Habemus Episcopum! We Have a Bishop!

What a wonderful week we’ve had, celebrating the ordination of our new bishop and his taking possession of the diocese. If you weren’t able to attend or watch it on TV, you can still watch this beautiful Mass at https://www.youtube.com/live/X2H2f0socq0?si=QTOBisfscCZ42NKw. This is a rare and historic event, so I encourage you to watch it.

On February 12, when the late Pope Francis accepted Bishop Nickless’s resignation and appointed Fr. John Keehner as our eighth bishop, our diocese officially became a vacant see. At that moment, Bishop Nickless became Bishop Emeritus—no longer governing the diocese. However, because a diocese needs someone to lead, he was appointed Apostolic Administrator until our new bishop could take office.

The Catholic Church is hierarchical; hierarchy is not merely an organizational structure, but an essential aspect of the Church’s nature. As Pope Paul VI taught in Lumen Gentium, the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church: “The Church, which the Spirit guides in the way of all truth and which He unifies in communion and in works of ministry, He both equips and directs with hierarchical and charismatic gifts and adorns with His fruits” (LG 4).

We experience this reality at every level of the Church. For example, here in the parish, even though four priests are assigned, there is only one pastor. The Code of Canon Law defines a parish as “a certain community of the Christian faithful stably constituted in a particular church, whose pastoral care is entrusted to a pastor” (CIC 515 §1). While all priests here can celebrate Mass, hear confessions, and minister to the faithful, certain responsibilities—teaching, sanctifying, and governing—are uniquely entrusted to me as pastor, and I take them to heart.

The same principle applies to a diocese, entrusted to the care of a bishop, who is a successor of the apostles. Lumen Gentium teaches: “That divine mission, entrusted by Christ to the apostles, will last until the end of the world, since the Gospel they are to teach is for all time the source of all life for the Church. And for this reason the apostles, appointed as rulers in this society, took care to appoint successors” (LG 20). Like pastors in parishes, bishops exercise the triple munera—teaching, sanctifying, and governing—at the diocesan level.

And, of course, there is a higher level: the successor of the Apostle Peter, entrusted with the keys. Canon 331 explains: “The bishop of the Roman Church, in whom continues the office given by the Lord uniquely to Peter, the first of the Apostles, and to be transmitted to his successors, is the head of the college of bishops, the Vicar of Christ, and the pastor of the universal Church on earth.” The Pope is the perpetual and visible source and foundation of unity for both the bishops and the entire faithful.

Just as we were a vacant see until last Thursday, when Bishop Keehner took possession of the Cathedral—symbolized by Archbishop Zinkula leading him to the cathedra (the bishop’s chair)—so too the See of Rome is now vacant following Pope Francis’s passing on Easter Monday. Tomorrow, the cardinal electors will process into the Sistine Chapel to begin the conclave to elect our new Holy Father. While it’s possible a Pope could be elected on the first day, it’s unlikely. Our parish Masses this Thursday will be offered for the election of the new Pope, and I invite you to join us. Please pray for the cardinal electors and for the man who will be chosen as the successor of St. Peter, whose name we will hear announced with the historic words: Habemus Papam! We have a Pope!

Jubilee Pilgrimage to Rome

If you’d like the chance to visit St. Peter’s Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, the Basilica of St. John Lateran (the Pope’s Cathedral), and other iconic places we’ll likely see on TV in the coming days, you can still join me on the pilgrimage to Italy from November 3–14. We only have three spots left, so don’t wait too long to decide! By then, we should have a new Pope, making it a wonderful opportunity to receive his blessing.

To sign up, visit https://trips.selectinternationaltours.com/c/select-international-tours/25mi11itjs, or call Select International Tours at 800-842-4842.