Bp. Trautman in the news! (Fun.)

His Excellency Most Rev. Donald W. Trautman, Bishop of Erie, has for years been in the cross hairs here on WDTPRS… rather his ideas have been in the cross hairs… rather, his wrong ideas about liturgical translation have been.  Nevertheless, WDTPRS respects His Excellency for his tenacity.

But ad rem this comes from GoErie.com.  I love this story…

Erie’s Trautman gets bobblehead bishop
By DANA MASSING, Erie Times-News

Rudy, the Erie Zoo’s late, great gorilla, had one. So did former Gov. Tom Ridge, who maintains a home here.

Many of baseball’s biggest names and some presidents and celebrities have them, too.

Now Erie Catholic Bishop Donald W. Trautman is among those immortalized in miniature with a bobblehead.

Trautman said the likeness is “pretty close.”

He received his figure with the shaking noggin during an annual diocesan gathering for priests held around June 24, which was Trautman’s 75th birthday.

I was surprised,” he said.

He said he was given a box to open during a dinner and found the smiling bobblehead inside.

Each of the 13-county diocese’s priests also received one of the bobbleheads.

“It was a sign of special friendship, and I appreciate the gesture. … It was a very creative gift,” Trautman said.

The Rev. John Detisch, pastor of Erie’s Sacred Heart Catholic Church, was the priest responsible for the bobblehead. He was out of town Tuesday and couldn’t be reached for comment.

The bobblehead comes as Trautman prepares to end his tenure as bishop here. He sent his resignation letter to Pope Benedict XVI this year. Bishops are requested to submit their resignations when they turn 75.

The Vatican has yet to announce a new bishop for Erie. The process can take months or even years.

In the meantime, Trautman said, he’s keeping the gift of his new bobblehead on a bookcase in his downtown Erie residence.

Fun story.

I confess that I would like one.

Best wishes to His Excellency as he prepares for his retirement.

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Fr. Z is the guy who runs this blog. o{]:¬)
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16 Comments

  1. Jbuntin says:

    You would like one …of Bp. Trautman, or yourself?

  2. jkm210 says:

    I’m a librarian at a university, and recently had a meeting with a faculty member that has one of himself in his office, so I guess this is becoming somewhat common. You can have them made from photos : http://www.custombobbleheads.com, http://www.bobblemaker.com.

  3. TNCath says:

    I’m glad to see that His Excellency has a sense of humor! Perhaps all bishops should receive a bobblehead (and a sense of humor, for that matter). Perhaps the bobblehead will cause him to reflect on the way he celebrates Mass?

  4. When my daughter graduated from high school, the students received one of these of a much loved priest. It’s great and one of her prize possessions. She took it with her last year as a college freshman and I am certain will take it again this fall. These things are silly, yet somehow a very respectful way to remember someone. I wrote about it in a piece called Father Lopez.

  5. Liz says:

    That’s hysterical, Louie!

  6. wanda says:

    Jbuntin, Ha! LOL. Louie, that’s too funny! I can sense a gold star in your future. Great stuff, you all are too funny. Thanks for the lift to my day!

  7. Tina in Ashburn says:

    I seriously want the Pope Benedict bobblehead. I dunno, it just seems silly and fun, no disrespect intended. I’m glad retiring Bp Trautman has a sense of humor.

  8. Nathan says:

    Wouldn’t it be great to be able to find a complete set of episcopal bobble-heads? Having one of H.E. Card. Burke would give an all new meaning to someone saying “I have a bobble-head of one of the greatest of the St. Louis Cardinals.” Ideally, of course, the bobble head would be wearing Pontifical Red Sox.

    In Christ,

  9. Tantum Ergo says:

    Bobble, bobble, toil and trouble,
    The Latin Mass this brew will gobble!

    Eye of newt, the Fishwrap too,
    Conjures up our Liberal Stew.

    Bobble, bobble, toil and trouble,
    The Latin Mass this brew will gobble!

    The New Translation’s on the hit list
    Now add a femi-nun’s shaking fist.

  10. Centristian says:

    I’m left shaking my head.

  11. btb says:

    Another of life’s ineffable moments.

  12. thats awesome…thats hilarious…thats ineffable!

  13. contrarian says:

    I’d totally buy a Father Z bobblehead.
    People in the know: get on that! There are willing buyers!
    You could have him holding him up two pieces of paper, one that says Lame Duck ICEL and one that says WDTPRS? Or maybe a sign that says Say the Red Do the Black.
    Dunno. Just throwing out ideas.

  14. Cristero says:

    I’d get a bobblehead of you Father:

    http://www.herobuilders.com/bobbleheads.htm
    A bit pricey.
    Or maybe some Matryoshka Dolls of His Holiness Benedict XVI, Cardinal Canizares, Cardinal Burke, Bishop Bruskewitz, and then you, Father Zed.

  15. Tantum Ergo says:

    Father, do you remember when you solicited suggestions for a new name for your website?
    If you get a bobblehead in your honor, it could spark a pletheoa of ideas! (Uh-oh!)

  16. amsjj1002 says:

    I don’t care who’s depicted, I must be one of the few who finds those things scary! :-o

Comments are closed.