Detroit — Other bishops, many of whom have served in the role of auxiliary bishop themselves, have advice for the Archdiocese of Detroit’s three new auxiliaries — Bishops Donald Hanchon, Michael Byrnes and José Arturo Cepeda.

Bishop John M. Quinn, a former Detroit auxiliary and now bishop of Winona, Minn., called the appointments “wonderful news — their appointments fill my heart with joy.”

“Bishop Byrnes is an excellent shepherd, with a heart for the priesthood, and he cares about forming other shepherds with a heart of Christ,” Bishop Quinn said. “And I’ve known Bishop Hanchon since we were in seminary — he has a great heart for the poor, for people of other cultures, and for being a shepherd to other people.”

He added that he taught Bishop Byrnes at the seminary.

“When I taught him, I saw in him a heart for the love of Christ,” Bishop Quinn continued. “The work he has done at the seminary has been outstanding.”

In his advice to all three new auxiliaries, he said, “Number one, trust in the Holy Spirit; two, intensify and deepen your prayer life; and the third thing, love the priests that you have the privilege to serve.”

Current Detroit Auxiliary Bishop Francis Reiss said, “What advice can I give the new auxiliary bishops? Jesus and John Paul II have said, ‘Do not be afraid.’ I think I am in good company if I offer the same encouragement to those whom Pope Benedict XVI has graciously given us as auxiliary bishops in the Archdiocese of Detroit.”

He said the three new bishops “take up their responsibilities, along with Archbishop (Allen) Vigneron, at a crucial time in our archdiocese’s history.”

“We are not only involved daily in the Eucharistic and evangelizing ministry of Jesus, but are involved in two major initiatives to assist the Gospel ministry — Together in Faith II and Changing Lives Together … and their results will be with us for years,” Bishop Reiss said.

And Bishop Reiss added, “I would like to suggest to our new bishops that every morning as they say a morning offering, they add a line that is something like, ‘and help me, Lord, to always remember that unworthy as I am, You have called me to be a successor to the Apostles.’”

Bishop Earl Boyea, a former Detroit auxiliary who is now bishop of Lansing, said, “The Archdiocese of Detroit is very blessed with three new auxiliary bishops.”

Referring to their seminary leadership backgrounds, he said, “Bishops Cepeda and Byrnes bring with them the great experience of forming our future priests. As bishops they will be responsible to assist Archbishop Vigneron in nourishing and guiding the priests of the Archdiocese of Detroit.”

Former Detroit auxiliary Bishop Daniel Flores of Brownsville, Texas, said, “The special grace attached to ordination to the episcopate is to understand and, strengthen and confirm the faith of the people you are called to serve.”

Most importantly, he said, auxiliary bishops are called to the work of “building up the communion of the whole archdiocese around the leadership of the archbishop.”

Bishop Flores said each one of the new bishops has his own special gifts and talents. “Bishop Hanchon has a special knowledge of the pastoral life of the archdiocese in both the English-speaking and Spanish-speaking communities.

“Mike (Byrnes), I’ve known him since we were in Rome together (studying at the North American College). He has a very practical and committed way about him for building up vocations,” Bishop Flores continued.

Regarding Bishop Cepeda, he said, “I knew him from Rome, too and as rector of the seminary in San Antonio. He is very compassionate and caring, and very well regarded by the seminarians.”

Bishop Flores said he had spoken to Bishop Cepeda after the announcement of his appointment: “I told him a great blessing was about to come into his life, and that he should allow himself to enjoy the many gifts that are already present in the community — not only in the Hispanic community but in the English community.”

Having worked with Bishop Cepeda before being transferred from the Archdiocese of San Antonio to become archbishop of Los Angeles, Archbishop José H. Gomez said, “The appointment of Fr. Cepeda gives me great joy, because he was a close and valuable collaborator in San Antonio …”

“The Holy Father is giving a good priest and a shepherd full of zeal and energy to the Church in Detroit. I am sure he will be missed in San Antonio, but as a bishop, he will serve a larger flock. Fr. Cepeda can count on my fervent prayers for his new pastoral duties,” Archbishop Gomez added.