Bishop Barron coming to University of Mary

Some have characterized him as part Cardinal George and part Fulton Sheen. He’s the newly ordained Auxiliary Bishop of Los Angeles, Robert Barron—a unique, modern-day combination of two popular icons of Catholicism in America.

While studying for the priesthood at the Catholic University of America, Bishop Barron was a recipient of the prized Theodore Basselin Scholarship, which offers special training in preaching and philosophy. A more recent “Basselin Scholar” was Msgr. James Shea, president of the University of Mary.

Through this connection and at Msgr. Shea’s invitation, the tech-savvy Bishop Barron is sharing his dynamic message of evangelization on Wednesday, March 30, at 7:30 p.m., in the McDowell Activity Center (MAC) on the campus of the University of Mary . Also, at that time, Mary will bestow upon Barron the prestigious Lumen Vitae Medal, (Latin for “light of life”) which is given to those who are champions of Catholic education and who bring others closer to Christ and his Church. This event, which is free and open to the public, is preceded by an all-university Mass in the MAC beginning at 4:30 p.m.

Widely known throughout the world for his “Sheen-esque” Word on Fire Ministries, Barron is regarded as a social media star. He resonates with people of all ages through all mediums with his very popular online YouTube videos, articles, and commentaries on Scripture and popular culture, as well as his “Catholicism” TV series on PBS. As Barron described in a 2009 interview with the Catholic Herald of England, his mission is to spread “the rich artistic and intellectual tradition” of the Catholic faith, thus “evangelizing the culture.”

Pope Francis recently appointed Barron, along with three other priests, to the 5-million-member Archdiocese of Los Angeles in southern California—the largest in the United States. While his enormous popularity with the younger generation comes from his ingenious use of the camera and microphone, some of Barron’s greatest work isn’t necessarily seen on computer screens, but behind the scenes of many parishes across the country. As former rector of the prestigious Mundelein Seminary in Chicago—the largest in the United States—he’s the man behind many of today’s young, inspirational and newly ordained priests.

—Submitted information