from the bishop

by Bishop Francis I. Malone

SINCE BECOMING A BISHOP FOUR YEARS AGO, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED OF ME HAS BEEN, “WHAT DO YOU ENJOY THE MOST IN YOUR LIFE AS A BISHOP?”

It is a question that has a lengthy answer because there is so much that brings joy to my life in this episcopal role. I certainly enjoy visiting parishes and schools, I like being around people, I enjoy the staff that assists me from day to day at the Chancery Office. Confirmations are a special cause of joy, and on those occasions when I am called upon to ordain a young man to the Diaconate or Priesthood – well, it doesn’t get much better than that!

With all of that said, if there is one moment in my yearly schedule that fills me with joy it would be celebrating the annual Chrism Mass at the Cathedral. Scheduled each year during Holy Week, all of the priests of the diocese gather with me, first to participate in a day of reflection and prayer, and then to concelebrate the Chrism Mass. During the Chrism Mass three things happen: the annual renewal of the priestly promises, the blessing and consecration of the oils used in the sacraments throughout the diocese, and most importantly, the concelebration of the Eucharist. Additionally, during the course of the day, the priests have time for individual reconciliation, and a couple of reflections given us by a guest priest, usually from another diocese. Having participated in the Chrism Mass Day schedule for over forty some years, I have found that the fraternity we feel as priests gathered together binds us more closely to one another and helps us to reflect profoundly on the gift of our priesthood, and that which binds us like no other time of the year as we gather around the Altar celebrating Mass together.

For some of the priests, this gathering is the only time they get to visit with other brother priests and share the joy of the priesthood to which we have been called. For four years I have had the unique opportunity of leading our fraternity of priests in the renewal of their priestly promises. We do this in the presence of a full Cathedral Church, and we depend on the prayers of the congregation for us. You never know the difficulties one of the priests might be going through at that time, or how much in need of your prayers for us we are. All I can say is that the prayerful support of the faithful gathered for this Mass fills me with the kind of joy not found in many other places. So, I have a favor to ask of those of you reading this message: come to the Chrism Mass! This year it will be held on Tuesday of Holy Week, March 26, at 6 p.m. Come to pray for my brother priests and me! Lift us up so that our annual renewal of promises may be sincere and blessed. Bring your children to the Mass as a sign of the love we as priests have for you and for them. Help us to become the priests the Lord has called us to be, for you, and for ourselves.