In his first Mass as Coadjutor Bishop of Camden, Bishop Joseph A. Williams called on his new flock to live a “culture of encounter … not just looking, but seeing … not just listening, but hearing … by drawing close [and] offering … a drop of life.”
Almost two hours later, he put his words into action as he toured the Catholic Charities, Diocese of Camden, offices on Haddon Avenue in Camden. Visiting with Bishop Dennis J. Sullivan; Father Robert Hughes, Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia; and Father Joshua Nevitt, Bishop Sullivan’s priest-secretary, Bishop Williams met a young Catholic Charities client who recently broke her ankle. He listened intently as she recounted recent housing struggles and praised her unbroken spirit.
“You’re still smiling, that’s amazing,” Bishop Williams said, drawing from her an even-bigger grin. “God bless you. I’ll pray for you. Keep smiling. I hope to see you when I come back.”
As he moved on and his footsteps receded, the client said, “He brightened my day. He’s a blessing.”
Such were the sentiments of others, as well, who welcomed Bishop Williams to the offices of Catholic Charities, Housing Services and Internet Technology in Camden. As two Catholic Charities staff escorted Bishop Williams throughout the building, case manager Dan Coyle shook the prelate’s hand in awe.
“My mom’s going to be jealous that I met the new bishop,” Coyle said, drawing a laugh from Bishop Williams.
Upon learning that Coyle is also a recent addition to the Diocese of Camden, Bishop Williams said that the two “need to have a rookie lunch together in the next six months, to see how we’re doing.”
Noticing the Philadelphia sports paraphernalia around the office of Ron Pilla, he pledged a return to the director of information technology’s dwelling, especially around Eagles’ football season.
“I know where to come Monday afternoons, if the Eagles get the win,” he said.
Expressing confidence that he “will support the work we do,” Dr. Maria Elena Hallion, executive director of Catholic Charities, said Bishop Williams’ words and interactions show that “he’s already fit into our Diocese.”
As the day continued, Bishop Williams visited Sacred Heart Residence in Cherry Hill, meeting with retired priests. He learned about their hometowns and years of dedicated service in the Diocese of Camden, bilingual liturgies and the nearby walking trails.
Reiterating his words from the morning’s news conference that “Our God is a God of surprises,” Bishop Williams said, “Certainly this [appointment] was a surprise for me, but I couldn’t be happier.”
He also recalled the words of Archbishop Bernard Hebda of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, who is familiar with some of priests in the Diocese of Camden.
“The archbishop told me your priests here are the salt of the earth,” Bishop Williams said. “So far, so good.”
Bishop Williams and retired priest Father James Durkin formed an immediate connection, as the two realized they both knew the late Archbishop Harry Flynn of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. Not only did Archbishop Flynn ordain Bishop Williams to the priesthood in 2002, but he was also Father Durkin’s homiletics professor and dean of discipline at Mount Saint Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md., in the mid-1960s.
Father Durkin praised Bishop Williams’ enthusiasm for the mission of the Church. “[You’re] going to be a great spirit in our Diocese.”
As he neared the end of a public day of warm welcomes in Camden County, Bishop Williams said, “I can’t wait to come back and learn more from you.”
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