A Chicago institution, Bishop Timothy Lyne has passed away. He was 94.
The Archdiocese of Chicago said Lyne, the former pastor of Holy Name Cathedral, died suddenly Wednesday morning at his residence in the Bishop Lyne Rectory. While his health was fragile, it's believed he passed away in his sleep.
Lyne was honored in May for serving 70 years as a priest. Reflecting on his career in a May interview, he called his job as a priest "a wonderful thing" and asked “how can I thank God for all he’s given me?”
Lyne spent 48 years at Holy Name Cathedral after working at parishes in Riverside and Oak Park. He was instrumental in the art work brought in during the late '60s when Holy Name Cathedral was closed for a year and completed renovated, and he introduced the changes of Vatican II to the Chicago church.
Known as a humble guy who was all about service, many had wished at one point that Lyne would have been Chicago's cardinal, but those who knew him note Lyne was never bitter that didn't happen.
As one priest describes Lyne, "he was such a beloved guy in the church."
The best way to describe Bishop Lyne, "he was a priest's priest."
Cardinal George will officiate Lyne's Mass at 10:30 a.m. Monday at Holy Name. A wake is scheduled from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday at Holy Name.
