April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
BISHOP'S COLUMN
Bishop's jubilee homily: Part II
In 1974, I was asked by my predecessor, Bishop Edwin Broderick - who did so much to implement the norms and reforms of the Second Vatican Council in our Diocese and who was such a positive influence on my own priestly ministry - to inaugurate the Office of Pastoral Planning in our Diocese, one of the first in the country, to address issues of realignment or the "right-sizing" of parishes within dioceses.
While continuing my ministry at Providence House, Hope House and Community Maternity Services, I suspect it was the priest personnel and pastoral planning background which led Pope Paul VI to appoint me as the ninth bishop of Albany on Feb. 1, 1977.
And how blessed I have been to serve in this capacity for the past 36 years. I have tried to fulfill faithfully the mandate given to a bishop on the day of his ordination (and I quote from the Pontifical): "to be a devoted father, seeking to guide the people of God in the way of salvation and to sustain them with the help of the priests and deacons who share in the bishop's ministry."
Over these 36-plus years, there have been so many great joys in this episcopal ministry: celebrating the Rite of Election and the ongoing call to conversion at the beginning of the Lenten season, wherein candidates enter their final period of preparation for membership in the Church, culminating in their baptism or acceptance into the Church at the Easter vigil service...blessing the sacramental oils at the Chrism Mass...confirming more than 120,000 candidates as Christian disciples... ordaining 226 permanent deacons, 162 priests, as well as ordaining our native sons Harry Flynn and Joe Estabrook as bishops...speaking at 10 to 15 commencement exercises each year...observing milestone anniversaries with those celebrating 25, 40, 50, 60 or 70 years of married life and love...working with my dear friend, Bishop Matthew Clark of Rochester, to establish the Albany site of St. Bernard's School of Theology and Ministry and presiding at the baccalaureate for its graduates, as well as for those completing their lay ministry program at the Kateri Institute...rejoicing with the members of the Charismatic Renewal on the Pentecost feast...commissioning young adults who have completed our Christian Leadership Institute...conferring religious awards upon our Boy and Girl Scouts...blessing the first natural- environment cemetery grounds in upstate New York...observing the anniversaries of parishes, schools, hospitals, nursing homes, housing projects and Catholic Charities agencies... commemorating the silver and golden jubilees of our priests, deacons and religious... overseeing the restoration of this venerable and historic cathedral...observing, in 1997, our diocesan sesquicentennial, which consisted of a year-long series of parish and regional events, culminating with more than 6,000 people gathered for the Eucharist at the Shrine of Our Lady of the Martyrs in Auriesville, that sacred ground where St. Kateri Tekakwitha was born and Ss. Isaac Jogues, John Brebeuf, John Lalande, Rene Goupil and their companions were martyred...advocating for the canonization of Rev. Patrick Peyton and Mother Angeline Theresa McCrory, both of whom served in our Diocese and now have been declared venerable or "Servants of God"...conducting the "Always His People" TV retreats...promoting "Renew" and our present "Amazing God" evangelization program...attending World Youth Day events and the National Catholic Youth Conferences...dedicating 17 new churches... rededicating 25 renovated and expanded churches and 57 newly-renovated churches - just to mention a few of the joys of ministry I have experienced these past 36 years.
Beyond the Diocese
The day that the apostolic nuncio, Archbishop Jean Jadot, spoke with me about my appointment as bishop, he gave me one bit of advice: namely, that I become an active member of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops and of the New York State Bishops' Conference. What sage wisdom, the fruits of which I have enjoyed immensely.
Throughout my episcopal tenure, I have been privileged to serve as chair of the New York State Public Policy Committee, which has advocated for health, welfare and criminal justice reform; for the protection of the unborn; for the abolition of the death penalty; for the rights of immigrants and farmworkers; for fair and just wages; for services to the mentally ill, the developmentally disabled, the homeless and the addicted; for support of farmers; for the economic revival of upstate New York and for better public transportation in the metropolitan New York area; for environmental protection; and for protection for victims of domestic violence and human trafficking.
I have also been privileged to be elected by the members of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops as chair of four standing committees of the conference - Human Values, Marriage and Family Life; the Catholic Campaign for Human Development; and International Justice and Peace - and I was appointed to chair the subcommittee on dialogue with the Oriental-Orthodox Christians, the Armenians, the Egyptians, the Syrians, the Ethiopians and those from India, who now have congregations in the United States and throughout the world. I have also served as a member of the bishops' Committees for Deacons, the Laity, the Protection of Children and Young Adults, Communications, Domestic Justice and Eastern Catholics.
Pope John Paul II appointed me to the Vatican commission for dealing with non-Christian believers, and I was appointed by the presidents of our conference to serve as episcopal moderator for the National Catholic Aids Network, the National Conference for Pastoral Planning and Council Development and the Ladies of Charity.
Lauding laity
In these various capacities, I was able to work with my brother bishops and other committee members - lay, vowed and ordained - on issues of poverty in our state and nation; international policy; formulating norms for the formation and ongoing education of deacons; and helping to develop the pastoral letter "Coworkers in the Vineyard," designed to enhance the dignity and role of the laity in the life and ministry of the Church.
(Indeed, I am convinced that, because of the increasing ministerial opportunities now available to the laity by virtue of baptism and confirmation, there is more ministry taking place in our Church today than ever before. I would note parenthetically that per capita the people of our Diocese of Albany have been more generous in responding financially to the needs of the wider Church than any other diocese in the country.)
