By Barb Arland-Fye
Editor
My emotions stirred as the Diocesan Choir and Ensemble led us in singing “Heart of a Shepherd” during the preparation of the altar and gifts at the Mass of ordination and installation of Bishop Dennis Walsh.
Eight months of uncertainty until the Vatican announced his appointment as our new bishop, followed by three months of waiting for this liturgy to take place, culminated in a celebration that filled me with hope. In the months leading up to the announcement June 25, I prayed for a bishop who would be pastoral, compassionate and willing to spend quality time with his people in the joys and struggles of their daily lives.
I believe God answered my prayer in leading Pope Francis to choose a humble servant leader with a healthy sense of humor who left a lasting, loving impression on the people of the Toledo Diocese, his home diocese. I had the privilege of witnessing his walk with some of his parishioners and colleagues, who shared stories of how he connected with them, during my day-and-a-half visit there lin August.
“If you love me, feed my lambs; Be my heart, my voice, my hands…” goes the refrain to “Heart of a Shepherd,” by Rory Cooney. In his closing remarks following his ordination and installation, Bishop Walsh made this telling comment: “It is the people of my parishes, through their patience and tenderness that have formed and shaped me into the pastor I have become.” You give what you get. When you treat others with patience and tenderness, they most often respond in kind.
His sense of humor is a “plus” in my book. My mom often reminded my siblings and me (even today) that we need to have a good laugh in life. Bishop Walsh delivered a zinger in his closing remarks. “This has been a wonderful and joyous day for me,” he told the gathering in Sacred Heart Cathedral. “… There is one person here who has experienced a greater joy, and that is Father Ken Kuntz, the Diocesan Administrator. As soon as I took possession of the Chair, he was out of a job. I think his applause was just a little more energetic than everyone else’s.”
Kidding aside, Bishop Walsh said, “Thank you, Father Kuntz, for your generosity in consenting to serve as the Administrator during the Sede Vacante (with the Chair vacant). Your election as the Administrator is a sign of the trust and confidence that your brother priests have in you, but your ‘yes’ says much about your generous spirit to accept such an awesome responsibility.”
That excerpt wasn’t the limit of our bishop’s humor or graciousness in his closing remarks, but it was my favorite. I look forward to other gems of humor but also to witnessing Bishop Walsh on his journey with the people of our diocese, serving as the heart, the voice and the hands of Christ.
(Contact Editor Barb Arland-Fye at arland-fye@davenportdiocese.org)