April 29, 2011
Reaction to bishop-elect
By BILL JACKSON (Special to the Message)
Bishop-elect Charles C. (Chuck) Thompson expressed his “warmest affection” to his new flock during a gathering Tuesday morning to introduce him to the Diocese of Evansville. Judging from his enthusiastic reception and comments after his remarks, local Catholics returned his affection.
The bishop-elect, the fifth in Evansville diocesan history, acknowledged “the tremendous support and affirmation” of those who nearly filled St. Benedict Cathedral. He said he accepted the appointment with a spirit of obedience and a grateful heart. (Related story: Bishop-Elect Thompson introduced to diocese)
Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of the Louisville Diocese, where Bishop-elect Thompson had been a pastor as well as diocesan vicar general, praised him and said he will be missed. “This literally comes through as ‘our loss is your gain.’”
“I have to tell you that I have the highest esteem for Bishop-elect Thompson,” the archbishop said. “The things you see at first, mainly his strong administrative ability, his capacity to have great pastoral heart, will be very much in evidence here. The thing you come to know is his capacity to draw other people to holiness because of his own person in holiness.
“When I first visited him at Holy Trinity (in Louisville) where he has been pastor, one of the first things he did was to show me his chapel in his rectory. He got permission to have a special chapel so that he could have an opportunity for personal prayer very close at hand. That comes through in his daily life.
“He is a listener. He is someone who is very pastorally grounded. The person of Jesus Christ is central in his life.
“He also is someone who acts upon things. He’s extremely efficient. I’m a morning person. If in the morning I send 10 e-mails to him, by 10 o’clock that day he has 10 responses, and they’re all very, very well thought out.”
Father Bernie Etienne, pastor at Holy Rosary and head of the East Deanery in Evansville, said he was encouraged by the appointment.
“Though I don’t know him personally, I know of him by reputation,” Father Bernie said. “I understand he is a pastoral canonist and a bright man with a diverse set of leader-
ship skills. That should make him a great fit for the people of Southwest Indiana. On a personal note, I’m excited about the prospect of working with Bishop-elect Thompson and continuing the good care of the people in the diocese. We are in good hands.
“I think we’re fortunate to have a bishop from the Tri-State area because he has a sense of the needs and makeup of our families,” Father Bernie added. “At the same time I think it’s a blessing to have him come from another diocese so that a fresh set of eyes can look at our particular needs and challenges and give new insights as we continue our on-going strategic planning process.”
Monsignor Kenneth R. Knapp, whose term as vicar general of the Diocese of Evansville ends with the retirement of Bishop Gerald A. Gettelfinger, said he liked what he heard from the bishop-elect. “I am very happy,” he said. “I think he sounds like a very prayerful man centered around the Eucharist. His background and training are excellent. I was happy to see him speak in Spanish.
“His expertise in canon law brings a great advantage to his new position,” Monsignor Knapp continued. “His undergraduate degree is in accounting, which doesn’t hurt anything at all, and as a canon lawyer he has a great understanding where the church is going and can give good direction to how the church should function. I know a lot of canon lawyers, and I think they have a real compassion, a real understanding of people and their suffering, and I heard some of that in what he had to say.”
Bishop-elect Thompson, a Louisville native, is the second pastor from that diocese to be named bishop in the past two years. “Lightning struck twice,” said Bishop William F. Medley, who was appointed to the Diocese of Owensboro (Ky.) in December 2009 after serving as pastor at St. Bernadette in Louisville.
“I’ve known Bishop-elect Thompson since he began his studies at St. Meinrad,” Bishop Medley said, “and we’ve been great friends ever since. He is a wonderful pastor. He has been pastor of large, complex parishes, so he’ll translate those skills, that preaching skill, that pastoral kindness, to this level. You will be richly blessed. I can assure you of that.”
Three members of the Catholic Charities staff in Evansville attended the Tuesday gathering and came away impressed.
“I feel the man is definitely a man of prayer, and a humble individual. I look forward to working for him,” said Don Gatwood. Christina Rosario said she was impressed “with his centering himself on prayer before coming to accept this position and then identifying that the center of the diocese is the altar. That is very noteworthy.” Interim Director Gayle Uebelhor added: “I was very pleased, particularly when I saw his background. He has a lot of pastoral experience, he has school experience. From what I understand, his Spanish isn’t too bad. That variety of experience, I think, will go a long way here. In many ways I think he follows in the footsteps of Bishop Gettelfinger with the same type of background. So far I’m very, very impressed with what I think he brings to us.”
Internet comments also were laudatory. “My family has known Father Chuck since his seminary days at St. Meinrad. He is a wonderful person and the Diocese of Evansville is fortunate to have such a wonderful new young bishop. All of our prayers go out to Father Chuck.” Another said: “I am writing to express my appreciation for the ministry of Father Chuck Thompson of Louisville. He is always affirming and encouraging. The spiritual (and other types of) growth experienced by Holy Trinity parish since he became priest is inspiring. May God bless this hardworking priest.”
Members of Bishop-elect Thompson’s family, including his parents, Joyce and Charles Coleman Thompson, attended the Tuesday meeting. His father, who goes by his middle name Coleman, expressed pride in his bishop son but was careful to say he loved all his children equally. “All our children are religious,” he said.
The bishop-elect credits his family’s spiritual emphasis for nurturing his own spirituality. “We said the rosary every night,” Coleman Thompson said. “We had our prayers, and we tried to have our meals together.”
In remarks written in 2005, Bishop-elect Thompson explained his journey to the priesthood:
“As a child, I was always intrigued by the life of a priest. In middle school, I began to be more aware of social justice issues. As I got older, I began to ask myself how my life could make a difference in the lives of others. Since I had always gone to Mass with my family, the notion of being a priest came to mind as one answer to my question. While I would consider the idea of priesthood from time to time, I played sports and dated in high school and college. After graduating high school in 1979, I attended Bellarmine College with a goal of obtaining a degree in accounting and then going to law school. However, during college I began to give more thought to the priesthood. I graduated Bellarmine in May 1983 and entered St. Meinrad School of Theology the following Aug-ust.
“Looking back, while I did not think about it during my years of high school and college, spirituality has always been a very important aspect of my life. The need for prayer and solitude has always been vital to any sense of happiness in my life. While growing up, my family attended Mass each Sunday and prayed the rosary each night. But I especially enjoyed being outdoors, particularly in the country, taking walks in the fields and just reflecting. My seminary experience at St. Meinrad instilled in me an even deeper appreciation for prayer, both communally and personally.”
Bishop-elect Thompson called the Eucharist “clearly the center of my life, ministry and service.”