‘Our bishop. Our shepherd. Our friend.’ Mourners bid farewell to Sacramento Bishop Quinn

The funeral Mass for longtime spiritual leader Bishop Francis A. Quinn filled the pews of the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in downtown Sacramento on Monday.

Jaime Soto, bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sacramento, presided over the noontime service.

“Bishop Quinn … touched so many lives,” said the Rev. Steven Avella, a professor at Marquette University in Milwaukee. “Almost everyone here can tell a story of how he touched them personally.”

In an uplifting homily that at times drew laughter from those gathered, Avella emphasized Quinn’s commitment to the service of his community as well as his “perpetual smile” and “accommodating personality.”

“He was our bishop. Our shepherd. Our friend,” Avella said.

Quinn, who served from 1980 to 1994 as bishop of the Sacramento diocese, died March 21. At age 97, he was the oldest living Catholic bishop in the U.S.

This story was originally published April 1, 2019 at 4:42 PM.