His family and the Portland Ward, Augusta Maine Stake, are the primary beneficiaries of Bishop Paul L. Morgan's priesthood service. But Bishop Morgan's career, connected with the Catholic Church, has enabled him to serve a wider community.
He is typical of many priesthood holders who have found that faithfulness and service can be extended to all facets of their lives.Shortly after graduating from the University of Southern Maine in 1987, Bishop Morgan was looking for employment and answered a blind ad (where the employer isn't specifically named) in a newspaper. That led him to what has become an administrative position with Catholic Charities Maine.
Bishop Morgan said Catholic Charities is incorporated separately from the Catholic church, but still carries the church's name, and Bishop Joseph of the Diocese of Portland is president of the organization's board of directors.
"When Bishop Joseph talks to my supervisor, he always checks up on the Mormon bishop," Bishop Morgan said in a telephone interview with the Church News. "We are good friends."
With a university degree in accounting and business administration, Bishop Morgan was first hired as assistant director of finance. Now he is a contract specialist, negotiating some contracts himself with the state and assisting program directors in negotiating others. He also supervises five programs and their directors.
His work fits in well with his religious values and priesthood responsibilities. "I enjoy what I'm doing," he said. "I'm able to fulfill a social service in a way that preserves the dignity of the individual."
That includes programs that allow the elderly to stay in their homes rather than go to nursing homes, provide counseling for those struggling with substance abuse, and enable people with mental disabilities to be as independent as possible.
A change in position a few years ago required Bishop Morgan to travel regularly the 260-mile-round trip to the Bangor office. "My oldest son, Bryce, who was 7 years old at the time, asked why I had to go to Bangor so much," he said. "I told him it was part of my new job. He said, `Then get your old job back.' "
Bishop Morgan was born and raised in Maine in a Latter-day Saint home. He and his wife, Sandra, also a lifelong member and native of Maine, were married in the Washington Temple. They are now raising their three children - Hannah, 12, Bryce, 10, and Andrew, 7 - in a home of love and faith.
"He gives me the chance to see the priesthood magnified not only in his calling, but also in the home," Sister Morgan said of her husband. "He is always mindful of me and my feelings."
He sets an example for his children, she said, by using his priesthood to bless them when they are sick and at other times when they have special needs.
Despite the demands of his profession and his home life, Bishop Morgan makes certain he is accessible for the members of his ward. He has been bishop for more than three years of a ward that includes the city of Portland and surrounding areas.
One special ward activity showed his concern for members of his ward - a trip to the Washington Temple in April.
He said it was planned as a family activity. While the adults did endowments, the youth had the chance to do baptisms for the dead. Under adult supervision, the younger children spent time on the temple grounds and in the visitors center where they felt the Spirit and learned about temples.
Whether in his home, in the Church or on the job, Bishop Morgan stands as an example of priesthood worthiness and service.
"Our life has been richly blessed because he is completely loyal to the priesthood, to his family, and to those he serves," Sister Morgan said.
