Bishop Sample sounds like an excellent choice. With several other vacant sees, I’m wondering when El Paso (TX), Fort Worth (TX), Bridgeport (CT), and Rochester (NY) will get their new shepherds.
I agree that the “average Catholic in the pew” needs more education. Personally, I was a “one hour Catholic” for many years. There was one parish in my diocese that got a new pastor, and one of the first things he did was order a bunch of copies of the book *Rediscovering Catholicism *for his parishioners.
I can also say that from 1996-2000, I regularly attended a parish in the Fort Worth diocese. Fort Worth was blessed to get a new shepherd in 2005. Within a short time, I noticed when I would visit a parish in the Fort Worth Diocese, or meet Catholics from the Fort Worth diocese, the enthusiasm was much higher. The support for vocations and pro-life apostolates increased exponentially too. I’ve heard that quite a few dioceses (Kansas City-St.Joseph, Covington, Saginaw, and Richmond) have had similar stories.
I remember my current parish going through some turnover several years ago with a new pastor. IMHO the parish got better, with more interest in faith formation, longer lines for confession, and a Holy Hour on Thursday nights. Yes, some longtime parishioners did leave, but IMHO the parish became more vibrant.
I wish Bishop Sample well. I heard some speculation that he was being considered for the Diocese of El Paso, which has been vacant see for over a year. I do hope and pray that the Vatican and the Papal Nuncio will work on appointing a strong co-adjutor to the Diocese of Albany (NY) and appoint someone with a mindset similar to Bishop Sample to both the Diocese of Rochester (NY) and Albany (NY). Personally, I think Rochester and Albany need to have their appointments before Fort Worth, even though El Paso and Bridgeport have been vacant longer.