Fr. Coughlin focuses on the pastoral, not politics

The Interview, a regular feature of The Catholic New World, is an in-depth conversation with a person whose words, actions or ideas affect today’s Catholic. It may be affirming of faith or confrontational. But it will always be stimulating.

In his first extended interview since his surprise appointment as chaplain to the U.S. House of Representatives, Chicago priest Father Daniel Coughlin talked with Catholic New World staff writer Michelle Martin March 28 between offering the opening prayer in the House and meeting with the Senate chaplain. Coughlin, 65, had little chance to reflect on his new role in the five days since being spirited to Washington D.C. for Speaker Dennis Hastert’s unexpected announcement. The appointment came only three days after Coughlin first met the speaker, who was embroiled in a political controversy and charges of anti-Catholicism after nominating the Presbyterian Rev. Charles Wright over Father Timothy O’Brien late last year.

Catholic New World: It’s been said many times that your job is pastoral, not political. But given the politics that led up to it, do you think it’s significant that the speaker named a Catholic chaplain for the first time in the nation’s history?

Father Daniel Coughlin: Oh, it’s historic. The cardinal, when he first called me on the phone and said, “I would like for you to meet with these people tomorrow,” he went on to say, “You know, if this happens, you’ll be in the history books.” That made it kind of daunting from the very beginning, but that’s our cardinal’s sense of humor.
I’ve only been here yesterday and today, but I’m already beginning to see the pastoral inroads, like a congressman talking to me about his family. That’s where priests and ministers of every faith are—people just invite you into their lives. Another congressman gave me his card, and said, “On Wednesdays I regularly have this gathering where we discuss our faith and its impact on our lives, and I would like you to be there tomorrow to lead us in prayer and it would be a good way to meet some of the others.” So many of them are saying, “I’m so glad you’re here and I’m so glad we’re putting this controversy behind us.” Even the staff people, the guards, the Afro-American people pointing to their Bibles and saying, “Bless you.” It’s been wonderful.

CNW: Does the way in which you were appointed—in a surprise move by the speaker after months of political wrangling—make your job more difficult? How do you overcome that?
FDC: I think they’ll get over that. It’s like all the photos and all that—they said it would only last one day. Of course, that was yesterday, and it’s still going on. But very soon it will become more routine and more ordinary.
Since it’s such an entirely different environment, it’s going to be a big adjustment for me. I’m not naive about that. I’m looking forward to coming back to Chicago and seeing my mother and some of my priest friends—wonderful, wonderful people. Many people I know from Chicago who are in the Washington-Virginia area have called me. I don’t know exactly where I’m going to reside yet, but I’ve received invitations from people in parishes and some religious houses.
One of the things that I discovered here is that there is a prayer room in the Capitol. It’s not a chapel—no services take place there—it’s just a little room for silent meditation and prayer. While I was waiting for someone today, I spent some time there. In the prayer room is a stained-glass window of George Washington and all the names of the states on banners. It was wonderful for me to pray and immediately look for Illinois, and then expand my prayer to all the states.

CNW: Why do you think Speaker Hastert chose you?
FDC: Because he got my name amongst others from the cardinal, and he knows the cardinal is a man of good judgment. He [Hastert] also expressed himself as a man of faith. He was very saddened that the process that he was very hopeful about had not turned out. But he said our ways are not always God’s ways.

CNW: Why did you say yes?
FDC: The cardinal told me I could do it, and my spiritual director had the best response when he heard I had interviewed for it. He just laughed and laughed. I said, “It’s all your fault. You helped create in me an openness to God where I can say, ‘Do with me what you will.’” Nobody, least of all me, expected this.

CNW: What’s the biggest challenge you see in your new position?
FDC: My focus is to serve the members of the House. My challenge always is to serve them in the spirit of Christ Jesus. You look for the inroads, the moments when you can be with people, the glimpses into their lives, the prayer with them and for them. I think the challenge is just to be that spiritual guide for people
The unique challenge in the position is that they’re very public persons, they’re leadership types. Sometimes people can tend to think they’ve got it all together or they’re removed from the ordinary class of people. Ministry has taught me there’s a common ground in us all. Even if none of us can admit to ourselves, the church reminds us as we begin, “Let us call to mind our sins. “ We’re all pretty frail stuff.

CNW: Do you know what proportion of the representatives are Catholic?
FDC: One person has told me that it’s 40-some percent. Someone else has told me it’s a majority. In truth, I approach this quite ignorant of their religious or political affiliations. I want to meet them simply as people.

CNW: What in your background prepares you for this position?
FDC: To some extent, my long time at the retreat house, where I kept myself very busy, either in prayer or in some type of outreach to priests, and most recently working with my brother priests. They also are leadership people, and also are public people. They are great, great people who also step into very important aspects of peoples lives.

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