Sadly, Bishop Lyne died just two weeks after my profile of him ran.

At 94, Auxiliary Bishop Timothy Lyne is the fourth-oldest Catholic bishop in the United States. Ordained 70 years ago, he will celebrate the 30th anniversary of his episcopal elevation in October. And he has lived in the same room at Holy Name Cathedral for almost half a century.

Those are impressive numbers, yet few Catholics outside of Chicago recognize his name. Lyne has graced NCR‘s pages only a few times, usually in the form of comments about more famous Chicagoans, such as the late Cardinal Joseph Bernardin or Msgr. Jack Egan.

Like so many “Vatican II” priests, Lyne has not sought the limelight, choosing instead to quietly but persistently serve the city where he was born. If some of his generation are frustrated with the direction of the church in recent years, Lyne remains easygoing and positive. Perhaps this is his secret to surviving five Chicago cardinals.

“God has been good to me, and people have been good to me,” he said in an interview in July. “I’ve been particularly blessed. I’ve always liked being a priest.”

Read my whole article in the Sept. 13 issue of National Catholic Reporter here.