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!

The Book of Bishops - The Szoka Era (Meeting)

 I would like to schedule a meeting with Archbishop Szoka.

My simple, straight-forward request was submitted.

And the naturally expected responses followed.

Why do you need this meeting?

Can't you just plan and allow the Archbishop to take his role?

But my most clear-cut reasoning finally broke through all of the questions and objections.

We wanted our meetings and planning sessions to be productive and presently were being stymied by trying to guess the mind and potential responses of the Archbishop.

There would, indeed, be a meeting!

Szoka and I would sit down together in his office downtown in the Chancery building.

And that day and that meeting finally arrived.

I walked into the office; we shook hands and were seated.

The Archbishop opened the conversation.

"So, what do you want me to do?" he asked.

"Sorry, Archbishop," I responded, "But you do not work that way. The better question would be - What are you planning to do?"

He smiled and began to describe how he envisioned his role in the Convocation liturgies. His vision was exactly what I had been expecting. He intended, not to preside at them. Our preliminary working drafts had already set out our plans. We wanted to allow the Convocation participants to get a glimpse of the richness of the presbyteriate of the Archdiocese of Detroit. Our plan was to have an elder clergy preside and homilize one day, a fairly newly ordained at still another, a religious order priest and somewhere-in-the-middle priests on remaining days.

But what about the Archbishop?

His initial response was to embrace the planned presiders. He, however, would take a solemn archbishop's role, vested in alb, stole and cope, located in a position of honor, taking some of the prayers to himself and visually overseeing the whole time.

He would clearly be the one in control, so to speak.

Which was exactly what we were trying to avoid.

Those working on the Convocation plans were hoping to present a more human side to this all to often feared and even disliked Archbishop. We wanted to give him the chance to invite us to actually like him and see him as truly a brother.

And the role he envisioned for himself liturgically, while ritually correct, would also muddy the waters.

But I had come to that meeting prepared.

I responded to the Archbishop by acknowledging that he would certainly be in line assuming the role he was describing. However, there were other possibilities.

And then I produced the Vatican document outlining the possibilities for a setting such as the one we would be in.

I handed a copy of the document to the Archbishop and explained that four varying possibilities did exist and were all possible.

He looked at the document, somewhat surprised that I had such. However, even more surprising to him was the fact that he next acknowledged.

"This thing is all in Latin!" the Archbishop exclaimed.

"Yes, Archbishop," I responded. "I thought it best if we discuss this in the Latin so that you do not in any way suggest that I am misreading or mistranslating."

And he smiled!

And we looked at the four possibilities from the first and most solemn, which was the one he was embracing, to a less formal, to a rather passive but still vested presence to the fourth possibility.

He read and then reread that one.  

"Well, this one puts me in civilian (read that casual, non-clerical) clothes and just one among the rest of you!"

"Exactly!" I replied. "But it is allowed!"

And within seconds he was bringing the meeting to its ending.

"I cannot do that." He was declaring. "Let me think about this and get back to you."

And our meeting was over.

It was about a week later that I got the phone call from the Archbishop's Office.

The Archbishop would accept the fourth option for his role in the Convocation liturgies!

However, a couple of conditions were attached to that seismic decision.

The Archbishop would preside as Archbishop and homilist at the closing Mass (already planned anyhow and so an easy concession) and I would write a letter to all of the priests of the Archdiocese telling them to bring albs and stoles to wear for the closing Mass.

I explained that I would write the letter but could not guaranteed that all would comply.

Understood.

Write the letter and the Archbishop will take his place all week long, seated among his brother priests and wearing his stylish sweater.

And so went my first real one-on-one with Edmund Szoka. That was the first but definitely not the last!

More is certainly to come!

The Book of Bishops - The Szoka Era (Convocation)

 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.

The Book of Bishops - The Szoka Era (A Resolution?)

Anthony Kosnik's obituary provided a very simple descriptive of that troubled moment:

 As a result of very strong opposition to the book by conservative elements of the Catholic Church, and his refusal to recant, Tony's contract at SS Cyril and Methodius Seminary was not renewed for the 1981-82 academic year. This led to strong student and faculty protest, as well as confrontation with the Archbishop, and eventually resulted in his appointment to the faculty of Marygrove College, in Detroit. Tony directed the M.A. Program in Pastoral Ministry at Marygrove from 1983 until the time of his retirement in 2000.

Short; sweet' simple - however, maybe a bit too brief and simple. At least from what I remember, maybe someone was trying to keep the descriptive brief or perhaps they were just trying to remember events from off top of their head. At any rate at least some of my recollection is at variance, particularly the cited dates.

My recollection puts this as happening in late winter and early spring of 1982, which would mean that the contract renewal in question would have been for 1982/1983. A bit later I will let you know why I stick with those dates.

As to the issue at hand, for me, before making any moves, especially any based on an "unnamed source" phone call, I decided to check the facts. I placed a phone call to Kosnik's office where, as might be expected, calls were not being answered. Fortunately, I had his private number and that worked. I got to speak with him directly and heard him confirm that a new contract was not being offered to him. 

