Valley faithful pay respects to Bishop Steinbock

                  |   Watch Video Above for Extended Coverage   |

Those who knew the Bishop well say there were two things in this world he loved most, people and golf.

The bells tolled marking the reception of Bishop Steinbock's body into the Cathedral, as mourners wound their way through the aisles to kneel and pray for their beloved Bishop Steinbock, the Knights of Columbus stood watch, as if protecting the man they considered one of their own.

Bishop Steinbock was himself a Knight of Columbus, the oldest catholic fraternal organization.

It was through that organization that Fresno's Jim Scroggin got to know and love Bishop Steinbock. He met with the Bishop just weeks before he died.

Scroggin said, "It wasn't about his illness, it was about what we were there for, what we were talking about. He seemed fine, he seemed great."

We caught up with Sister Cor Marie Monje of New Bethany Center in Los Banos just as she was coming out of St. John's cathedral Monday morning. She told Action News anchor Matt Keller during our live broadcast that Bishop Steinbock was a people's bishop.

Sister Cor Marie Monje said, "He loved people, he loved the nuns, he had a thing for the nuns. He had a party at the D and D Ranch every year and he would invite them all to dinner and a movie and he would speak to them, talk to them."

Besides people, Bishop Steinbock loved golf. This video is from 1996 at the San Joaquin Country Club of Fresno. Monsignor Scott Daugherty of St. Anne's church in Porterville told us about a tournament the Bishop played in where he tried to get the younger priest to play for the first time. "He was encouraging me, you can golf ... it's not a problem ... go out there. "So by the time we get to the fourth hole ... he's telling me, 'no you can't golf' ... (laugh) ... then I caddied."

Monsignor John Griesbach of St. Anthony's retreat center in Three Rivers said, "He always liked to bet ... he was always the kind of golfer who would do better under pressure so he would always put himself in situations where it would put him up higher and he would always manage to do that."

Monisgnor Griesbach, played many rounds of golf and made many friendly bets with the Bishop, but he valued his friendship the most ... that, he says, is what he will miss and what most people who knew Bishop Steinbock will miss.