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June 26, 2005
A conclave of cardinals, a conference of bishops, a convocation of priests
I’m writing this on Fathers’ Day, thinking about why we call priests “Father” in the Church. Fundamentally, the title is a recognition that priests are life-givers, especially in their celebration of the sacraments. The life of Christ is given through the sacraments; and ordained priests are necessary for their celebration because, in the Church, they act in the name of Christ and with his authority. The life given in the sacraments is that of the risen Christ, who gave to Peter and the apostles the power to forgive sin and the authority to govern the Church.
Fathers give life and then protect it. There is a lot about love in books, in the movies, on radio and television. But the stories often stop at sexual attraction and mutual desire. If desire is the only basis of a sexual relationship, the possibility of exploitation, of using someone, is very real. Only if sexual desire is accompanied by the will to protect can one talk of love. Unfortunately, some women occasionally believe that if men protect them, then women are less than men. But if men have no desire to protect women, then men are less than men. To love as a man means giving one’s life to protect one’s wife and children. Women protect others as well, of course, but in a way different from that of a man. Children are safe, secure and well protected when their mother and their father work together to watch over them. For men, loving means acting honorably and protectively. This is true in the spiritual order as well. Priests are to protect the Church, the sacraments and other gifts given her by Christ, and her children, the people given to priests’ care.
Three different gatherings of priests and bishops in recent months serve to remind me of the way priests are fathers. Last April, the College of Cardinals met in conclave to elect the new Pope. The Cardinals are officially priests of the diocese of Rome; this gives them the title in canon law to elect the Bishop of Rome, the Pope. For two weeks before the conclave began, the Cardinals met to discuss the state of the Church. I was somewhat surprised to find a great deal of unity in the assessment of the situation by Cardinals from every part of the world. There were no interest blocks in the usual sense of the term, although there were some differences and even disagreements in the course of the discussions. There was a clear desire to protect the Church and to elect as Pope someone who loved the Church deeply. The Cardinals thought like the fathers they are.
This past week, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops held its spring meeting here in Chicago. The spring meeting is held in a different place each year, and Chicago was chosen this year in order to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the founding here of the Catholic Church Extension Society of America. But the celebration of the anniversary took place on the periphery of the meeting itself. The bishops of the Church collectively form a college, with and under the Bishop of Rome, the Successor of St. Peter, the head of the apostolic college. Groups of bishops, coming together as conferences, meet regularly to discuss the state of the Church in their country or region and to discover how they might act together more effectively in their pastoral ministry. A bishop is ordained with a title, as pastor of a particular Church, like the Archdiocese of Chicago. But each bishop is also to be concerned about all the Churches and the Church universal. His love is not to be confined to his own diocese but is to extend to others as well. Bishops among themselves are to develop an “affectus collegialis,” a technical term for episcopal mutual charity.
Consequently, each meeting of the U.S. Conference of Bishops covers topics of interest to all the dioceses in this country. Some of the areas demand common decisions. The Conference has to legislate certain liturgical questions and matters of common discipline, as dictated by canon law. In other areas, the bishops work voluntarily, by mutual agreement. The agenda this time included the renewal of the special canonical norms and the Charter necessary to continue reaching out to victims of sexual abuse by priests or bishops, adjudicating the cases of those accused of these sins and creating in the Church an environment safe for children and young people. This was the question that most interested the media, as it always does. But other topics of great importance were also taken up by the bishops last week.
Approving a new edition of the Program of Priestly Formation, a document that was written over several years with the help of Father Lou Cameli of this Archdiocese, was an action that will influence the Church for years to come. Discussing the nature and state of Lay Ecclesial Ministry was a topic of major importance. The finances of the Conference were discussed in order to work on administrative savings and to keep the diocesan assessments at their current level. A document on our relation to the global mission of the Church was passed. Various standing committees met and reported to the body of bishops; the 13 regional groupings of bishops met separately one morning; and an afternoon was passed in retreat and prayer. We heard from the Archbishop of Santiago, Chile, Francisco Javier Cardinal Errazuriz, president of the union of Latin American Bishops’ Conferences, for the Church in North America needs to work in close pastoral cooperation with the Church in the rest of this hemisphere. The bishops are fathers, and their concerns are as broad and as deep as the needs of the Church herself.
