Former Auxiliary Bishop Roger Morin, Third Bishop of Biloxi, Dies at 78

The Diocese of Biloxi announced this afternoon that Bishop Roger Paul Morin, third bishop of Biloxi and former Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, died today. He was 78. According to officials in Biloxi, Bishop Morin was returning to the area after vacationing with his family in Massachusetts and passed away during his return trip from Boston to Atlanta.

“It is with great sadness that I learned of the death of Bishop Roger Morin,” said New Orleans Archbishop Gregory Aymond. “Bishop Morin served the Archdiocese of New Orleans faithfully for many years as a priest and then as a bishop before going to lead the Diocese of Biloxi. He had a special place in his heart for the poor and vulnerable and was instrumental in assisting Archbishop Hannan with building the Catholic social service ministries in our archdiocese as we know them today. He was also Archbishop Hannan’s lead representative in planning for the 1987 visit of Pope John Paul II to New Orleans. We receive this news with a heavy heart but entrust him to the Lord. Please keep Bishop Morin, his family, and all those who mourn him in your prayers.” Eternal rest grant onto him our Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul and the souls of all the faithfully departed rest in peace.

A native of Dracut, Mass., he was born on March 7, 1941, the son of Germain J. and Lillian E. Morin.  He has one brother: Paul; and three sisters: Lillian “Pat” Johnson, Elaine (Ray) Joncas and Susan Spellissy. His parents and his brother James are deceased.

After high school and college studies, he earned a bachelor’s in philosophy in 1966 from St. John’s Seminary in Brighton, Mass., and continued theology studies at St. John’s for two years of graduate school. In 1967 he went to New Orleans to work in its new summer Witness program, conducted by the archdiocesan Social Apostolate.

When he returned to New Orleans in 1968, he became director of The Center, a neighborhood social service organization run by the Social Apostolate. He enrolled at Notre Dame Seminary, studying in the evenings and on Saturdays in addition to his full time position at The Center. Bishop Morin has a M.Div., Theology from Notre Dame Seminary.

He was ordained to the priesthood by Archbishop Hannan on April 15, 1971, in his home parish of St. Therese in Dracut, Mass. His first parish assignment was at St. Henry Parish in New Orleans. In 1973, he was appointed associate director of the Social Apostolate and in 1975 became the director, responsible for the operation of nine year-round social service centers sponsored by the archdiocese. He was in residence at Incarnate Word Parish beginning in 1981 and served as pastor there from 1988 through April 2002. Bishop Morin is the Founding President of Second Harvest Food Bank.

In 1978, he was a volunteer member of Mayor Ernest “Dutch” Morial’s transition team dealing with federal programs and then accepted a $1 a year position as deputy special assistant to the mayor for federal programs and projects. He served the city of New Orleans until 1981, when he was appointed archdiocesan 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.

One of the highlights of his priesthood came in 1987 when he directed the archdiocese’s preparations for Saint Pope John Paul II’s historic visit to New Orleans. The visit involved thousands of community volunteers and coordination among national, state and local religious and political leaders. He also coordinated the events of the bicentennial of the archdiocese in 1993. In 1995, Bishop Morin received the Weiss Brotherhood Award presented by the National Conference of Christians and Jews for his service in the field of human relations.

Bishop Morin was appointed by Pope John Paul II as Auxiliary Bishop of New Orleans on February 11, 2003, and his Episcopal ordination was on April 22, 2003. He served as Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia for the Archdiocese of New Orleans 2001-2009. Bishop Morin was named Bishop of Biloxi by Pope Benedict XVI on March 2, 2009. Bishop Morin’s episcopal motto is “Walk Humbly and Act Justly.”

Bishop Morin was a member of the USCCB’s Subcommittee on the Catholic Campaign for Human Development 2005-2013, and served as Chairman 2008-2010. During that time, he also served as a member of the Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development and the Committee for National Collections. In 2011, Bishop Morin received the Sister Margaret Cafferty Development of People Award from the United  States Conference of Catholic Bishops for his work with the Catholic Campaign for Human Development.   Bishop Morin serves on the Jesuit Social Research Institute Board, Loyola University, New Orleans.

Upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75 on March 7, 2016, Bishop Morin submitted his letter of resignation to Pope Francis. The Holy Father accepted his resignation on December 16, 2016.