While there was no evident, crystal-clear evidence of any Person in Great Authority being involved in this decision, speculation about an ultimate and greater source was certainly present. Tony was not going public with anything or making any public statements, especially any speculative statements.

Of course there was nothing to prevent me from speaking with the press. Just be careful!

And that was an important element and piece of wisdom.

After all, even if a certain bishop was behind this, well, the bishop of any diocese certainly had the authority and sometimes even the duty to call for the transfer of a priest within that diocese. And back then we were still operating under the older Code of Canon Law which emphasized strongly a bishop's "rights."

Furthermore, as the chief teacher and guardian of orthodoxy within the local Church, the bishop had certain duties. These were not questionable and still should not be.

However, there was another question that seemed at play in this matter. It could be called academic freedom or academic license. It did not and should not mean that the academic field should be "free" to do anything or say anything or think anything at all. There were and should be boundaries but also a certain flexibility for academic development, for growth and deepening and advancing - even in the fields of theology. Research should never be ruled out.

After all, Vatican II would not have been able to present us with the beautiful renewal of liturgy except for academic study, discussion and development. Other Constitutions and documents, likewise, evidence theological growth and development. Matter of fact, without such growth and development, we might be relegated to the ancient practice of allowing the Sacrament of Penance to be administered only once in a lifetime after Baptism. No third chances back then! But growth, development happened.

So, the real question emerging from all of this was - what is this action possibly saying regarding academic development in the area of theology?

And as a teacher, this question and its answer impacted me and every other theology faculty member!

And when, somehow, the story leaked out to the local press, this was the question set out before the public. And when, a short time later, the National Catholic Reporter made contact with me for comments on this breaking story, this was my point of focus.

And along with the story breaking in local and national news, I began to get phone calls from students asking what they could or should do. 

And an opportune moments was definitely presenting itself.

Just days after this breaking event the Archbishop of Detroit, Edmund C. Szoka, was hosting a unique gathering of clergy and laity from the Church of Detroit for the first ever Archdiocesan Assembly. The numbers would be sizable enough to fill the seats of the auditorium of Sacred Heart Seminary.

And somehow those gathering for that Assembly were greeted (as was the Archbishop on his arrival) by a significant crowd, carrying signs, of course, and asking in their chant, what was going on at Orchard Lake and with Father Anthony Kosnik. 

And that questioning did not abate or disappear inside the seminary auditorium. Delegates to the Assembly picked up the question and began to take to the public microphones joining in the search for clarity.

Oh! And I was nowhere near that scene!

I had received still another "unnamed source" phone call. And this is why I also know that the obituary dates may be off. This had to be happening in 1982 because early that year I had decided that it was time for me to consider moving on from my current pastorate. I was considering a new opportunity and folks Downtown knew this. In fact by this time I had my eyes on one particular parish and that was also known.

So the phone call I received was a simple word of advice.

"If you want that assignment, you had just better settle down!"

I got the hint.

I shut my mouth. 

Shortly afterward I was named pastor of the Church of the Precious Blood in Detroit, a ministry that I assumed in 1982. I was also, then, added as adjunct faculty at Sacred Heart Seminary temporarily until another could get academically qualified to take over full time.

Oh, and Tony's contract was actually renewed. An understanding and agreement managed to be reached. He stayed on for one more year and then gracefully resigned. He chose to not renew!

And he was allowed to take on another teaching assignment, continuing to use his academic gifts now at Marygrove College.

And from my new position at Precious Blood Parish new opportunities unfolded for interacting with Edmund C. Szoka! The fun had just begun!

Watch for more in the weeks to come.

The Book of Bishops - The Szoka Era (Dawning)

 And now we arrive at memories of what may well have been the most significant of my Memories of Bishops - The Szoka Era.

Edmund C. Szoka came to the Archdiocese of Detroit following the retirement of John Dearden. His origins were Pure Michigan and his episcopal roots were as the first bishop of the Diocese of Gaylord.

When John Dearden came to us from Pittsburgh, he bore the reputation of being "Iron John," steel cold and inflexible. Edmund Szoka came with no such designation. He really did not need a nickname. His actions spoke loudly enough. I suspect that there are some who would even suggest that Iron would be too flexible and pliable a material for describing Edmund Szoka!

His voice -- his very presence -- one glance from him -- any of these could make even those very strong tremble in their boots.

I think that may have been why the Szoka Era played such a significant part in my life.

And having set out that descriptive, now let me back up a bit and capture a prelude to our very first encounter.

I was back from my studies at the University of Notre Dame and I was newly positioned as pastor of St.  Clement of Rome in Romeo, Michigan and still very early in this process, with that new degree safely in hand and no office job to accompany it, I was asked to join the faculty of SS Cyril and Methodius Seminary in Orchard Lake, Michigan.

