July 8, 2011
Bishop’s ordination experience of the unity of the Church
Boy Scout Troop 318 Scoutmaster Francis Brickey checks members of St. John the Baptist Church into one of three buses destined for Roberts Stadium and the ordination of Bishop Charles C. Thompson. (Message photo by Bill Jackson) Click for a larger version.
By BILL JACKSON (Message correspondent)
“When were you last in a school bus?” a young man asked a 40ish-looking gentleman. “Senior year of football. I would have thought they’d be air-conditioned by now,” he replied with a laugh.
But the clammy heat of June 29 held no importance to the St. John the Baptist Church members headed from Newburgh to Roberts Municipal Stadium in a caravan of three buses. They were among thousands of Catholics who poured into the stadium, many in school buses and charters. On the buses was a range of sound and emotion — the excited chatter of young people, for others quiet contemplation, for some the reciting of the rosary.
They came from all points in the Diocese of Evansville and from other states as well. They were as diverse as a young man from St. Mary in Ireland, who drove to Evansville to see his first episcopal ordination, and Jeanette Kannapel, 79, of New Albany, Ind., who witnessed her fifth.
All were to experience, and delight in, the ordination of Bishop Charles C. Thompson, a celebration so grand in scope a simple procession of clergy to their seats required 15 minutes.
Kannapel said every Catholic should attend at least one bishop’s ordination. “It’s a beautiful, beautiful ceremony that is so empowering for them,” she said.
Her first episcopal ordination was for Bishop Gerald A. Gettelfinger in Evansville in 1989. Her husband Bill, now deceased, was good friends with Gettelfinger’s brother-in-law.
Since then, she has attended ordinations for Bishop William E. Lori in Bridgeport, Conn., Bishop Christopher J. Coyne in Indianapolis and Bishop Paul D. Etienne in Cheyenne, Wyo. She felt an association with each. Bishop Etienne, brother of two Evansville priests, is a former pastor of about 10 years at her church, Our Lady of Per-petual Help, in New Albany. “He has a very special place in my heart,” she said.
The ordination had special meaning for Father Jason Gries, pastor of Sacred Heart in Vincennes. While preparing for the priesthood at St. Meinrad, he completed a class on canon law taught by a “humble, intelligent” priest named Chuck Thompson.
“When you’ve known a man before as a priest, it’s extra special (when he is named bishop),” Father Gries said. He is one of at least three priests in the Diocese of Evansville who studied under the man who would become their bishop. Others include Fathers Alex Zenthoefer and Gary Kaiser.
Father Gries said he also attended the news conference on April 26 announcing the appointment of the new bishop. It was the first time they had seen one another since the canon law class about eight years ago. “I figured I wouldn’t press the issue of meeting him, but he looked over and smiled real big and said, ‘It’s good to see you, Jason.’” It was a poignant moment for the young priest.
Father Thompson was “very intelligent, especially in the area of canon law,” Father Gries said. “He impressed me that he not only knew what the law was, but he made it practical. He was always very pastoral and genuine and was always there to help us.”
Father Gries, an Eagle Scout, felt a special relationship with Bishop Gettelfinger because of their mutual interest in scouting. “He was not just our bishop, but my bishop,” he said. “Now there will be a transition, but it will be a great one for our diocese. I’m comfortable the Holy Spirit has the right man for the job.”
A Minnesota couple with no real ties to the Diocese of Evansville also found special meaning in the ordination. Miriam and Paul Sikora were visiting an aunt in Evansville, Maggie Hen-nel, a member of St. John in Newburgh. She shared that his uncle had been a priest. “My grandparents never got to go for his ordinations as a deacon and as a priest,” Paul Sikora said. “To be a part of this was a really neat thing to do.” Miriam Sikora said she enjoyed and appreciated the pomp and pageantry and felt honored to have taken part in such a significant event.
St. John members were enthusiastic after the ordination. “It was fantastic. It was so uplifting to experience something like this,” Ann Pinaire said. Jane Kuykendall echoed her sentiments. “I thought the whole thing was just fantastic,” she said. “I feel so fortunate to have seen this in my lifetime.”
A member of Resurrection Church in Evansville, which sent two buses to the celebration, was impressed with the new bishop. “I just thought it was wonderful, and I am so pleased to be here,” Florence Pfettscher said. “I think we are going to have a wonderful bishop.”
Ann Minnis said she was moved to tears at times. “The pageantry was gorgeous. It was very impressive,” she said. “I’m looking forward to the new bishop. I feel very blessed. He seems to be a wonderful, wonderful man. I’m really impressed with his devotion to the Holy Eucharist, that’s really obvious, and his humility. That’s what you want in our shepherd.” She is a member at Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Haubstadt.
Jim Gorman sang in the Diocesan Choir that helped provide the music for the ordination. “I am very, very im-pressed,” he said. “I was excited when Bishop Gettelfinger was installed, and I’m equally as excited if not more so with Bishop Thompson. I think he is going to be great for us.”
Two nuns saw unity in the celebration.
“The ceremony was just overwhelming,” Sister Mary Sylvia said. “It was majestic, and I think it puts everything in perspective. As the bishop himself said, it’s not about the man, it’s about the church. And it’s about all of us here who are members of the church being united with our bishop, who is united with Rome, and living our faith and sharing our faith with others.”
Sister Irene Marie agreed. “It shows the unity of the church. It’s not the person, it’s what we do for God. And that’s what he’s here for. He’s doing God’s will. It’s not going to be easy, but he knows with God’s will he can do it. You can see that unity among everybody. It’s so beautiful.”
Anthony Begle, a young man from St. Ferdinand Church in Ferdinand, found the ordination amazing. “Especially what Bishop Charles said. It was very touching, especially at the end when he talked about his family. You could see the emotion.”
Tim McGuire, chief operating officer for the Evansville Diocese, summed up the momentous day: “It was a wonderful event. As Bishop Thompson said, it was a wonderful celebration for our diocese and also for him. He is a wonderful person and we’re very fortunate in our diocese to follow up such a wonderful leader as Bishop Gettelfinger with someone as wonderful as Bishop Thompson.”