Yesterday evening I had a beautiful, sad experience. The bishop who many years ago hired me for a leadership position in our diocese was laid out in the cathedral, and many of his friends and co-workers gathered with the current bishop to celebrate a vigil service. He was a marvelous man and a bishop who saw his role as that of a "servant of the people of God," embracing Vatican II's definition of church. The gift he was to so many was evident in the faces of those who came to honor and pray for him.
I and many others experienced a bittersweet joy in greeting each other, recalling our working alongside him, sharing with him the major challenges and sweet delights of navigating the post-vatican II developments of our church. The pain of loss was evident among us.
As the eulogist said, he gave us a powerful lesson in letting go as the institutional Church began to shift over the years to a stronger emphasis on structure and a stricter interpretation of tradition. All of us who knew and loved him, and who embraced his understanding of church, now have a challenge. We need to learn, as he did, what to let go of and what to hold on to amidst changes already here and those still pending. May the Spirit who strengthened him be the spirit that strengthens us.
a ky monk
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