May 27, 2011
Bishop Gettelfinger presides at last Mass with diocesan family
Bishop Gerald A. Gettelfinger offers his blessing at Mass, at St. Benedict Cathedral, May 22, as Deacons Jim Flynn and Kevin Bach begin to make the Sign of the Cross. (Message photo by Peewee Vasquez) Click for a larger version.
By PAUL R. LEINGANG (Message editor)
Well-wishers came to worship with their chief shepherd one last time May 22. Bishop Gerald A. Gettelfinger, now Bishop Emeritus, celebrated Mass at St. Benedict Cathedral in Evansville.
Although Bishop Gettelfinger still has confirmations scheduled in parishes of the diocese, and meetings to lead and attend, the Mass May 22 was the last diocesan-wide event.
Bishop Gettelfinger thanked the people who attended, including priests and deacons and leaders of religious communities, Knights of Columbus, scouts, parish staff, diocesan staff and others.
Msgr. Kenneth R. Knapp, who served Bishop Gettelfinger as vicar general, gave the homily, and recalled his thoughts on that day in a telephone interview with the Message.
Msgr. Knapp began his homily with a story about the theologian Karl Barth who was asked by a student if he thought God had revealed himself in other religions than Christianity.
According to Msgr. Knapp, Barth responded, “No, no, no. God did not reveal himself in any other religion, and not in Christianity. God revealed himself in his Son.”
Quoting a passage from the Gospel for the day, how Jesus said that “the one who sees me sees the Father,” Msgr. Knapp emphasized that more important than belonging to an institution “is that we have a personal relationship with Jesus.”
Msgr. Knapp said the early apostles observed what Jesus did and they did the works that he did — feeding the poor, clothing the naked, providing housing, including the disenfranchised, providing forgiveness.
“That’s what we are asked to be doing today, to meet those kind of needs,” he said. The early Christians found they couldn’t do it by themselves, so they reached out to others.
Msgr. Knapp recounted the story of a mother with four children who had just buried her husband, but who found a place among those who came to worship around the table, discovering in the community “that these people were going to make sure it was OK.”
He used the Scriptural references to thank Bishop Gettelfinger for the role he had played in the Church of southwestern Indiana.
“He did suffer a lot for us,” he said, in a reference to some of the difficulties associated with the abuse scandal.
Also, “he witnessed to the fact that we need a personal relationship with Jesus.” And “he promoted the works of justice.”
Msgr. Knapp thanked Bishop Gettelfinger “for all that you did to help Jesus be alive for us, and for the presence of the Father to us.” He wished peace and happiness to him in his retirement.
Bishop Gettelfinger greeted a crowd of several hundred people at a reception following the Mass.