They needed someone to handle this newly emerging "science" of liturgy and all of the emerging documents and at that time in our history, such qualified persons were few and far between. However, I was a newly appointed pastor who had just spurned a bureaucratic full time position.

It was agreed that I would serve as adjunct faculty, maintaining my parish life while setting aside time weekly each semester to provide needed courses in liturgical theology.

I would have the best of both worlds (so to speak) or just maybe the worst!

But honestly, teaching was exhilarating and I especially enjoyed interacting with the students, often learning from the examples being set by lay students, newly being admitted to theological studies and exhibiting deep appreciation to what, far too often, seminary students were then taking for granted.

And the Dean of Studies, my immediate supervisor, was also a joy with whom to work. He was then becoming a well known theologian, Anthony Kosnik. He even had a book about to be released. It would prove to be, for back then in the 1970's, a very radical work on human sexuality.

And that is where my first real up close and personal encounter with Edmund Szoka would take place.

I had been serving on the adjunct faculty of the seminary for a number of years when "It" happened. Matter of fact, I had also been in parish as pastor for even a slightly longer period of time.

During this span of time there were numerous occasions when I would have the occasion to meet with and have discussions with Tony Kosnik. Mostly we spoke of educational approaches and techniques on the graduate study level. I do believe that we both felt strongly about how subject matter should be handled when dealing with those who had arrived at  this particular level of learning.

But then one fine day I received a phone call.

And do not try and even pretend that, at least back in those days, even Archdiocesan Offices did not have news leaks!

This caller, aware that I was working, even if part time, in the seminary and also with Tony Kosnik, just wanted me to be informed.

Anthony Kosnik was being removed from his position!

He was not going willingly. He was being ordered out.

And guess, just guess who might be giving the order!

Watch for more in the weeks to come.

The Book of Bishops - The Dearden Era (Payback?)

The days of late July, 1967 in Detroit are still remembered by those who lived through them and still talked about and even studied by those hungry for some lessons in history. These were the days when the streets of Detroit erupted in anger and frustration, days of our very own home-brewed troubles.

Following these days of turmoil and trouble many leaders sought to learn the lessons needed to move forward. One such leader was the Archbishop of Detroit, John Dearden. By this time the Second Vatican Council was finished and its impact was clearly felt on Detroit's Archbishop.

One of the ideas he developed for responding to the Troubles of 1967 centered in the annual fund-raising drive, actually inaugurated years before, by his predecessor, Archbishop Edward Mooney. That was the Archdiocesan Development Fund. (ADF)

Each year in springtime this fund-raising drive swept across all parishes raising funds for a variety of purposes, all necessary and all just too expansive to be handled by any single parish. Funds were raised to purchase properties for new parishes, for enabling and enriching educational endeavors, for counseling projects and the like. And each year Catholics across the Archdiocese proved themselves generous again and again.

Until the year after those Troubles of 1967.

That year, to the mix of charitable causes already funded the Archbishop added special outreach into the Black Community, providing seed monies to enable self-help efforts at bettering lives.

But far too many were having no part of this added effort.

Too many Catholics back then were still not ready to hear the powerful message of the Gospel in terms of true outreach to neighbors.

The ADF in 1968 tanked in terms of raising designated funds.

And it continued to tank the next year and the year after that.

Recovery would be a long time coming.

Then came the surprise for me personally.

I cannot remember today exactly what year it happened but I do know that I had managed to avoid that desk job downtown, the heat was off and I was settling into my position as pastor out in Romeo.

And the call came.

Archbishop Dearden had named me as that year's priest chair for the ADF!

And he was calling on me to work closely with the newly named lay chair to strat bring a robustness back to the ADF!

Payback for letting me settle into a parish position instead of sitting behind a desk? Who knows. What I do know is that for the next two years I would be front and center as the clergy face for the ADF and I would be spending a whole lot of time in person and on the phone with brother priests convincing them to get behind the efforts and bring this important effort back to a strong, healthy life!

Oh! And that also meant having a "make-over." Seems I was one of those "with the times" and my hair back then was a bit too long and too curly.  And those glasses! The kind that would darken when impacted by sunshine! Get rid of them. Photos of me had to be of a straight-laced, clean-cut, respectable looking cleric! The pros got busy and I got that make-over.

And I got to meet and work with the lay chair of the ADF who was also the president (and I guess in today's terns CEO) of the Burrough's Corporation, at that time one of the leading local innovators in computer technology. This was back when computers occupied whole rooms and even whole floors! He introduced me to the future and shared visions of days ahead and brought me in on the ground floor of a dawning era.

And we actually did, also, turn the ADF around, hitting target once again after a number of years of falling short.

And I have John Dearden to thank for that part of my life.

But then he retired and his replacement was named - the bishop of Gaylord, Michigan, someone named Edmund Szoka!

And if we thought Dearden was Iron John when he came to Detroit, we were about to get a lesson in what Iron truly meant.

Edmund Szoka was coming to Detroit. The Szoka Era was about to begin.

And some years of real "fun" were dawning!

Watch for more in the weeks to come.