This coming week, from June 28 to July 1, the priests of the Archdiocese will meet with me and the auxiliary bishops for our convocation, a meeting held every three years. The purpose of the meeting is to examine the state of the presbyterate in the light of the mission of the Archdiocese that the diocesan priests are ordained to love and serve. The theme of the several days is from the Gospel according to St. Matthew: “The gift you have received, give as a gift.” Many priests have prepared themselves for the convocation by months of “apostolic sharing” in small groups. Major themes will focus on sources of priestly courage and pastoral hope. Many lay people, especially members of parish pastoral councils, have been involved in preparing these themes, and I am grateful for this help. I hope all the deacons, religious and laity of the Archdiocese will be involved in the priests’ convocation by supporting it in prayer. Pray for those whom you call “Father,” that they will be renewed in the love of the Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ. To be Catholic means to hold internally and profess publicly the faith that comes to us from the apostles; it also means to gather in visible unity around the bishops and priests who are ordained to be fathers of Christ’s body and shepherds
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June 26-
July 14, 2005 |
Sunday, June 26:
10 a.m., Mass commemorating the 50th anniversary of the German Choir, St. Alphonsus. 3 p.m., St. Gilbert 75th anniversary Mass, Grayslake.
Monday, June 27:
9:30 a.m., Council of Religious Leaders of Metropolitan Chicago meeting, Episcopal Church Center.
June 28-July 1:
2005 Convocation of Priests,
St. Charles.
July 2-14: Vacation
His Eminence, Francis Cardinal George announces the following appointment:
Pastors
Rev. Kevin M. Birmingham, from associate pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Orland Park, to be the pastor of St. Anne Parish, Hazel Crest, effective July 1.
Rev. John Hoffman, from pastor of St. Teresa of Avila Parish, West Armitage, to be the pastor of St. Francis Xavier Parish, LaGrange, effective July 1.
Rev. William J. Stenzel, from pastor of St. Francis Xavier Parish, LaGrange, to be the pastor of St. Bede the Venerable Parish, South Kostner, effective July 1.
Associate pastors
Rev. JoAndre Beltran, from associate pastor of Queen of Martyrs Parish, Evergreen Park, to be the associate pastor of St. Francis De Sales Parish, Lake Zurich, effective July 1.
Rev. Thomas Campana, from associate pastor of St. Pascal Parish, North Melvina, to be the associate pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, West Belmont, effective July 1.
Rev. Michael Flynn, from associate pastor of St. Leonard Parish, Berwyn, to be the associate pastor of St. Thomas More Parish, West 81st Street, effective July 1.
Rev. Frank Kurucz, from associate pastor of St. Alexander Parish, Palos Heights, to be the associate pastor of St. Julie Billiart, Tinley Park, effective July 1.
Rev. Stephen Lesniewski, from associate pastor of SS. Peter and Paul Parish, South Paulina, to be the associate pastor of Immaculate Conception Parish, West 44th Street, effective July 1.
Rev. Gerald O’Reilly, to be the associate pastor of St. Daniel the Prophet Parish, South Nashville, effective July 1.
Rev. Anthony Puchenski, from associate pastor of St. Julie Billiart, Tinley Park, to be the associate pastor of St. Alphonsus Parish, SS. Cyril and Methodius Parish, St. Patrick Parish, and St. James (Sag Bridge), all in Lemont, with residence at St. Alphonsus, effective July 1.
Rev. Paul Stein, from associate pastor of St. Turibius Parish, South Karlov, to be the associate pastor of Holy Name Cathedral, North Wabash, effective July 1.
Rev. Richard Sztorc, from resident of St. Dismas Parish, Waukegan, to be the associate pastor of St. Athanasius Parish, Evanston, effective July 1.
Rev. Walter Takuski, from the faculty of University of St. Mary of the Lake, Mundelein Seminary, to be the associate pastor of St. Thomas Becket, Mount Prospect, with residence at St. John Parish, Streamwood, effective July 1.
