Still busy for next two months

	Bishop Robert J. Banks

The telephone call came on Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 30. I was in Greenwich, Connecticut at a meeting of the trustees of Catholic University. My secretary called to say that the Papal Nuncio, Abp. Montalvo, wanted me to call him and had said it was very important. My secretary and I both had a good idea what the call was about.

When I contacted Abp. Montalvo, he informed me the Holy Father had accepted my resignation and had also appointed Bp. David Zubik of Pittsburgh as the new bishop of Green Bay. The effective date would be Friday, Oct. 10.

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My only acquaintance with Bp. Zubik had been a couple of chance encounters at the national bishops' meetings. I don't think our conversations ever went beyond the weather.

That all changed when he arrived in Green Bay the evening before the public announcement of his appointment last Friday. We had a pleasant dinner with our other two bishops, Bp. Morneau and Bp. Wycislo, and then he and I took a walk from my house to St. Vincent's Hospital. We did not go inside. But we had plenty of time to talk about each other and about Green Bay.

Then, on Friday, the Diocese woke up to find itself with a new bishop. And I think everyone who met him or saw him on television knew that we have a very special person as our new bishop.

Two qualities stand out for me. Bp. Zubik loves the Lord and he loves people, and he is very serious about serving both as well as he possibly can. He also brings to our Diocese tremendous energy and enthusiasm. He crowded into his five hours with us on Friday meetings with the press, diocesan employees and our priests. Between those meetings, he squeezed in visits to Holy Family School and Paul's Pantry. He also made sure to take time for a prayer stop at the cathedral. And we naturally made sure our trip passed by Lambeau Field.

Our new bishop also has a great voice and likes to sing at the liturgy. This means that my hope for the Church of Green Bay to become a singing Church will finally be fulfilled.

The quick but very busy visit ended when I left Bp. Zubik at the airport at 2:15 that afternoon.

In the meantime, Bp. Morneau was convoking our Diocesan Consultors. Those are eight of our wiser priests who meet regularly to advise the bishop on property and financial matters such as the construction and renovation of churches. Since I had ceased to be bishop of the Diocese at midnight, Thursday, and Bp. Zubik is not yet formally installed as bishop of Green Bay, it was necessary for the consultors to elect someone to administer the Diocese until Bp. Zubik will be installed on Dec. 12.

Usually in these situations, consultors would elect the person who had been the diocesan bishop. But you can imagine my apprehension, since Bp. Morneau was running the meeting. This was an opportunity for a palace coup. Fortunately, good sense prevailed and Bp. Morneau informed me that I had been elected unanimously.

During the next two months, the diocesan administrator can carry on the day to day business of the diocese, but canon law says "nothing is to be altered." In other words, care must be taken to maintain the status quo of the diocese until Bp. Zubik assumes canonical possession of the diocese and is formally installed.

So I will stay active for the next couple of months. In fact, as soon as I left Bp. Zubik at the airport, I went to St. Norbert College for the blessing and dedication of a new chapel in one of the residence halls. I believe it is part of a program to install chapels in a number of the residence halls. I was also delighted to see that the college has produced a St. Norbert College Prayer Book for the students and college community.

In preparing for the blessing, I read some of the history of the college. I was a bit surprised to read that the famous Abbot Bernard Pennings, the early leader of the Norbertine Fathers here in Wisconsin, said toward the end of his life, "The best thing we ever did was the founding of St. Norbert College."

When you think about it, a Catholic institution of higher learning can have a tremendous impact on the local Church, the surrounding area and, especially, on all the young people who attend as students. I am sure that an important part of what Abbot Pennings had in mind was the spiritual impact such an institution can have. Prayer books, chapels and solid Catholic theology all contribute to that impact.

So you can see that I shall continue to keep busy these next couple of months. But people have been asking me what I intend to do after I retire. It is my intention, once I finish being administrator, to stay here in the Diocese and to find ways to help our priests when they need assistance. Don't be surprised to see me saying Mass at your parish when your pastor has to be absent for some reason.