News

What gifts will new bishop bring?

By Sam Lucero
Compass Staff

GREEN BAY -- When Milwaukee Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan spoke to diocesan employees Oct. 3, five days after he was appointed apostolic administrator of the Green Bay Diocese, he said a new bishop for Green Bay would likely be announced around Easter.

	A time of Transition

"What we are looking for is the appointment of a new bishop soon - at Easter time," stated Archbishop Dolan.

With Easter less than one month away, the appointment could come any day.

In anticipation of Pope Benedict XVI's selection of a new bishop, The Compass asked several diocesan leaders to list the gifts or qualities they think a new bishop should possess in order to best serve the diocese at this time.

Among those responding by e-mail was Archbishop Dolan.

"Let's start with the soul: we need a bishop of durable, deep faith, very much in love with Jesus and his church, able to communicate that love with his people," he wrote.

"Let's move to the heart: the new bishop must be humble, willing to listen to the needs, fears, and hopes of his people, able to let his priests and people know he loves them," he continued.

"Now up to the brain: the new bishop needs an intelligent grasp of Scripture, theology, the church's teaching, and the pastoral challenges facing the church today," wrote Archbishop Dolan. "We hope he's energetic, because he'll have a lot of work to do and area to cover, and we want him to unpack and stay in the diocese, learning to feel at home with some of God's greatest folks who are eager to embrace him."

Bishop Robert Morneau listed five qualities:

• Caring, compassionate person;
  
  
• Competent in theology and administration;
  
  
• Gifts of hospitality and humor;
  
  
• Deep love for the Lord and the church;
  
  
• (Must) like sauerkraut.

Deacon Tim Reilly, who serves as diocesan director of administration, said he prays that the new bishop will "fit the description of the 'Good Shepherd.'"

"First and foremost, he should be a pastor with the gifts of empathy and keen listening, who seeks input from and responds to the multi-dimensional needs of the faithful," he said.

"As a person of God, our bishop needs to be genuinely prayerful so that he can lead us in prayer and worship," added Deacon Reilly. "Our shepherd needs to be a teacher of the faith so as to authentically lead the flock as we pass on the tenets of our faith from one generation to the next. Finally, our new bishop needs to have the energy and initiative to take a Gospel stance on moral issues and to inspire and rally the faithful to work together in growing the church."

Ann Fox, who is coordinator of the diocesan safe environment program, believes a new bishop should have gifts that promote healing among survivors of sexual abuse.

She lists these gifts as: A deep trust in God, a listening heart and mind, openness, patience, compassion and humility.

To promote healing, Fox said the bishop needs "the ability to acknowledge the unfathomable pain of those abused, to recognize the intensity of denial of the abusers and others who have never been abused, as well as to recognize and help work through the confusion and misunderstanding among the faithful who have not experienced abuse first-hand yet who are affected by it in their parishes and local communities."

In addition to being someone who is prayerful, pastoral, decisive, a good administrator and a good listener, Joe Bound, director of education, listed other key qualities:

• Someone who has been an educator;
  
  
• Someone very interested in growing adult faith formation, religious education and Catholic schools in this diocese;
  
  
• Someone very supportive of the Faith Alive project;
  
  
• A real people person;
  
  
• A critical thinker and someone who can analyze a situation from all angles;
  
  
• Someone who understands marketing and public relations, especially as it relates to Catholic education;
  
  
• Someone who has a lot of energy and is in good health;
  
  
• Someone who is not afraid to articulate a vision and go after it; who would be interested in developing a strategic plan for the Diocese of Green Bay;
  
  
• Someone who enthusiastically embraces Pope John Paul II's new evangelization and Pope Benedict XVI's vision of the church universal;
  
  
• Someone who can inspire young people or single adults with years of working experience to the priesthood and religious life;
  
  
• Someone who supports the deacons, parish directors, and pastoral associates in their ministry.

Karen Johnston, director of Catholic Charities, said the new bishop should be a man of deep faith and a servant leader "dedicated to the role of shepherd."

"My prayer will be that he reaches out not just to Catholics, but to all people who struggle to lead the lives that God intended for us to live," she added. "I would hope that he would encourage us to embrace the servant mission of the church."

Johnston also believes the new bishop should "encourage action on behalf of justice" and be a "champion of collaborative ministry, recognizing that the collective gifts of many add a unique element to projects that can be undertaken collectively throughout northeastern Wisconsin."