One bishop salutes another

Here are portions of the homily at the Jubilee Mass, delivered by Bishop Matthew Clark of Rochester, who has known Bishop Hubbard for 45 years:

When I think of Howard's contributions, I try to boil them down to three characteristics or aspects of his ministry that really leave me with an incredible appreciation of who he is and what he's done on behalf of us all through these years.

First, if I could live 75 more years and a Church historian asked me which bishop's words and works best embodied the pastoral life of the Church in the U.S. in the last quarter of the 1900s, I would name Howard. He has made extraordinary contributions to the life of the Church, not only in this Diocese but also in the country.

To name some of the themes to which he has made a substantial contribution: lay ministry, pastoral planning, stewardship, Catholic social teaching, the Catholic charities movement, interracial understanding, ecumenical and interfaith relations, the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, marriage and family life, the permanent diaconate, priestly ministry, and a range of public policy issues, especially those relating to the dignity of human life and protection of the poor and vulnerable among us. He will be remembered for his balanced and constructive treatment of those issues.

The second aspect of his ministry I sum up in his motto: "Rejoice! We are God's people." To me, that epitomizes one of the beautiful qualities of a ministry I admire so much. It suggests some of the important ways in which he has served. For example, always does he serve as one among us, clearly aware that for us he's a bishop, and with us he is a disciple of the Lord.

When he speaks, his voice comes not from a place above and apart from us; his is always the voice of a companion who understands our experience because he shares it. It's always a voice of hope, keeping fresh the vision of Easter when there are Good Fridays to be faced.

Thirdly, and lastly, at the root of it all as I observe this beautiful man is a striking personal integrity and a generous heart. That has been his core and the source of his consistent growth.

His sense of himself and his unfailing respect for the dignity of every person he meets shine forth. There is not one Howard for the rich and another Howard for the poor; there is not one for persons of influence and another for those with no voice; he listens to all with care and respect; he responds to all with honesty and compassion.

We can locate the roots of that integrity in Howard's faithful life of prayer. It is there that he finds most deeply the presence of the risen Lord. Nourished by that relationship, his growth continues. Is it any wonder, then, that he sees us and embraces us with such Christ-like kindness?

We gather here to celebrate the ministry, the life of a person, who -- day in and day out -- seeks to live faithfully the paschal mystery.

(04-11-02) [[In-content Ad]]