Before launching into this new episode of Book, let me address that other item.
Yes, it has been a bit since the last installment. Honestly speaking, I have been a bit busy and also distracted by some other items. I have been in the process of uprooting my life - yes, even at my age! - and actually, physically moving. I am now in a new location. I have left behind Senior Clergy Village on the campus of Madonna University where I made my home for the last eight years and I have relocated to The Reserve at Red Run in Madison Heights, now my new home. A ministerial possibility opened here and I felt called to consider it. So now here I am in a new location and starting a new chapter in my ministry.
Having said that, let's get on with the bishops' saga as we continue into the Szoka Era.
It was some years after the "Kosnik Episode" that I was to have any further dealings with Edmund Szoka. For me, things remained quiet and some might suggest that, especially in that Era, quiet was a very good thing. Those who had dealings with the Archbishop seemed often to find themselves frustrated, angry, disappointed, and a whole lot of other very negative descriptives.
Edmund Szoka was not, especially in his years as Detroit's Archbishop, a very likable person.
However, in 1985 I found myself in a position of once again having to deal with the Archbishop and this time it would be up close and personal.
Early in the year it was announced that in the fall of that year there would be a convocation of the priests of the Archdiocese of Detroit. The convocation idea was new but also beginning to catch on as a means of furthering and fostering a spirit of unity and supportiveness in ministry.
However, such an undertaking would also require a lot of effort, planning and organizing. For such an event to be successful, ,amu heads would have to be put together to shape the event.
This convocation would take place in the northern part of Michigan's lower peninsula, in the resort of Boyne Mountain. The resort was just far enough away geographically so that the participants would not be tempted to head home after hours. It was large enough to accomodate the expected number of participants and it had rooms sizable enough for planned group activities.
And I was called on to lead the committee in charge of liturgies and prayer experiences.
Each day would include Mass, common morning and evening prayer, a night prayer to conclude the day, opportunity for quiet time before the Eucharistic Lord and, of course, the Sacrament of Penance.
And we were assigned the locker room as our "chapel" for the week.
My first task was gathering a committee to work together. This could not be all the effort of one or even just a few. It would take a number of individuals with a variety of skills, including competency in music, art and environment. After all, a locker room had to be transformed into a chapel, suitable to being a prayerful surrounding.
I had no trouble finding and recruiting very able bodies.
And the meetings began and the planning got underway.
Early on in this project the various committee heads were flown, at the direct insistence of the Archbishop, by private plane to Boyne to actually spend the day on site getting a hands on feel for what was available to us.
At that day's end we were flown back, given time to freshen up and then we met with the Archbishop for dinner (on him, of course) at the Detroit Athletic Club! Not too shabby! There we gacvve him our reports on the findings of the day's journey.
That was my first face-to-face with Edmund Szoka and it certainly did not leave me shaking in my boots. It was pleasant, productive, enjoyable as was he. (And maybe, just maybe, that glass of fine scotch added a little assist as well.)
But the actual working sessions of the committee began to produce quite a different experience.
A constant question began to emerge as we discussed prayer and liturgical experience possibilities for the convocation.
"Will he (read that as The Archbishop) allow that?"
That question began to take still another sound.
"He won't go for that" or "He won't tolerate that" or "He won't allow that."
Edmund Szoka became the phantom presence in our meetings.
And that presence became increasingly paralyzing.
We were actually trying to read his mind, guess his reactions, and this was preventing us from really creatively planning.
Finally I reached a breaking point.
"Enough!" I declared.
I am going to meet with him directly and ask face to face. We needed to stop guessing and start dealing with actual answers and so I would meet with The Archbishop and ask the questions.
And the committee responded.
It will not happen. He will not meet with you. He doesn't do things like that.
And I replied back, "Just wait and see!"
Watch for more in the weeks to come.
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