Lawrence Sabatini, CS (born May 15, 1930) is an American retired bishop of the Catholic Church. Born and raised in Chicago, he felt a religious calling to join the priesthood during primary school. After completing school, he studied for the priesthood in Rome and joined the Scalabrinians upon returning to the United States. He was ordained a priest in 1957 and went on to teach at the institute's missions and the seminary on Staten Island for 11 years, before being sent to Canada in 1971.
Sabatini served as parish priest in North Vancouver until 1978, when he was appointed auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Vancouver and was consecrated that same year. Four years later, he was transferred to Kamloops after being chosen to be its ordinary. During his time there, Sabatini enthusiastically backed reconciliation with First Nations, as well as the provincial government's efforts to negotiate treaties with them. He resigned as bishop in 1999 and returned to his hometown of Chicago. At the request of the Archbishop of Chicago, he served as pastor of a previously Italian parish that had become overwhelmingly Hispanic due to a demographic shift. He has also authored several books during his retirement.
Early life
Sabatini was born in Chicago, Illinois, on May 15, 1930,[1] in the Santa Maria Addolorata Parish on the Northwest Side of the city.[4][5] Both his parents were Italian immigrants from Valbona, in the province of Lucca, Tuscany.[6] He has two brothers (Ralph and Joseph) and two sisters (Olga and Genevieve); both sisters predeceased him.[7] Sabatini felt a calling to the priesthood in grade four, when he was an altar server at his parish school, which was overseen by the Missionaries of St. Charles Borromeo (the Scalabrinians). He studied in Rome during the late 1950s and joined the Scalabrinians by the time he completed his studies and came back home.[3] On March 19, 1957, he was ordained to the priesthood.[1][8]
Presbyteral ministry
Sabatini's first assignment was to Staten Island in New York City. There, he was professor at St. Charles Seminary, teaching moral theology and canon law.[1] He also taught at missions run by the Scalabrinians from 1960 to 1972, where he worked with the "troubled youth" of the borough.[3] In September 1971, Sabatini was relocated to British Columbia, Canada,[3][9] and served as the third pastor of St. Stephen's Parish in North Vancouver.[9][10] He concurrently held three posts in the archdiocesan chancery.[1]
Sabatini was present at the 1984 and 1987 papal visits of Pope John Paul II.[18] He also attended the 44th International Eucharistic Congress held in Seoul, South Korea in October 1989,[18][19] and led a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.[18] On May 12, 1990, Sabatini ordained both Mark Hagemoen – who would later become bishop in 2013 – and Paul Than Bui as priests for the Archdiocese of Vancouver.[20][21] Normally, Carney would have been ordaining bishop under canon 1015, §2 of the 1983 Code of Canon Law,[22] but because he was ill with cancer at the time,[21][23] Sabatini ordained the two priests on his behalf.[21] When Carney died in September of that same year,[23] it was Sabatini who presided over his funeral Mass at Holy Rosary Cathedral. In the homily he delivered, Sabatini read from letters Carney wrote during the last days of his life addressed to the faithful in the Archdiocese.[24]
Retirement
After 16 years of serving as Bishop of Kamloops, Sabatini's resignation was accepted on September 2, 1999.[1] Subsequently, he returned to his hometown of Chicago and retreated from active ministry.[3][25] However, Francis George – the Archbishop of Chicago – asked him to become pastor of Holy Rosary Church, a formerly Italian parish on the Northwest Side (the area of Chicago he was born and raised). Before assuming the role on June 1, 2000, Sabatini visited Mexico, in order to gain a better understanding of the language and culture of the church's now predominantly Hispanic parishioners.[3] He celebrated the golden jubilee of his priestly ordination in March 2007,[3] and retired as parish priest the following year.[18]
Published books
Sabatini, Lawrence (2010). My Journey: Musings of a Missionary. Chelsea, Michigan. ISBN9780615346960.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
———————— (2010). Thoughts of a Retired Bishop: Talks from My Work and Life. Mary Brown. ISBN9780615418193.
———————— (2011). Mark the Lion: Sunday Homilettes – Year B. Mary Brown. ISBN9780615517490.
———————— (2012). Sacrament Most Holy, Sacrament Most Divine: Mystery of Faith. Mary Brown. ISBN9780615716060.
^Madlener, Dolores (February 13, 2011). "Church Clips". The Chicago Catholic. Archived from the original on April 23, 2020. Retrieved April 23, 2020. [H]e was born here in Santa Maria Addolorata Parish.
^"History". Chicago: Santa Maria Addolorata Parish. Archived from the original on August 27, 2018. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
^ ab"Pastors". North Vancouver: St. Stephen's Catholic Parish. September 6, 2011. Archived from the original on March 22, 2020. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
^"Historical Highlights". North Vancouver: St. Stephen's Catholic Parish. September 6, 2011. Archived from the original on March 22, 2020. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
^Todd, Douglas (January 5, 2002). "High-ranking city Catholic named bishop of Kamloops". Vancouver Sun. p. 28. Archived from the original on April 24, 2020. Retrieved April 23, 2020. Sabatini was known for his strong support of the B.C. government's treaty negotiation process with native Indians and for seeking reconciliation with natives over Canada's residential schools, most of which were run by Catholics.
^Todd, Douglas (September 21, 1990). "Carney 'stood with Pope'". Vancouver Sun. p. 23. Archived from the original on April 24, 2020. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
^"History". Sacred Heart Cathedral. Roman Catholic Diocese of Kamloops. Archived from the original on April 19, 2020. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
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