My dear brothers and sisters in the Lord,
As we look back on 2013, who could have contemplated that so much would have changed in our Church and in our Diocese in the last 12 months? As we approach the year’s end, I cannot help but think simply of what has happened this year, beginning with the resignation of our Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI.
Each morning, I get up at 5:30 a.m. I remember very vividly that cold February morning as I was on the treadmill when Msgr. Kieran Harrington, who lives at the Bishop’s residence, announced to me that the Pope had resigned. At least five media outlets were looking for interviews just after 6 a.m. that morning.
From that moment on, it has been a time of great challenge and excitement. I am very grateful for the leadership of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI in the life of the Church. Conscious of the ailments and fatigue that comes with the march of time, I understand and recognize his need to resign. This decision took great humility.
What can one say about Pope Francis? He has taken the world by storm and, quite frankly, caught many of us in the clergy entirely off guard. With every one of his small gestures, whether it be taking a bus, carrying his own bags or paying his own hotel bill, there is real significance for us all. It is a reminder to me and to all of us in the clergy that we are called to serve and not to be served. Certainly, it has me thinking about ways in which my life must be simplified.
Pope Francis’ clarion call that we have the smell of the sheep meant that your Bishop spent the evening with over a million young people on the beach in Rio de Janeiro for World Youth Day. Yet, I remembered some of the enthusiasm I had as a young priest. A little sand in the shoes can often be a beautiful thing.
Voice to the Poor
Pope Francis gives voice to the suffering of the poor, the alienated and the imprisoned. He invites us to go beyond simply serving their material needs but rather to identify ourselves in solidarity with them. Pope Francis invites us to shed all that enriches us and be poor.
One way in which our Diocese has become a bit poorer was the recent translation of Bishop Frank Caggiano to the Diocese of Bridgeport, Conn. I am very grateful to Bishop Caggiano for his invaluable assistance in the reorganization of our schools and parishes. He was an essential co-laborer in placing our schools and parishes on the path to pastoral and financial stability. He did so much and is missed.
Yet, I am grateful for Auxiliary Bishop Ray Chappetto and Father James Massa, who have been generous and wise in giving of themselves in a period of real transition for our Diocese. It will be different, but I am confident that we will continue to thrive in these challenging and exciting times.
This year also brought to our Diocese the deaths of two of our Auxiliary Bishops, Bishop Joseph Sullivan and Bishop Ignatius Catanello. These two men gave of themselves to the faithful of Brooklyn and Queens and beyond for many years. We will certainly miss their presence among us but are confident that they are with the Lord.
Each year, I invite our seminarians to my home for Christmas dinner. I am very proud of these young men. Their joy really is infectious, and I cannot help but think about the bonds that are formed during the years young men are in the seminary. A few days ago, a close priest friend succumbed to cancer. He was prepared to die and is an example to me. I will miss his friendship. And yet, I think of those young men, who in short order will be my brothers, and it gives me great hope that what we celebrate this Christmas is very true. Emmanuel, God is with us, and we are not alone.
As we put out in the deep and look forward to a new year, let us pray together with St. Teresa of Avila, “Let nothing disturb you, let nothing frighten you, All things are passing away; God never changes. Patience obtains all things. Whoever has God lacks nothing; God alone suffices.”
