Bishop Dennis Walsh confirms Tessa Bombei, 15, during the celebration of confirmation at Mass Sept. 14 at St. Mary Catholic Church in Riverside.
By Barb Arland-Fye
The Catholic Messenger
Confirmation season has begun for the 70+ plus parishes of the Diocese of Davenport, which also marks a milestone for Bishop Dennis Walsh, who celebrates his first anniversary as the diocese’s 10th bishop on Sept. 27. Passing on the faith to the next generation is among his passions.
On a warm Sunday afternoon in September, Bishop Walsh arrives at St. Mary Catholic Church in Riverside to confirm high school students and to celebrate with them and their families a deepening of their call to discipleship. They are members of Holy Family Parish, based in Riverside.
“How are you guys doing?” Bishop Walsh asks the students, gathered in the church’s lower level before Mass begins. He shares the significance of the sacrament in their journey of faith. “The gifts of the Holy Spirit allow you to do extraordinary things,” he tells them, identifying those gifts and sharing the story of St. Maximilian Kolbe, who demonstrated the gift of fortitude in his journey to martyrdom at Auschwitz.
The confirmands are “called today to be witnesses of the Lord Jesus Christ, to be disciples in a world that seems at times to be falling apart,” the bishop says during his homily — delivered without notes. They will need to be “much more intentional about their lives of discipleship, much more intentional about wanting to be a saint. That is the only thing that is going to correct and rebuild our culture. It’s holiness, not politicians, not ideology. The only thing that saves us is Christ.”
The gifts of the Holy Spirit will equip the youths “to live extraordinary lives, perform extraordinary acts of love in their families, in their vocation, in whatever they choose to do,” the bishop continues. “They will accomplish more by living fully, saintly lives than any politician will be able to accomplish.”
His homily conveys a central theme in his role as shepherd, calling all of the faithful to discipleship, to be Christ to others and to see Christ in others.
Connecting with the people
“Bishop Walsh’s first year in the Diocese of Davenport has been marked by a deep commitment to the formation and discipleship of young people,” Amy Novak, president of St. Ambrose University in Davenport, told The Catholic Messenger. “I am especially grateful for his steadfast support in strengthening Catholic identity at St. Ambrose University. He is joy-filled, humorous, and is sincere in his desire to connect with people and build a Church committed to encounter and accompaniment.”
“Bishop Dennis and I started our new positions around the same time, his new role as bishop and mine as a parish life coordinator,” said Deacon Matt Levy of St. Andrew Parish in Blue Grass. “Bishop Dennis has made my transition in my new assignment smoother than I imagined. An excellent communicator, with clear vision as a humble shepherd.”
On the two occasions Bishop Walsh has visited St. Andrew, “he was eager to engage with our parishioners, across the table with them at our parish center, sharing a meal, laughter and wisdom. Not just at the Eucharistic table but at the breakfast or lunch table,” Deacon Levy said.
The bishop “is happy to delegate and then to empower those whom he has entrusted … allowing me to share the Gospel and spread the Good News in new and creative ways,” Deacon Levy continued. “I get a sense that Bishop Dennis enjoys life, loves God with all his heart and wants what is truly best for his flock.”
‘He’s very grounded’
In the sanctuary before Mass in Riverside, Deacon Derick Cranston enjoyed watching Bishop Walsh interact with twin third-graders, his altar servers for the liturgy. The bishop was “very relaxed, joking with the altar servers. He’s very grounded and makes you feel at ease,” Deacon Cranston said. “He’s a bishop for the people.”
“The first word that comes to mind is ‘welcome’ — everything about him — his voice, his persona, says welcome,” said John Conway, whose wife Cathy served as confirmation sponsor for their granddaughter, Fiona McClellen.
Lynne Devaney, diocesan superintendent of schools, appreciates Bishop Walsh’s willingness to acknowledge the learning curve that comes with taking on a different role, from serving as a priest in a diocese to leading one. “That’s reassuring. The leader leads, knowing there’s a transition for the people and himself,” she said.
The bishop has learned, for example, that attempting to visit 70+ parishes in a 22-county diocese is challenging. Consolidating the confirmation schedule, although disappointing to some parishes, will “free up some weekends for me to visit the smaller parishes,” he said.
Bishop Walsh makes his vision clear, as illustrated in countless articles in The Catholic Messenger, chronicling his ministry and teaching in the diocese this past year. “He brings confidence and direction to the work of the diocese. You always know what you need to do after walking out of the room,” Devaney said.
Fiona McClellen and Dawson Bell present the gifts to Bishop Dennis Walsh during the Mass at which they and their peers were confirmed Sept. 14 at St. Mary Catholic Church-Riverside.
“I would like to be much more evangelical in terms of calling people to a life of discipleship, whether that’s in our schools, parishes,” Bishop Walsh told the Messenger in an interview last week. “My desire is for a much more intentional Catholicism for Catholics. It involves moving outside of maintenance models or just maintaining current structures, and looking at ways in which we can reach out to those who are not coming to church and being much more evangelical in that regard.”
“I think our world is pretty troubled. I think people are filling the void of meaning in their lives through politics, rather than faith, or through a relationship with Christ. There’s no way that ideology and politics can ever fill that void that only Christ can fill.”
