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Our beloved Bishop retired a year ago, and just last week, the announcement was made that we have a new Bishop!
I’m excited, but I’m also a little scared.
As many of you know, my husband and I converted to Catholicism from evangelical Protestantism. It will be 8 glorious years this Easter.
In the evangelical churches, pastors came and went on a fairly regular basis. In most of the denominations that we were part of, the general rule was that a Senior pastor moved on every 5-7 years so that the church would not become too enamored of a mere man.
Often, what happened is that the first pastor after a pastor left ended up staying only a few months. These “new pastors” had a terrible time getting settled, and the congregation tended to take out their grief or anger at losing their pastor on the “new guy.” Then another would be called, and that pastor would end up staying for 5-7 years, and then the cycle would start up again.
So perhaps you can see why I’m a little scared. I know a Bishop is not going to leave us in 5-7 years, hopefully. But that’s what I’m used to with “new guys.”
I absolutely loved our old Bishop. Twenty years ago, while I was still happily Protestant, I used to listen to him on his radio show. I remember thinking, “This man sounds just like an apostle!” Funny thing–I had no idea that the Catholic bishops are part of apostolic succession. I didn’t even know there was such a doctrine as apostolic succession. But I knew that the man I was listening to was an apostle.
However, I know that the new Bishop is also an apostle, and that he is the man that Jesus Christ Himself has chosen for our diocese.
One of the things that is scaring me is some of the stories that I have read here on CAF about Bishops who are not exactly careful to be true to the Church, and who allow all kinds of innovations. I don’t think this new Bishop would be that way, I hope. But I’m still nervous about it. Our old Bishop is a stickler for the rubrics, and I’ve always felt very safe and secure under his shepherding.
What experiences have others had with changing Bishops, and more importantly, what suggestions do you have for me and my husband as we all welcome our new Bishop and get to know him?
Thanks, all!
I’m excited, but I’m also a little scared.
As many of you know, my husband and I converted to Catholicism from evangelical Protestantism. It will be 8 glorious years this Easter.
In the evangelical churches, pastors came and went on a fairly regular basis. In most of the denominations that we were part of, the general rule was that a Senior pastor moved on every 5-7 years so that the church would not become too enamored of a mere man.
Often, what happened is that the first pastor after a pastor left ended up staying only a few months. These “new pastors” had a terrible time getting settled, and the congregation tended to take out their grief or anger at losing their pastor on the “new guy.” Then another would be called, and that pastor would end up staying for 5-7 years, and then the cycle would start up again.
So perhaps you can see why I’m a little scared. I know a Bishop is not going to leave us in 5-7 years, hopefully. But that’s what I’m used to with “new guys.”
I absolutely loved our old Bishop. Twenty years ago, while I was still happily Protestant, I used to listen to him on his radio show. I remember thinking, “This man sounds just like an apostle!” Funny thing–I had no idea that the Catholic bishops are part of apostolic succession. I didn’t even know there was such a doctrine as apostolic succession. But I knew that the man I was listening to was an apostle.
However, I know that the new Bishop is also an apostle, and that he is the man that Jesus Christ Himself has chosen for our diocese.
One of the things that is scaring me is some of the stories that I have read here on CAF about Bishops who are not exactly careful to be true to the Church, and who allow all kinds of innovations. I don’t think this new Bishop would be that way, I hope. But I’m still nervous about it. Our old Bishop is a stickler for the rubrics, and I’ve always felt very safe and secure under his shepherding.
What experiences have others had with changing Bishops, and more importantly, what suggestions do you have for me and my husband as we all welcome our new Bishop and get to know him?
Thanks, all!
