The Book of Bishops - The Szoka Era (Oops!)

 Not really sure to whom the "Oops" should be credited. It could go directly to me or it could go to Edmund Szoka, Archbishop of Detroit.

Or, maybe, just to be honest and fair, we each deserve an "Oops" for this one.

This event occurred while I was still pastor at Precious Blood Parish, a fine parish in a stunning neighborhood in the City of Detroit. By the time I became pastor, the parish numbers were in serious decline. Other faith communities were doing a far better job at evangelization and that, together with newly arrived residents who had other faith traditions, brought about the decline that made Precious Blood actually a rather small faith community.

Although small in number, there was a strength, a dynamism in the members. There was a vibrant commitment to upholding the neighborhood and to sustaining the Catholic presence.

And somewhere in this timeframe I became the vicar for the area.

Which meant regular meetings on an Archdiocesan level along with local, vicariate and parish meetings and chores and such.

The Archdiocesan vicars' meetings regularly included the presence of the Archbishop, at that time Edmund Szoka.

And that is when those "Opps" occurred.

And I suggest that the good Archbishop started it and even asked for it.

He brought up an item about Archdiocesan support for parishes in the City of Detroit.

Now, truth be told, from the days of Archbishop John Dearden, there had been regular, generous financial support from the top down to the local parish communities. Funding was there for many worthy purposes.

That being said, at this particular vicars' meeting Archbishop Szoka brought up the concern that he was hearing that City parishes were not well supported by the Archdiocese and by him, personally. This was proving concerning to him as he considered himself and the Archdiocese to be very generous.

He looked around the room. Then he spied me.

And then his "Opps" occurred.

"Ron," he called out. "You are a City pastor. Do you feel a lack of support/"

Should have never asked - at least not me.

I can tend to be honest. And that is exactly what happened, which was probably my "Opps" moment.

I can't recall my exact words but I do know this. I spoke out before the assembled vicars and our Archbishop.

I acknowledged that, indeed, financial support is available.

But, I dared to add.

We never see you!

We need your visible, physical presence in our City parishes. We need you not just to be visiting those big, fancy suburban parishes. We need you standing, really, visibly with us. The money is appreciated but you are even more appreciated.

There was a silence in the room.

Listening closely, one just might have heard Edmund Szoka muttering under his breath, "Opps!"

But he asked!

And I answered.

And a couple of days later I got a chance for a very real "Opps" of my own.

A phone call came from that sacred Downtown office.

And I was informed that the Archbishop would be coming to Precious Blood for Mass on the very next Sunday.

No time to fancy things up or get out any pomp.

A true pastoral visit. No real advance warning or preparation time. He was coming to stand at the altar with the people and afterwards meet with and talk to them. I asked for it. And I got it!

"Opps!"

But all in all those turned out to be good "Opps!""

The Pastor of the Church of Detroit got to mingle with some of that Church, a segment far too often taken for granted. It was a good time, a holy moment.

And it was not his last visit with us.

And it is certainly among the many "opps" in my life, one that I continue to treasure.

More is certainly to come!

The Book of Bishops - The Szoka Era (Invitation)

 It came with just hours notice!

An invitation.

It was a day in early March, cannot remember the actual day) but I do remember the general timing of the event. It was late afternoon (perhaps early evening?) and the phone rang. The caller was some Downtown Official. Again, the name escapes me and is actually irrelevant to this episode. Anyhow, the caller was informing me that there was to be a press conference the next morning at Sacred Heart Seminary and the Archbishop wanted me to be invited, hoping that I could also be present.

While the invitation was something of a surprise, the actual press conference was really not all that much of a surprise.

Pope Joan Paul II was coming later in the year to the United States. He had already made a trip to visit the East Coast with a side trip to Chicago. This time the plan was for him to visit the South and West. However, it was rather common knowledge that Archbishop Szoka really wanted a visit to Detroit and was pulling out all sorts of stops to make that happen.

A side trip to the Midwest and Detroit on a planned jaunt through the South and West hardly seemed likely.

But the convening of this special press conference only served to fuel speculation that the Archbishop just may have pulled it off.

And sure enough!

The heart of the conference was the announcement that John Paul II was, indeed, coming to Detroit! He would swing in from the West, pay on overnight visit and then head back West for a stop at a Canadian Native American outpost.Szoka had puled it off!

John Paul would visit Detroit, stop for prayer at the Cathedral, spend Saturday morning visiting Hamtramck and follow that with a stop at Hart Plaza, a meeting with deacons from around the country and close things out with Mass at the Pontiac Sliverdome.

Announcement made; questions answered; the press conference was at an end.

However, before exiting, I made a stop to speak some words to the Archbishop. I offered congratulations and then told him that if in any way he thought I could help with this project, he should feel free to let me know. I was ready, willing and (so I thought) able.

It was only a few days later after still another meeting on still a different matter, that I discovered that the Archbishop had actually paid attention to my offer and even more than that, was taking me up on it.

One of the Downtown Staff walked with me as I left the meeting. 

"I will be calling you to talk about your job for the Papal Visit," he informed me.

Of course I asked what that job might be.

The response was evasive. Something like, we can talk all about it tomorrow.

But I was not giving up that easily.

"You can tell me now," I assured. "I think I can handle most anything."

And then I said it - that most revealing of statements.

"There is only one job that would keep me awake at night."

"And what might that be? my informant asked.

"Trying to coordinate Communion at the Silverdome Mass, " I replied.

"Well, go home and get one more good night's sleep," my informant declared. "We will talk further tomorrow."And with that a simple phone call invitation to a press conference, coming from the Archbishop of Detroit, became a six month life changer!

Thanks, Edmund C. Szoka, for entrusting me with that one!

More is certainly to come!