Raymond Alphonse Lucker

[2] He received his early education at the parochial school of Sacred Heart Parish, and entered Nazareth Hall Preparatory Seminary in 1941.

[3] He earned his master's degree with a thesis entitled: "Some Aspects of the Life of Thomas Langdon Grace, Second Bishop of St.

[3] In 1964, Lucker was sent to further his studies at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome, where he earned a Doctor of Sacred Theology degree in 1966 with a thesis titled "The Aims of Religious Education in the Early Church and in the American Catechetical Movement".

[2] During a meeting in Rome, Ratzinger allegedly said, "The developments in catechesis in the post-conciliar period, to a large extent, [have] been turned over to the so-called professional.

O'Connor was reported to have said, "Basically confusion and diversity in catechetical materials have left an entire generation in a state of ambiguity.

"[2] The following year, he again criticized Cardinal Ratzinger after the Vatican announced it would give the world's bishops five months to express concerns about its draft of a universal catechism for adults; Lucker said, "A textbook is not the center and the focus of catechesis.

"[2] Lucker was also a harsh critic of the Vatican's bureaucracies, once saying, "I'm convinced that the biggest obstacle to the renewal of the Church is the Roman Curia.

"[6] Lucker also served as episcopal moderator of Pax Christi; as a member of the Catholic Theological Society of America; and as a member of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops' Administrative Committee and the committees on Latin America, Evangelization, Diaconate, Laity, Catechetical Directory, and Charismatic Renewal.

[3] On November 17, 2000, Pope John Paul II accepted Lucker's resignation as Bishop of New Ulm after he was diagnosed with malignant melanoma.

"[8] He also opposed clerical celibacy, supporting the ordination of married men to help alleviate the worldwide shortage of priests.