Vigil service held night before funeral

By Dan Russo
The Catholic Messenger

DAVENPORT — A stream of mourners knelt beside the open casket of Bishop Emeritus William E. Franklin to pray and say goodbye at a vigil service April 16 at Sacred Heart Cathedral, the day before his funeral Mass. While preparing for the event, funeral director Nick Haut had a private moment with the bishop’s remains.

“It came full circle when I placed the rosary in his hands,” reflected Haut of Halligan-McCabe-DeVries Funeral Home. “I thought, ‘Those are the hands that confirmed me.’”

Haut and his brother were students at Assumption High School in Davenport. In 2001, Bishop Franklin anointed both Haut and his brother as part of the sacrament.

“It’s an honor for us to be a part of (the vigil and funeral),” reflected Haut.

The funeral director wasn’t the only person at the vigil who had memories of Bishop Franklin from a sacrament. Bishop Thomas Hennen, a former priest of the diocese who is now Bishop of the Diocese of Baker in Oregon, returned to Davenport to attend the funeral. He offered a homily at the vigil.

“Bishop Franklin anointed me twice with sacred chrism. He confirmed me soon after he became the bishop of Davenport and then 10 years later ordained me as a priest,” said Bishop Hennen. “I think I may be the only priest of the Dio­cese of Davenport to have that distinction, to be both confirmed and ordained by Bishop Franklin.”

Bishop Hennen tied the Gospel reading featuring Thomas’ famous question to Jesus, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” to Bishop Franklin’s time at the helm of the diocese during challenging times.

“I think every priest starting in seminary likes to play Monday morning bishop thinking what the bishop should have done or what he might do if he were in a similar position,” said Bishop Hennen. “And I will admit to a lot of that thinking myself as a seminarian and later as a priest under Bishop Franklin and his successors. But really I had no idea … A bishop is both blessed and burdened to know many sides of things. And then he has simply to do his best to shepherd the flock entrusted to him. I truly think Bishop Franklin did this.”

Dan Egan, a fourth degree Knight of Columbus with Assembly 260 in Bettendorf was among a uniformed color guard that stood at attention with Bishop Franklin’s casket as it sat in the center of the aisle below the main altar. The Knights returned and provided the same guard the next day.

“We do this for all our brother Knights and for clergy,” said Egan. “I think the main thing is you want to be respectful. It’s an honor to be part of this for the (vigil and funeral) of the bishop.”

Family and friends became emotional at times as Bishop Emeritus Martin Amos led a series of prayers on the altar. Bishop Dennis Walsh, the current head of the diocese, paid his respects during the visitation. Bishop Hennen reflected on Bishop Franklin’s leadership over 12 years through challenges such as parish consolidations, the clergy sex abuse crisis and diocesan bankruptcy.

“I don’t know that looking back I ever really thought of (Bishop Franklin) as an outstanding orator or a stellar administrator though he did those things very well very capably, certainly he had a heart for teaching but I think of him most as a caring pastor, as a man who walked the walk, a man in love with the Lord who genuinely wanted this for everyone because of this,” said Bishop Hennen. “He had a marvelous way of relating to people … And so we pray tonight that after years of devoted service to the Church as a priest and bishop, after years of walking the walk, after years of his long struggle, our brother, our father, our shepherd, William now sees clearly and remembers the many kindnesses of the Lord, how God was so pleased to work through him.”