Retired Bishop William Higi of Lafayette-in-Indiana dies at age 91

ROME (CNS) -- Retired Bishop William L. Higi, who was the fifth bishop of the Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana, died Jan. 3 at the age of 91.

According to a diocesan statement, Bishop Higi "died peacefully in his room" at St. Anthony Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Lafayette at approximately 2:20 a.m.

"The Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana has been blessed tremendously with his dedication to serving and leading the people of the diocese and beyond -- a true shepherd of Christ," the diocese said. "He was a priest of Jesus Christ for 65 years."

The funeral Mass for Bishop Higi will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Jan. 10 at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception in Lafayette. Reception of the bishop's body will take place at the cathedral at 10 a.m. Jan. 9, followed by several hours of visitation that will conclude with evening prayer. Visitation will resume at 9 a.m. before the funeral.

Born in Anderson, Indiana, in 1933, the future bishop was ordained a priest in 1959 at Lafayette's Cathedral of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception. He was appointed secretary to then-Bishop John J. Carberry just three years later, and then went on to serve as the diocese's vice chancellor and then chancellor.

In 1979, he was appointed the diocesan vicar general, and was elected as administrator of the diocese in 1984 following the tragic death of Bishop George A. Fulcher in a car accident, just months after his appointment.

In a 2010 radio interview, Bishop Higi admitted that he had been reluctant to accept his episcopal appointment, saying, "I didn't think that I had what it took."

However, he said, "I was reminded that when I was ordained a priest, I had made a promise of obedience. I had, in effect, pledged that I would accept whatever I was asked to do for the good of the Church as discerned by my superiors."

His episcopal ordination and installation took place in 1984. Bishop Higi retired in 2010 in accord with canon law, which stipulates that all bishops must submit their resignations to the pope upon reaching the age of 75.

In the 2010 radio interview, Bishop Higi reflected on his long-running ministry, noting that the diocese had been created when he was just 11 years old, following the elevation of what was then the Diocese of Indianapolis to an archdiocese.

Among the highlights of his episcopal ministry, he said, was the "tremendous privilege" of ordaining men to the priesthood.

He recalled his four "ad limina" visits -- during which bishops travel to Rome to meet with the pope and other Vatican officials -- as "a fantastic experience."

"I never dreamed that when I was ordained a priest that I would be walking the halls of the Vatican or celebrating Mass at the tombs of (Sts.) Peter and Paul," he said. "And certainly, I never dreamed that I would ever have a private visit with the Holy Father."

Bishop Higi said he drew strength from the support of Archbishop Daniel M. Buechlein of Indianapolis (who died in 2018) when The Indianapolis Star published an exposé of clerical sexual abuse in the Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana.

"It was a very painful time. And it turned out to be a blessing in disguise to me because it awakened me to the issue rather early on," said Bishop Higi in the 2010 interview. "We then took steps to put us on the cutting edge, well ahead of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People)," the U.S. Catholic bishops' norms, adopted in 2002, for handling abuse by clergy.

During the interview, he also noted that the "the church is a living organism," and that the Second Vatican Council had helped shift the Mass "from private prayer to communal prayer," with laity now "very highly involved in all aspects of the church."

Bishop Higi said among his concerns for his pastoral area was the economic health of the region, which had declined as a former stronghold of the nation's automobile industry. He also stressed the need for catechesis, priestly vocations and ministry to Hispanics and "an aging population," with increased life expectancy "one of the most revolutionary events of my lifetime."

As he prepared to leave the diocese in the hands of his successor, current Bishop Timothy L. Doherty, "I have great optimism for the future," said Bishop Higi.

Although he had initially struggled with accepting his episcopal appointment, Bishop Higi said, "I've come, over the 26 years, to believe that God really was calling me to this position. And a person does his best and the rest is in the hands of God."