‘Shepherd them to God,’ Bishop urges priests at Chrism Mass

BLACKWOOD – “Please, brothers, always Good News.”

Addressing priests and deacons of the Diocese during the annual Chrism Mass, Bishop Dennis Sullivan called on clergy to “let the Good News be heard in your message.”

Preach in ways that “challenges, encourages, stimulates, educates, advises and counsels the holy people of God,” he said. “Preach in the tradition of the prophets; preach with the boldness of Jeremiah, the prophet; preach with the poetic license of Isaiah; preach with the shepherd’s heart of Jesus,” he continued during the liturgy celebrated April 4 in Saint Agnes Church, Our Lady of Hope Parish.

With religious and faithful of the Diocese filling the pews, dozens of priests renewed their commitment to the priesthood, pledging to be “faithful stewards of the mysteries of God…moved by zeal for souls.” Bishop Sullivan also consecrated the Oil of the Sick, the Oil of Catechumens and the Sacred Chrism, all which will be used in parishes across the Diocese over the next year.

“These are the tools that are used to make the Lord present in the celebration of the Sacraments that use these holy oils. May we never forget that to do this, to make the Lord present, to minister in His name, to act in the name of Christ, is a sacred privilege conferred on us men,” Bishop Sullivan told the priests.

He and his brother priests, the Bishop continued, “have been officially deputized to act and speak in the name of the Lord Jesus. These [we] do when [we] touch infants at Baptism with the Oil of the Catechumens and the Holy Chrism. When [we] accompany the sick and dying with spiritual healing and apply the Oil of the Sick. When [we] confirm with Sacred Chrism to seal in the Holy Spirit.”

All of these occasions with the faithful, he said, are opportunities to “shepherd them to God, to green pastures and living waters.”

Commenting on the sweet smells emanating from the oils before him, he told clergy to “bring the fragrance of Christ into the world,” a place “that sometimes stinks.”

Striking a penitential tone with his brother priests, Bishop Sullivan said the day was a chance to “publicly ask for forgiveness from any of you whom I may have offended. I am a weak man, a sinner. I need you. You need me. You are my principal collaborators in ministry. As your bishop I encourage you and, yes, I challenge you in the exercise of our ministry and when necessary I correct you. If any of this has hurt you, I apologize.”

He also spoke candidly and pointedly on issues facing the Church of South Jersey, which included the Diocese’s Chapter 11 reorganization; its outreach to the Latino community and immigrants; formation for Catholic school and religious education students, and vocations.

“What saddens me most is the abuse by clergy, which has caused this [Chapter 11],” he said.

He expressed thanks to pastors and priests – especially Father Robert Hughes, Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia – for their support during this time. Father Hughes “has done yeoman’s work on this issue,” Bishop Sullivan said, praising “his wise counsel, attention to details, learning the intricacies of Chapter 11 for a nonprofit, thousands of hours of work, day and night and late night, constant interfacing with our excellent Chapter 11 attorneys.”

To Father Hughes and Laura Montgomery, the Diocese’s chief financial officer, “The Diocese is indebted,” the Bishop said.

He also lamented “the dragging on of this court case [which] has unfortunately prohibited us from justly responding to the abuse victims of our sick brothers, and that really weighs heavily on me.”

Speaking on the increasing numbers of Latino immigrants entering South Jersey, Bishop Sullivan expressed concern for “the lack of priests and deacons who can effectively minister to them,” and mentioned the Latino ministry he first began to get involved with 55 years ago as a diocesan priest, which “changed my life.”

He called on clergy to look to the “communities of religious women who understand the Church’s mission ad gentes, especially to the poor. They have the necessary skills to pastor our Spanish-speaking immigrants, who are our people.”

These Catholic immigrants, Bishop Sullivan continued, are “spes ecclesiae,” the hope of the Church, “youthful numbers and growing families,” and “if we lose [them] by our failure to actively minister… it will be an ecclesial catastrophe for this Diocese.”

Equally troubling, he said, are “the disastrous results of three generations of failed religious education in both our schools and parish programs,” which has resulted in “uninformed, religiously ignorant, non-practicing Catholics to whom we give sacraments to.”

This “must be addressed,” he urged. “A new pastoral praxis is needed. Parish religious formation programs and Catholic schools cannot go on as usual.”

Diocesan vocations, he added, are also “a deep concern [for me] and should be a deep concern of each member of our presbyterate and the entire Diocese,” noting that the current priest shortage has left parishes unproperly staffed and unable to minister effectively.

Bishop Sullivan charged all in the audience to do their part in building up a culture of vocations, and encourage young men to consider a life to the priesthood.

After the liturgy, grateful faithful greeted their priests outside the church, thanking them for their ministry, asking for prayers, and sending Easter wishes.

“The support the faithful show us, is beautiful,” mentioned Father Rene Canales, Pastor of Lindenwold’s Parish Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

“The people of the Diocese are so generous, they love their priests.  It’s hard not to love them back.”

In his first Chrism Mass as a priest of the Diocese of Camden, having been ordained last June, Father Stephen Robbins,  Part-time Parochial Vicar at Camden’s Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and Part-Time Director of Catholic Identity at Camden Catholic High School, noted that “just to be here, I’m grateful for the gift of the priesthood that the Lord has given to me,” and said that the liturgy and communion with his brother priests inspired in him “hope and excitement for the future of my priesthood.”

Noting the Bishop’s homily which placed emphasis on outreach to Hispanic Catholics, Father Robbins, who spent three month after ordination learning Spanish in Colombia, called it “a tremendous gift to minister to the Spanish faithful.”

Father Joseph Wallace, Pastor of Atco’s Christ the Redeemer Parish, “felt “the grace of the faithful” who packed the pews and came up to him after the Mass, appreciative of his service.

Remarking on Bishop’s powerful and direct words on the issues facing the Church of South Jersey, Father Wallace looked to the joy and possibilities of the upcoming liturgical season.

“There are lot of problems facing the Church,” he said, “but a lot of hope.”

“That’s what Easter is all about.”

And you can watch the Camden Diocese livestream video here: youtube.com/CamdenDiocese