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!