04.21.2009 12:24 pm
Five things you didn’t know about St. Louis’s new archbishop
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
St. Louis Archbishop-elect Robert Carlson addresses the media Tuesday morning.
Some things you didn’t know about St. Louis Archbishop-elect Robert Carlson, whose appointment was announced this morning by the Vatican:
- By the time he was 16-years-old he’d lived in 13 different houses.
- He traveled to St. Louis for 1999’s papal visit, but couldn’t get tickets to Pope John Paul II’s Mass at the Cathedral Basilica.
- Former St. Louis Archbishop John May got him tickets to the 1987 World Series between the Cardinals and the Twins when Carlson was an auxiliary bishop of St. Paul-Minneapolis.
- He’s interested and involved in ecumenical efforts.
- As of today, he’s a Cardinals fan. “I know exactly which side of my bread is buttered,” he told the Post-Dispatch after his first press conference. “Though I may have to go to confession for having booed them in the past when they’ve come up to Minnesota.”
Tim Townsend has been the religion reporter at the Post-Dispatch since June 2004. He previously covered personal finance and consumer news for The Wall Street Journal. He holds master's degrees from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and Yale Divinity School. In 2005 he won the Templeton Religion Reporter of the Year Award, given by the Religion Newswriters Association. 
What I want to know is whether he will continue Burke’s obsession with abortion to the exclusion (truly, to the outright detriment) of all other issues, and whether he will continue to use Communion as a weapon to enforce obedience to a certain political point of view. I really couldn’t care less which baseball team he roots for.
Why don’t they announce when the baptists, or lutherans or any other denomination gets a new preacher or minister or a regional director? It’s like Catholics are the only ones that count. I just wish other denominations received attention like this. i have nothing against coverage of catholics but what about the rest?
Thank you Jesus for what looks to be a great Archbishop.
He likes baseball, seems ok to me!!!
Perhaps our prayers have been answered for a shepherd rather than a sheriff.
2. Pope John Paul II did not say Mass at the Cathedral Basilica, but instead held an evening prayer service there during his 1999 visit. He did say Mass at the Edward Jones Dome in downtown St. Louis and attend a Youth Rally at the Scottrade Center
Why is it that when a new lutheran or baptist minister or preacher arrives is that not news? What about when a protestant minister is installed as a director over a region is that not news? Why is it the Catholics get all the headlines? I don’t mind them getting headlines, but why does the media deem them the most important religion? It just seems fair to cover all denominations and I am glad that the have a new archbishop.
Dear Baffled, I believe catholics get a lot of press here because this is a historically catholic city. Obviously, it was named after a catholic saint, and founded by French catholic explorers such as Pierre Laclede. Catholic immigrants felt more welcome here than in other cities that were historically protestant, and resisted catholicism. Hope that helps. Peace to you.
“Welcome your bishop, as you would the parent of your own soul.” ~St. Jerome
Here we go again, this is a joyous and wonderful event in the lives of all Catholics. Now please those who rather hate instead of embrace the news move on to an article that needs attention. I pretty sure that you can find something constructive to say to the teenage violence (pizza robbery or the stabbing at the local school) those are issues you can make a difference. The faith of the Roman Catholics is very strong and living in our souls. We believe in our faith and we are not conformed to a PC world. So if you don’t like the faith and don’t agree please feel free to find a religion that fits your life style.
In other words it’s a free world find God in any way you want but do not throw the 1st stone at those who believe in the Holy Trinity, Ok done with my rant here!
Welcome and bless you our new Bishop, May God bless your years here in the wonderful city of Saint Louis.
As an evangelical, orthodox Protestant Christian, I hope the new archbishop is as strong as Burke was on abortion because it is a teaching that goes back to the first century Christians who lived in the midst of paganism where the pagans killed not only the unborn but the newly born.
No just or civilized society can tolerate the mass murders of the weakest and most vulnerable.
Kudos, Tim on writing a beautifully-neutral, informative, and interesting article on our new archbishop. Just as November 2008 swept out the old, ugly rightwing ideology in the presidency, we can hope that our new archbishop will sweep away the misogynistic, patriarchial, right wing fundamentalistic practices of the former archbishop. I pray that our new archbishop will truly embrace the ecumenism of the great Pope John 23rd and move away from the extremism of the religious right in the church universal. Bless him and bless us all!
I had dinner with him in Rome (because we didn’t want to walk to the Coliseum) in 2000 during the youth Jubilee celebrations. He was a fun, and very funny, guy. Congrats St. Louis, a nice Archbishop.