Through the prophet Jeremiah the Lord promises, “I will give you shepherds after my own heart” (Jer. 3:15). God keeps his promises. At this moment, we are all deeply aware of our need for good shepherds to lead, guide and protect the flock entrusted to their care. I am especially grateful for three good shepherds who have inspired me in my 35 years as a priest and nearly 14 years as a bishop.
Among the three is certainly Blessed Stanley Rother with whom I became familiar at Mount Saint Mary Seminary when I first learned of his death. His witness always has inspired me. I count it a special gift to shepherd this local Church in Oklahoma at a time when we are advancing his cause for canonization. We need holy priests. Blessed Stanley is a model of courage and fidelity for all priests, bishops and seminarians.
Certainly, one of the most influential shepherds in my lifetime has been Pope John Paul II (now Saint John Paul II). He was elected to the papacy just as I was beginning seminary. His joy, manly courage and hope-filled faith inspired me tremendously.
Saint John Paul II lived an extraordinary life during very challenging times. His example of priestly and episcopal holiness still challenges me to strive for more. His 27-year papacy spanned much of my life as a young adult and a priest. He was our pope during all my seminary years, my years as a priest and finally he was the one who appointed me bishop shortly before his death. In my estimation, he was a “rock star” as well as a saint!
This week (Oct. 9), I attended the funeral of a third influential shepherd who inspired and shaped my own priesthood and episcopal ministry. Bishop Eugene J. Gerber ordained me to the priesthood in 1983. He was my bishop for all but the last five years that I was a priest in the Diocese of Wichita. Bishop Gerber is perhaps best known for establishing a one-of-a-kind stewardship model in the Diocese of Wichita.
The vision that he proposed recognized that stewardship is a way of life. It is a spirituality rooted in gratitude and in the conviction that God is never outdone in generosity. It has produced remarkable fruit. It has fostered prayer, as evidenced by the number of perpetual Eucharistic adoration chapels established in so many parishes of the diocese. It has fostered vocations. Wichita is among the nation’s leaders in the number of seminarians and ordinations each year. It has strengthened Catholic schools and even increased the number of Catholic schools in the diocese. Many pastoral initiatives have been generated and are being sustained by the stewardship way of life that Bishop Gerber inspired.
My appreciation for Bishop Gerber, however, goes beyond those obvious successes. It is more personal. For me, he was a spiritual father. He inspired confidence. He challenged me. He supported me. He was a man of faith who was willing to share his faith, and even his vulnerabilities. He was a man of prayer who showed us the importance of prayer by witnessing to his relationship with the Lord.
During this moment of crisis in our beloved Church we need a renewed appreciation of spiritual fatherhood. We priests and bishops are called to be more than trustworthy administrators. We must be spiritual fathers, begetting and nurturing new life in the hearts of God’s children. We need priests and bishops filled with the love and mercy of God who, like Jesus, will show us the face of the Father.
Each of the three shepherds whom I have sited have been spiritual fathers to me. I am grateful for each of them. Please continue to pray for priests (and bishops) that we will be the good shepherds and spiritual fathers that we have been ordained to be.