Changing of the Guard in Chicago

George Murry was an auxiliary bishop in the Archdiocese of Chicago when Joseph Cardinal Bernardin died and was succeeded by then Archbishop Francis George. The Register asked him about the transition he had to work with.

Was it difficult in the archdiocesan offices after the cardinal was gone?

We were blessed in Chicago to have Francis Cardinal George to follow Cardinal Bernardin. A man of deep faith, a man of a lot of experience not only in the United States but all around the world, and a man of unbelievable energy. I made a remark one day that he had more energy than all of his auxiliary bishops combined and I think it is true. The thing I learned from Cardinal George was a sense of confidence — a confidence in the mission of the Church, confidence that the gospel is being preached and that the kingdom of God is overtaking us. He again was a wonderful person to work with. A person who would listen, a person with whom you could exchange ideas, a person who asked a lot of questions, and a person who would put himself into the task before him and give it everything that he had. I think Chicago has been blessed with its archbishops. I had the honor to work with two of them and I learned a lot from both of them and valued the time that I had with both of them.

—Raymond de Souza