Saint Thomas Aquinas once said, “There is nothing on this earth to be prized more than true friendship.”
Clergy and friends from throughout the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis were eager to share stories of the life and ministry of Bishop Joseph Williams, as well as their friendships, as they bid him a fond farewell from the Twin Cities to take up the mantle of coadjutor bishop of the Diocese of Camden.
Love of the Blessed Sacrament
Joseph Lichty met Bishop Williams when both were in the seminary. Now a father of seven children who serves as stewardship director for the Diocese of Crookston, Minn., Lichty shared how Bishop Williams’ great love for the Blessed Sacrament deeply impacted him during an unimaginable time.
“One of my sons, Andrew, lived just a few days,” Lichty said. “He was in an isolette in the NICU and hadn’t moved for over 24 hours. Father Williams was there with me, and he had placed the Blessed Sacrament inside the isolette [a clear plastic crib]. We were singing songs of praise and adoration, and our eyes were closed. Father Williams and I had our arms up while praying; when I opened my eyes, I saw that Andrew had lifted his arms as well. He died 24 hours later.”
Addressing the people of the Camden Diocese, Lichty continued, “This is the gift Father Joseph has: His faith cannot just stay with him, but must go out to the lost sheep. … This is the Good Samaritan, this is the kind of bishop you are getting. He lives it humbly with great prayer and silence, but he is also a man of great action. He still honors that.”
To the highest heights
Longtime friend Michael Brashier called Bishop Williams “an amiable person, very bright, easy to talk to, and willing to share his knowledge.” Add those traits together, with a pinch of adventure, and the result is positively ethereal.
The Archdiocese’s Cathedral of Saint Paul, a massive edifice in the Beaux Arts/Neoclassical style measuring 43,560 square feet and 306.5 feet tall, was under reconstruction when Bishop Williams decided to take a close look at the renovations. A very close look, Brashier recalled.
“Father Joe found a maintenance guy who showed him how to get inside the building,” he recounted, chuckling. The cleric and group of friends took the standard tour – with an unauthorized, lofty addition. “He went up fire ladders and through trap doors to the top of the ceiling inside, to the top of the dome and another 70 feet or so up to another ceiling,” Brashier said. “He wanted to show us its culture and architecture. He has a love for art, a vigor for life, and wants to share that with everyone.”
A sense of community
Father Paul Treacy, pastor of Church of the Assumption, Saint Paul, clearly remembers the matter-of-fact statement made by Bishop Williams when confronted with the possibility a parish in their deanery would close due to lack of enrollment.
“Father Williams said, ‘We can go evangelize and invite them in a sense of community.’ I could see the excitement in his eyes. It was most inspiring for me as a fellow pastor,” said Father Treacy of then-Father Williams’ parish, Saint Stephen. “He developed his own people, and we went out to invite others. They were longing for a sense of community. That shows what can happen when you open the doors.”
A great number of congregants of the rejuvenated parish attended Father Williams’ episcopal Mass, many bearing banners of gratitude; Father Treacy recalled the papal nuncio was greatly moved by their presence. “Father Williams is a great contributor of evangelization initiatives,” the fellow priest said. “We helped him spread [those initiatives] to the whole diocese, which built off what he learned would work: real-life practice coupled with scriptural theology. He is one of the great minds out there.”
Bonds of friendship
Friends of Bishop Williams were eager to share the traits of the clergyman they loved best, as well as their advice to aid him in settling into life in the Garden State.
Father Daniel Griffith, Basilica of Saint Mary, Minneapolis: “Bishop Williams asks for his people to pray for him and have an open heart to his ministry. Know that he is a man of deep faith, strong pastoral vision. He has a dry sense of humor and a gracious manner, but is upfront. We say what is on our minds.”
Father Treacy: “He has the strongest prayer life of anybody I know, and was instilled by his family to bring work to prayer and prayer to work. He is intellectually curious, does a couple of hours of study each day.”
Joseph Lichty: “He is a very humble, real person. He loves coffee and jazz music and loves to mountain bike. He loves to welcome the stranger. He really wants to see his staff use their gifts and talents and spread out leadership responsibilities. Invite him over to dinner; honor his [daily prayer] quiet time.”
Scott Eiden: “It is very easy to get to know him, because what you see is what you get. He has zero façade and is very genuine. You are getting one of our most beloved people. Please pray for him; the enemy is real. Joseph is so open to the Holy Spirit.”
Michael Brashier: “He is such an amiable person, is very bright, exudes beautiful candor and is easy to talk to. He has a heart for different cultures in general. Don’t be afraid of the unknown: It would mean the world to him to see an outpouring of faith, an excitement. What a great shepherd he will be.”
at the bottom and then tap “Add to Home Screen”
