Paul Joseph Swain (September 12, 1943 – November 26, 2022) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the eighth bishop of the
Diocese of Sioux Falls
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Sioux Falls ( la, Dioecesis Siouxormensis) is a Roman Catholic diocese in the U.S. state of South Dakota. It comprises that part of South Dakota east of the Missouri River. It is a suffragan see of the Archdiocese ...
in South Dakota from 2006 to 2019.Bishop Paul J. Swain Diocese of Sioux Falls. /ref>
Biography
Early life
Paul Joseph Swain was born on September 12, 1943 in Newark, New York, to William and Gertrude (''née'' Mohr) Swain. He attended public schools in Newark and graduated from high school there in 1961. Swain then entered Ohio Northern University, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in history in 1965. In 1967, Swain was awarded a Master of Arts degree in political science from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
Following graduate school, Swain joined the United States Air Force as an intelligence officer. He served in the Vietnam War and received a Bronze Star. Swain was discharged from the Air Force in 1972. In 1974, Swain received a Juris Doctor from University of Wisconsin Law School. After working in private practice for a few years, he served as legal counsel and director of policy for Wisconsin Governor Lee Dreyfus from 1979 to 1983. After Dreyfus left office, Swain returned to private practice.
During his time with Dreyfus, Swain, a Methodist, became interested in the Catholic Church. He began reading about the church and attending mass. Swain was formally received into the Catholic Church in 1983 at Holy Redeemer Parish in Madison. Swain then attended
Blessed John XXIII National Seminary
Pope St. John XXIII National Seminary (formerly Blessed John XXIII National Seminary) is a Roman Catholic seminary in Weston, Massachusetts. It offers a graduate-level program designed for priesthood candidates aged 30 and above, often called ...
, earning a
Master of Divinity
For graduate-level theological institutions, the Master of Divinity (MDiv, ''magister divinitatis'' in Latin) is the first professional degree of the pastoral profession in North America. It is the most common academic degree in seminaries and divi ...
degree in 1988.
Priesthood
On May 27, 1988, Swain was ordained a priest for the
Diocese of Madison
The Diocese of Madison ( la, Diœcesis Madisonensis) is a Roman Catholic diocese in the U.S. State of Wisconsin. It comprises Columbia, Dane, Grant, Green, Green Lake, Iowa, Jefferson, Lafayette, Marquette, Rock, and Sauk counties. The area o ...
at the Cathedral of St. Raphael in Madison by Bishop Cletus O'Donnell. His first assignment was as associate pastor of Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary Parish in
Sun Prairie, Wisconsin
Sun Prairie is a city in Dane County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. A suburb of Madison, it is part of the Madison Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's population was 35,967 at the 2020 U.S. Census. It is the second-most populous city in Da ...
. He later served as pastor of St. Mary of Pine Bluff Parish in
Cross Plains, Wisconsin
Cross Plains is a village in Dane County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 4,104 at the 2020 census. The village is located partially within the Town of Cross Plains. It is part of the Madison Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History
...
and St. Bernard Parish in Middleton, Wisconsin.
Swain also served as assistant to the bishop, vice chancellor,
moderator of the curia
Moderator of the curia is a top administrative position held by a Catholic priest in a diocese under the supervision of the bishop. The moderator coordinates the exercise of the administrative duties and oversees the office holders, or curia, in ...
prelate of honor
A Prelate of Honour of His Holiness is a Catholic prelate to whom the Pope has granted this title of honour.
They are addressed as Monsignor and have certain privileges as regards clerical clothing. At the end of his tenure in the diocese, Swain was named rector of the Cathedral of St. Raphael and vicar general.
On March 14, 2005, while Swain was serving at the cathedral in Madison, it was torched by William Connell, a resident of Lodi, Wisconsin. Due to its damage, the cathedral was later demolished. In 2006, Swain met with Connell to offer him
forgiveness
Forgiveness, in a psychological sense, is the intentional and voluntary process by which one who may initially feel victimized or wronged, goes through a change in feelings and attitude regarding a given offender, and overcomes the impact of th ...
. Connell expressed great regret for his actions. Swain said at the time of the fire:
As soon as I learned it was arson, I just couldn't believe somebody would do that, unless the person were troubled, and so I never really had any bitterness. I honestly believe from other aspects of my life that God uses these moments that seem tragic to deepen our faith and to call us to be more profoundly who we are.Callison, Jill. "Wisconsin Priest appointed Bishop." (September 1, 2006), Argus Leader
Blessed John XXIII National Seminary
Pope St. John XXIII National Seminary (formerly Blessed John XXIII National Seminary) is a Roman Catholic seminary in Weston, Massachusetts. It offers a graduate-level program designed for priesthood candidates aged 30 and above, often called ...
and Saint Paul Seminary.
On March 25, 2019, Swain released a list of 11 priests from the diocese with "substantiated allegations" of child sexual abuse from the 1940's into the 1990's. Swain made this statement:
Victims of sexual abuse too often suffer in silence. Many have shared that they remain silent for fear they will not be believed. By identifying those clergy in our diocese who have had substantiated allegations made against them and providing an accounting of how these were handled over the years.
Retirement and death
On December 12, 2019, Pope Francis accepted Swain's resignation as bishop of the Diocese of Sioux Falls.
Swain died in hospice care in Sioux Falls, on November 26, 2022, at the age of 79.