5 years later: Bishop Ken remembered

SAGINAW - Bishop Robert J. Carlson and more than 200 diocesan priests and lay men and women gathered with members of Bishop Kenneth E. Untener's family to honor the diocese's former chief shepherd and celebrate the fifth anniversary of his funeral with a special noon Mass at the Cathedral of Mary of the Assumption.

"We read in Pastores Gregis that the bishop is compelled to live like Christ. It is a complete giving of self for the flock committed to his care and it is an expression of pastoral charity: It is a 'being with Christ' in the daily gift of self exercised in his ministry of evangelization, liturgical presidency and leadership in the community," Bishop Carlson said during his homily.

"Today, we give thanks for Bishop Ken and the way he taught us how to live like Christ."

Bishop Untener served as the fourth bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Saginaw from November 1980 until his death on March 27, 2004. He was born in Detroit on August 3, 1937 and was ordained to the priesthood in 1963 by Cardinal John Dearden for the Archdiocese of Detroit. He later served as rector of St. John's Provincial Seminary in Plymouth from 1977 until he was appointed, ordained and installed as bishop of Saginaw.