Rev. Norman Trela, from associate pastor of St. Gerald Parish, Oak Lawn, to be the associate pastor of St. Symphorosa Parish, South Austin, effective July 1.
Rev. William Vollmer, from the faculty of St. Joseph Seminary at Loyola University, North Sheridan Road, to be the associate pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Orland Park, effective July 1.
Newly ordained
Rev. Robert Fedek, to be the associate pastor of St. Mary of the Annunciation Parish, Mundelein, effective July 1.
Rev. Piotr Gnoinski, to be the associate pastor of St. Francis Borgia Parish, West Addison, effective July 1.
Rev. Grzegorz P. Gorczyca, to be the associate pastor of St. Pascal Parish, North Melvina, effective July 1.
Rev. James P. Hearne, to be the associate pastor of St. James Parish, Arlington Heights, effective July 1.
Rev. Krzysztof Janczak, to be the associate pastor of St. John Brebeuf Parish, Niles, effective July 1.
Rev. Brendan P. Lupton, to be the associate pastor of St. John of the Cross Parish, Western Springs, effective July 1.
Rev. William M. McFarlane, to be the associate pastor of St. George Parish, Tinley Park, effective July 1.
Rev. Rena Mena Beltran, to be the associate pastor of St. Agnes of Bohemia, South Central Park, effective July 1.
Rev Armando Morales Martinez, to be the associate pastor of St. Turibius Parish, South Karlov, effective July 1.
Rev Norman Hernan Moran-Rosero to be the associate pastor of St. Jerome Parish, West Lunt, effective July 1.
Rev Krzysztof Paluch, to be the associate pastor of Transfiguration Parish, Wauconda, effective July 1.
Rev Noel B. Reyes, to be the associate pastor of St. William Parish, North Sayre, effective July 1.
Rev David J. Simonetti, to be the associate pastor of Queen of Martyrs Parish, Evergreen Park, effective July 1.
Rev Brian T. Welter, to be the associate pastor of St. Elizabeth Seton Parish, Orland Hills, effective July 1.
Rev Luke E. Winkelmann, to be the associate pastor of St. Peter Parish, Skokie, effective July 1.
Rev Pawel J. Zemczak, to be the associate pastor of St. Louise de Marillac Parish, LaGrange Park, effective July 1.
Faculty
Rev Martin J. Barnum, from the faculty of Sacred Heart School of Theology, Hales Corners, Wisconsin, to be on the faculty of the
Rev. Duy D. Cao, from the associate pastor of St. William Parish, North Sayre, to be on the faculty of St. Joseph Seminary at Loyola University, effective July 1.
Rev. Ronald T. Kunkel, from the associate pastor of Holy Name Cathedral, North Wabash, to be on the faculty of the University of St. Mary of the Lake, Mundelein Seminary, effective July 1.
Rev. Gerald G. Walsh, from associate pastor of St. Francis Borgia Parish, West Addison, to be on the faculty of Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary, East Chestnut, effective July 1.
Vicar for the Court of Appeals
Rev. John P. Lucas to be the vicar for the Court of Appeals, Province of Chicago, effective immediately.
Assignment outside the archdiocese
Rev. Ronald A. Hicks, from the faculty of St. Joseph Seminary College at Loyola University will serve in the Diocese of Sololã and the Diocese of Santa Ana to work primarily with the Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos, effective July.
Sabbatical
Rev. Michael J. Boehm, from resident at Holy Family Parish and Hispanic Ministry in the Lake County Parishes, to be on sabbatical from July 1, 2005 to Dec. 31.
Rev. Thomas Cima, from pastor of St. Victor Parish, Calumet City, to be on sabbatical from July 1, 2005 to Dec. 31.
Rev. Richard Creagh, from pastor of Holy Rosary Parish, East 113th St., to be on sabbatical from July 1, 2005 to Dec. 31.
Rev. Dominic Grassi, from pastor of St. Josaphat Parish, North Southport, to be on sabbatical from July 1, 2005 to Dec. 31.
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