July 17, 2005
I just returned from a marvelously happy event, which I wish all of you could have attended. At a time when there is so much criticism of the Church and the hierarchy, it was wonderful to go to a very positive event — the ordination of a new bishop.
I may have mentioned in this column my good friend Bishop Kevin Vann, who was ordained bishop of Fort Worth, Texas, on Wednesday evening, July 13. Because of the size of the crowd, the ordination was held in the gymnasium of Texas Christian University, a Protestant school, where we were made most welcome. The crowd of several thousand people was so large that the ordination could not be held in the cathedral. A very fine group of bishops, many of them friends of mine, attended, and Bishop Vann was ordained by Archbishop Gomez of San Antonio, the co-consecrators being Archbishop Burke of St. Louis and Bishop Lucas of Springfield, Illinois, Bishop Vann’s home diocese. An added delight was the fact that his parents, although quite on in years, were in good health and could attend the ordination.
The solemn ordination was beautifully done, and at the end it is customary for the bishop to walk through the church and give his blessing to all assembled. The people forgot for a moment that they were at a solemn pontifical occasion, and as the bishop processed around the gymnasium, they broke into applause that would be more fitting at a basketball game than at an episcopal ordination. The enthusiasm was electrifying. It was so impressive that I said to myself maybe we should use gymnasiums all the time for great occasions like this. It was sort of a miniature of the tremendous enthusiasm in St. Peter’s Square at the installation of Pope Benedict XVI. Despite all of the media attacks, the undermining of the faith by many different forces, and the failure of many in the Church, there is still an enthusiastic and devout body of Catholic laity who trust in the Lord.
I was thinking about this as I got on the plane to come home. Now that I am hobbling around with a cane, I can board a plane before everybody else. All the staff, including the pilot, came back to say hello and were most warm and friendly to Fr. Leo and me. I think people love and respect the Church, and they want it to be the best that it can be. When members of the Church fail, people are disappointed and even angry. It doesn’t make them give up on the Church, though, which is the Mystical Body of Christ. He is the one we really love above things.
Fr. Benedict Groeschel, CFR
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