These many and varied assignments I have mentioned have led to meetings with popes, cardinals, presidents, secretaries of state, national security advisors, leaders of foreign governments, governors and legislators at the local, state and federal levels; and to peacemaking trips to Israel, Jordan, Armenia, Nigeria, the Sudan and the South Sudan. Pretty good for a kid from the Burg!
Now, I have shared these experiences of priestly and episcopal ministry not to toot my own horn (please, I hope you know me better than that), but to recall how enriching the gift of the priesthood is - and, especially, how priests and bishops are able to work with deacons, religious and the laity in such a fruitful variety of ministries on behalf of our Church and the wider world and society - something that is too often overlooked and unappreciated. I have also sought to underscore how God's love and providence guides and directs us in surprising ways we never would have expected or anticipated.
Retirement ahead
And now that I am looking forward to my impending retirement, I see it as a new opportunity to be surprised by God, to be led by the Spirit, to learn from others and to serve in ways yet to unfold.
This reminds me that, three weeks ago today, here in the cathedral, we celebrated the 150th anniversary of the presence and ministry of the Sisters of Mercy in our diocese. In my homily, I mentioned the various ministries of the Sisters of Mercy, including the fact that one of the sisters is engaged in hypnotic therapy.
Afterward, that sister informed me that she received $200 an hour for her efforts. Wow! Who would have guessed? So, for the past few weeks I have been trying to master the art, by waving my watch in front of Father Pape. It doesn't seem to be taking - but at $200 an hour, I am not giving up!
Crosses carried
At the ceremony wherein one is ordained a priest, the ordaining bishop hands the newly-ordained priest a chalice filled with wine and a paten with the host, saying, "Receive the oblation of the holy people to be offered to God. Understand what you do and imitate what you celebrate and conform your life on the mystery of the Lord's cross."
Certainly, the past 50 years of priestly and episcopal ministry have included carrying the cross. There have been the illnesses and the deaths of family members, fellow priests and deacons, religious, coworkers and close friends. There have been the closures or mergers of parishes and schools - including my own home parish and school - all of which have been heartbreaking for everyone involved. There has been a dramatic decline in the number of those entering the priesthood and vowed life, which, along with shifting demographics have been the major contributing factor to these closures and mergers. There has been a sharp diminution of Catholics who attend Mass and celebrate the sacraments regularly - especially the sacrament of reconciliation - and there are Catholics who have joined other faith communities or stopped practicing their faith altogether.
Some of this may be attributable to the pervasive cultural forces of secularism, consumerism, narcissism, individualism and moral relativism in our society, but some has been self-inflicted: [for example,] due to pastoral insensitivity, a less-than-welcoming attitude, a too-condescending and judgmental demeanor, and a lack of comfort and facility in evangelizing.
Most tragic and painful of all, however, there has been the sin and crime of clergy sexual abuse. To all those who have been so abused who have suffered so much, and to their family members, I apologize with every fiber of my being and assure you that my brother bishops and I are doing everything we can to ensure that this breach of sacred trust never reoccurs.
To the entire Catholic community and the wider community, I express regret for the irreparable harm that this scandalous behavior has caused. It has led to an atmosphere of suspicion, mistrust, skepticism and cynicism. Further, it has undermined the mission of the Church which we heard proclaimed in today's first reading from Isaiah: the mission of bringing good tidings to the poor, healing the brokenhearted, proclaiming freedom to captives, giving release to prisoners and announcing the Good News of salvation (Is 1:1-3).
This must be the guiding, motivating, animating and sustaining influence in our Church's life and ministry.
In conclusion
To conclude on a more upbeat note, I, like many both within and without the Catholic community, have been heartened and inspired by the leadership of our new Bishop of Rome, Pope Francis. His tone and demeanor have been truly remarkable.
He has said unambiguously that our Church must be a Church for the poor and that we must combat the growing gap within our society and world between the haves and the have-nots. He has spoken passionately about the harm unemployment inflicts upon individuals and families. He has witnessed by word and deed to the importance of the leaders of the Church and of all of us, in one way or another, to adopt a more simple lifestyle. He has railed against clerical careerism; he has committed himself to a reform of the Curia and he has underscored the collegiality within the Church, at all levels.
He has emphasized, as today's Gospel proclaims, that a joyful spirit and a loving demeanor must always be the hallmark of a person of faith. He has echoed the calls of his predecessors, Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI, for a new evangelization, encouraging us to reach out with greater vigor toward others, sharing with others the joy, hope, meaning, peace, blessing and consolation that our faith brings to us and which God desires all to enjoy.
In whatever short time I have remaining as your diocesan bishop and in my years of retirement, I promise to do all that I can to make this vision of Francis a reality in the minds and hearts of our people.
In bringing this overlong homily to a close, I have one suggestion. In restoring this magnificent cathedral, we were unable to implement every aspect of the master plan. One of those unfulfilled facets is the restoration of the crypt beneath the sanctuary where most of our diocesan bishops are buried.
For a variety of reasons, including the wary denial of my own mortality, I have not been down there. But I have been told two things: one, there is one niche left and, unless I outlive my successor, it's mine; and two, that it is in deplorable condition. So, if someone would remove the rubble, restore the masonry and do a thorough cleaning before my demise, it would be appreciated greatly.
I thank you for your presence and for your goodness to me and our Diocese over the years. May God continue to bestow choicest blessings upon each of you and upon our Diocese so that it may be in the future, as it has been since 1847, such a beautiful and effective instrument for fostering personal, social, educational and cultural and spiritual growth in our midst.
May God bless you and may we go forth from this cathedral rejoicing in the fact that, indeed, "We are God's People." [[In-content Ad]]
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