 8:38 PM with the headline "Roger Morin looks back on years as priest, bishop ."