A LESSON FROM THE PAST

Bishop Hubbard's immediate predecessor is Bishop Edwin B. Broderick, who is marking his 60th anniversary as a priest and his 35th as a bishop (see page 3). From 1969-76, he led the hundreds of thousands of Catholics who live in the 14 counties of the Albany Diocese.

Younger Catholics were weren't born when Bishop Broderick was here, others who lived elsewhere at that time and those with short memories might not recall the significant contributions Bishop Broderick made to the local Church. At his own Jubilee Mass, Bishop Hubbard noted one of them: how his predecessor helped the Diocese to welcome and fulfill the changes called for by the Second Vatican Council.

One way Bishop Broderick did that was through the "Listen to the Spirit" program, during which he visited parishes throughout the Diocese to meet with and hear from lay people about the future of the Church. Involving the laity more fully in their faith, one of the Council's calls, happened because Bishop Broderick invited and nurtured it.

Now retired, Bishop Broderick remains active in the Diocese, returning every spring and at other times to confirm young Catholics. They might not know who he is or what he accomplished, but they should. If they're reading this, they do.

We offer our congratulations to Bishop Broderick on his double anniversary and thank him for the portion of those years he gave to the Albany Diocese.

(06-06-02) [[In-content Ad]]