Going to the Margins

BY BISHOP BILL MUHM

When Christ was born at Bethlehem, he literally went to the margins of the civilized world. Geographically speaking, Bethlehem was at the remote margins of the Roman Empire, very far from Rome.

20 On 24 October 2016, Pope Francis said to the Society of Jesus: “…the Church needs you, relies on you and continues to turn to you with trust, particularly to reach those physical and spiritual places which others do not reach or have difficulty in reaching… to walk together — free and obedient — moving toward the margins of society where no one else reaches.”

Many thousands of our service members, family members, and

overseas civilians are stationed in remote areas, very far from the Vatican, very far from the Edwin Cardinal O’Brien Pastoral Center in Washington, D.C., and very far from the Pentagon. They live and serve at the margins of the world. As Episcopal Vicar for U.S. forces in Europe and Asia, I spent late Advent and Christmas this year in Okinawa celebrating Mass with those at the margins. It was fantastic! Thank you for your prayers.

One important mission of AMS is to go out the margins and proclaim “Emmanuel—God is with us.”

Our VA priest chaplains minister to God’s people in medical centers in remote areas—at the margins—of the U.S.A.

Our uniformed priests go to the margins as they deploy to remote places with the troops.

Our courageous Lay Leaders and Catholic Representatives go even further to the margins—to places where priests cannot be assigned long term.

Our generous CREs and volunteer catechists go to the margins of the Church in a spiritual sense, by introducing the faith to many of our AMS children who receive very little or no faith formation at home.

Many of those attending Mass feel at the margins. We know this because they sit in the back pews. Yet the Lord Jesus comes Eucharistically in a special way for those in the back pews, who are at the margins.

Another very important mission of AMS is to go after those at the margins of our worshiping community: our young, single Catholic service-members — too

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okinawa

many of whom do not regularly attend Mass. We at AMS are always trying to come up with new, creative ways to go after our single service-members — who are a very important segment of our Catholic population, yet most of them live at the margins. Please pray for us as we do our best to connect with them.

May our newborn King bless and strengthen our Salute readers and all of us at AMS as we go out to the margins. Happy New Year, and God bless you. V

BISHOP MUHM TALK WITH SAILORS AT NAVAL STATION ROTA.

Rome – New Bishops Course

BY BISHOP JOSEPH L. COFFEY

CHRISTMAS 2019 | 23 B ishop Bill Muhm and I were blessed to be able to attend the new bishops course in Rome from 4 – 12 September 2019. For the past 20 years the newly ordained Catholic bishops from all over the world have gathered in Rome for what is affectionately called, “the Baby Bishops Course”.

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We were hosted by the Legionaries of Christ at their seminary in Rome with rooms usually filled with the seminarians who were on vacation. The college seminarians could not have been more helpful to more than 100 bishops attending the course.

The days were full with morning Mass, the Liturgy of the Hours, the Rosary, and several lectures each day by Church officials and lay people on a wide range of topics including finances, pastoral care of the family, the relationship between a bishop and his priests, interreligious dialogue, and evangelizing through digital media. Shortly after Bishop Muhm and I were ordained on 25 March 2019 in the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception with the participation of many of our friends and AMS supporters, Cardinal Marc Ouellet from Canada, the Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, sent us our official invitations.

The lectures were given in a variety of languages but it was like being at the UN, because we wore headsets and could listen in one of five different languages, English, French, Italian, Spanish, or Portuguese. The meal times were particularly enjoyable due to not only the delicious food but the opportunity to practice the different languages many of us have learned over the years. It was polyglot heaven, and a great reminder that the word Catholic means universal. Bishop Muhm and I were also able to visit the North American College to encourage our cosponsored seminarians in their studies. They are Timothy Mergen from Madison, WI; Patrick Costello from Green Bay, WI; Madison Hayes from Anchorage, AK; Bradley Easterbooks from San Diego, CA; Peter Ludwig from Lansing, MI; and Michael Nugent from Arlington, VA. They are all doing really well and enjoying the great opportunity to study Theology in Rome. The highlight of the week was the great joy we had in a beautiful Mass concelebrated with all the new Bishops at the majestic and awe inspiring St. Peter’s in the Vatican.

We then had the great honor of a personal meeting with His Holiness, Pope Francis. In his talk to us, he said that new bishops need to prepare for a life filled with God's surprises with daily plans that change at the last minute and especially for a life dedicated to spending time with God and with His people. No matter what else is going on in our lives and ministries we must spend time in prayer. Pope Francis also urged us to be especially close to our priests who need to be loved, accompanied, and encouraged. We then got to meet individually with him. Shaking the hand and looking into the face of the Vicar of Christ on Earth and hearing him say to me, "Please pray for me" was something I will treasure and never forget. V

BISHOP COFFEY MEETING WITH POPE FRANCIS DURING THE AD LIMA VISIT.