Bishop Edward Egan named Archbishop of New
York: a Weston confirmation ceremony provides a preview
Newly appointed to be Archbishop of
the New York diocese, the now-former Bishop of the Bridgeport diocese gave a
preview of his upcoming tenure at a confirmation ceremony held on Saturday at
St. Francis of Assisi Church in Weston. The tall and energetic figure
entered the sanctuary in full ceremonial regalia, and began with a profoundly
deep and booming voice the Catholic rite of confirmation for more than two dozen
teen and adult local residents and their attending families and friends.
It was to be one of his final official visits in his local role.
In his remarks to the confirmants and
the assembled, the then-Bishop of Bridgeport offered a number of insights into
his outlook for his pending tenure in New York:
- He recalled an interdenominational
visit of clergy to the Pearl Harbor memorial in the early 90's, and drew
attention to the story of Alousius Schmidt, a Protestant chaplain aboard the
battleship Oklahoma who sacrificed his life to help sixteen sailors escape
the sinking ship, and the story of a Jewish sailor who had been saved
similarly. His ability to weave all faiths into the tapestry of his
ministry will be very important in the very diverse culture of New York.
- He cited numerous statistics throughout his remarks, both in regards to
the size and accomplishments of the Bridgeport diocese and in his
stories, citing the exact number of tombstones in the gravesite at Pearl
Harbor, the exact number of planes attacking, the exact number of ships and
lives lost. In addition to being a motivating speaker, Bishop Egan is
clearly also one who keeps close track of details.
- He urged the young confirmants to
turn aside from drug and alcohol abuse, emphasizing the need for young
people to make positive commitments, and for parents to help their children
stand behind those commitments. He also made prominent use of a young
priest during the ceremony. Both points would seem to emphasize his
desire to draw young people into the Catholic church and into its ministry.
- While making sure to mention some
of the more conservative points of Catholic doctrine in his remarks, he did
not emphasize them, nor politicize them. His intentions to join the
political fray of New York as did the former Cardinal John O'Connor may
prove to be less intense than his predecessor.
- At the end of the ceremony, he took
special efforts to greet and exhort each of the confirmants individually,
breaking from the ceremonial recession even before it had left the sanctuary
to return to them in the front of the church. In addition to being a
powerful speaker and administrator, he clearly finds great pleasure in the
one-on-one contact that his role also affords.
5/11/00 John
Blossom
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