'Blessed be God Forever'

By Patricia Kasten
Compass Associate Editor

	S p e c i a l   S e c t i o n : Farewell to Bishop Banks
	• Highlights of 13 years in Green Bay  • Bishop seen as priest-servant     Friends, colleagues, see Bishop as     spiritual, caring  • Bp. Robert Joseph Banks biography  • Accepted the hard times with grace     Bishop believes God at work  • A style that works     Bishop noted for his care and listening     skills  • Timeline of Bp. Banks' years in Green Bay  • College presidents remember Bp. Banks  • Lay Catholics remember Bp. Banks  • Diocesan employees remember Bp. Banks  • Bishops, priests comment on Bp. Banks  • Religious leaders discuss Bp. Banks  • Thirteen years as the leader draw to an end  • Bishop Banks' Corner --     Giving glory to our Father  • Editorial -- Job well done     Bp. Robert Banks has served the     church of the Diocese of Green Bay     well for 13 years

Bp. Robert Banks has never allowed our priests to use the term "retired priests." So he doesn't like to use the term for himself as he steps down, at age 75, as leader of the Diocese of Green Bay. He prefers the term "senior priest," with "senior" viewed as a term for an elder, wiser brother in the church, one whose vocation has matured, but not ended.

"My vocation is to serve the church," he said. "What else? I don't have a wife. I don't have kids. This is my life."

And while he enjoys reading, windsurfing, long walks and golf, they aren't what he's looking forward to doing. "I enjoy golf," he admitted. "But that's not enough to make life worthwhile. My interest is serving the church, so we'll have to find ways to do that."

Fifty-one years ago, on Dec. 20, 1952, at St. John Lateran Cathedral in Rome, he was ordained to the priesthood. He plans to continue that priesthood after his move to Holy Rosary Parish's rectory in Kewaunee. "I'm not taking a position in the parish," he said. "I'll try to be helpful in small ways and just help out where I'm needed." And friends say he wants to have a prayer community to share with daily.

It'll be a change for a man who has been in administrative positions all but six of his years in priesthood. Yet, despite being a canon law professor, academic dean and rector of St. John's Seminary in Brighton, Mass., vicar general of the Archdiocese of Boston and Bishop of Green Bay, some of his fondest memories come from the days he served in parishes, where he really felt he was "doing the work the Lord called me to do."

"When I became a priest," he said, "it was to be a parish priest, so I guess I'm going to be doing the work I was ordained for."

Not that as bishop since Dec. 5, 1990, he hasn't done a lot of the Lord's work in the Diocese of Green Bay. Highlights of those 13 years of which he is particularly proud include:

• Writing a pastoral letter on the Eucharist;

• Writing a another pastoral letter, this one on Stewardship;

• Guiding the diocese in Renew 2000, a program of spiritual renewal for the new millennium;

• Reorganization plans for parishes in response to the decreasing number of parish priests;

• Renovation of the Camp Tekawitha in Shawano County;

• Implementing a Stewardship thrust for the diocese last year, that "I hope will be a real plus for the diocese";

• The Emmaus Program of spiritual priestly renewal;

• Starting an annual Eucharistic Day in all diocesan parishes;

• Reorganization of the Catholic Social Services department of the diocese into Catholic Charities, which "has been good for the diocese and will be even better;"

• The diocese's "increased ministry to Hispanic newcomers," which has included Bp. Banks learning Spanish and delivering his homilies in Spanish at Hispanic liturgies.

However, he's quick to state that all these accomplishments "always have to do with other people doing the actual work." He points to only one thing that "I did alone that made a difference" and that is the policy that all parish employees throughout the diocese be enrolled in some form of retirement program.

Quotable ... "I hope people feel they had a good bishop for the past 13 years, who cared about them and who talked with them about the Lord."     -- Bp. Banks, at a Nov. 25th news conference on his upcoming retirement. "The Packers are a winning team. They were not a winning team before I came to Green Bay."     -- Bp. Banks, noting that one thing he will miss is throwing out the ball at the annual Bishop's Charities Game.

Beyond that, Bp. Banks isn't focused on listing accomplishments. "I'm not a big one for listing off the things that I've done. I did set down a list (of accomplishments) for some reason a while ago. It was a long list. And, when I got through, I tore it up. So I don't think we have to pay a lot of attention to that."

Yes, there were also things that he didn't accomplish that he had hoped to do in these 13 years. One of the biggest was to increase the number of vocations to the priesthood. While he understands that fewer men entering the seminary has been a national trend over the past 25 years, he still feels there could have been more vocations here.

"(Green Bay) is a diocese that used to be awash in priestly vocations," he said, shaking his head. "We tried all the things you're supposed to try. So I guess the Lord has other plans."

But he adds that the challenge of serving 390,000 Catholics continues to be met by talented and well-trained lay people in parish and diocesan positions. And the seminarians we do have, which include two who will be ordained this spring, "all look like they'll be fine priests."

And, while he greatly admires the variety of total Catholic education projects led by many of those lay people in the diocese, he had also hoped "to have begun to emphasize more attention on Catholic schools. We have great Catholic schools and we should be encouraging our people to take advantage of that."

Another disappointment for him has been that "fewer people are coming to church" and taking advantage of the graces offered by the Mass and other sacraments. However, he sees real hope for the future in young people.

"When I go to visit a college campus, like I did (in early November) and I pass a small room used as a private chapel and see two young men in there, praying the Rosary together on their own, I think 'the times, they are a-changing.'"

Another sadness has been the clergy sex abuse scandal, both nationally, locally and in his former home of Boston, and the fact that he has been at the center of some of it.

"I don't think I did anything wrong," he said, expressing regret that there wasn't more in the procedures and policies of the time that would have allowed the church to stop abusive priests faster. And he expects to take some blame for the rest of his life.

"Bishops are accused of cover-ups. So it just doesn't do any good to explain what was going on. It's something that happened; you (meaning him and other bishops) have to live with it."

However, in Green Bay, Bp. Banks has overseen the implementation of policies to protect children, policies which are constantly being updated. And he's happy that incoming Bp. David Zubik has expressed a strong concern for the protection of children and all people in the church.

As he looks back over 13 years, he expressed surprise that it has passed so quickly. "It seems like it was about a week," he said. "I used to think 13 years was too long for someone to hold an office. Now it strikes me as really very short."

When he was first consecrated a bishop, on Sept. 19, 1985 for the Boston Archdiocese, he took the motto: "Blessed be God forever." As he faces a change from administrative role to parish life, would he change that motto?

"No way," he said firmly. "It's perfect as far as I'm concerned. It also fits into stewardship. One of first things we learn in stewardship is to be more grateful. And that's what that motto is all about."

He paused, and then added: "It's also very Eucharistic, too, since we say it at every Mass."

He looked around the office that has been his base of operations for 13 years and which will now welcome a different bishop and ponders the future. He could go anywhere he wants, do anything he wants: travel, retire to a cabin, return to his hometown, and even take up new hobbies. Instead, he's moving to the lakeshore of the diocese.

"The main reason I'm staying here is that, 13 years ago, I committed myself to serve the Church of Green Bay.

He shrugged, with a smile. "I haven't finished."