Calendar Revisions and Update

REVISION

December 2,  8:00 AM Mass at the Cathedral
                     10:00 AM Mass at the Cathedral
                       1:30 PM Mass at the Cathedral

NEXT WEEK

December 3- No public Mass

December 4-  7:40 Mass at Gorman School Chapel

December 5-  No public Mass

December 6-  7:40 Mass at Gorman School Chapel

December 7-  7:40 Mass at Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul

Thanksgiving Thoughts

I thought this little guy was an appropriate image as I reflect on all I give thanks for

at this time. I can imagine that some would question what a koala has to do with

Thanksgiving Day in the USA.  If you've been following my blog you probably know

that Australia has a very significant place in my story.   Aussie isn’t just “the land down

under” for the Strickland kids, it is part of who we are and part of our story.

I suppose the picture of a koala serves to remind me of the wonder of God’s plan in

each of our lives.  The story of how my father from Clarksville, Texas and my mother

from Sydney, Australia met during the second world war sounds a bit like a movie

script.  It is a story that includes joy and triumphs as well as sadness and heartache but

isn’t that the case for all of our stories.   As I give thanks for God’s blessings in my life

I am profoundly aware of all the graces and challenges that have brought me here.  The

act of giving thanks is deeply embedded in what it means to be Christian and what it means

to be Catholic.  As we celebrate this holiday I pray that all of us can be more aware of all

we give thanks for and I pray that our gratitude will strengthen us to face the joys and the

sorrows of tomorrow.  May God bless you and all who are dear to you on this Thanksgiving Day

2012.

Calendar Update- change on 11/18

Calendar November 16 to December 2

November 16-  9:00 AM Mass at St. Patrick's School in Lufkin

November 17-  No Public Mass

November 18-  8:00 Mass at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception

November 19-  No public Mass

November 20-  8:00 AM Mass at the Bishop's Chapel in the Chancery

November 21-  8:00 AM Mass at the Bishop's Chapel in the Chancery

November 22-  9:00 AM Mass at the Cathedral

November 23-  No public Mass

November 24-  No public Mass

November 25-  10:00 AM Mass at the Cathedral with Bishop Corrada
                         12:00 PM Mass at the Cathedral as Celebrant

November 26-  No public Mass

November 27-  7:40 Mass in Gorman School Chapel

November 28-  2:00 PM Ordination Mass at Caldwell Auditiorium
                         (Televised live on cable and EWTN)

November 29-  8:15 St. Gregory Cathedral School Mass at Cathedral
                         9:45 Bishop Gorman School Mass

November 30-  7:40 AM Mass at the Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul

December 1-  10:00 AM Altar Server's Mass at Cathedral

December 2-
                       10:00 AM Mass at Cathedral
                       12:00 PM Mass at Cathedral

The kindness of Shepherds Part 2

As I continue to enter into this new life I am more and more aware of the joys and the pitfalls that await me.  Through the years people have often told me not to change.  I have to admit I probably haven't fully understood their message but I think I'm getting more and more of the idea.  So many new things have entered my life and so many new influences that it is probably more important than ever that I stay grounded.  It is probably easy to begin to separate myself from the people but I realize more profoundly all the time that this would be a huge mistake.  My success as a shepherd will depend a lot on whether I remember that whether limos or pick up trucks, whether mansions or mobile homes, whether fine robes or running shorts, my primary work is to love and serve all of God's people however I encounter them.  

It probably sounds strange to a lot of people but there is a lot of glitz associated with being a bishop and it seems that it would be very easy to get carried away with it all.  The bishops that I am meeting inspire me because as I said earlier they seem very down to earth.  Many of them are in major cities and play major roles not just in the Church but in their entire communities.  Their experiences make the "glitz" that I have experienced seem very minor but they are very real.  I suppose Timothy Cardinal Dolan the Cardinal Archbishop of New York is a prime example.  He gave me a big bear hug and a slap on the back that almost knocked me down but his warmth and welcome was a great blessing.  He is just returned from Rome and playing a major role at the just concluded Synod of Bishops.  Here he is fresh from audiences with the Holy Father at the Vatican and he takes the time to warmly welcome me to the College of Bishops.

Cardinal Dolan and so many of the bishops remind me that we must always stay rooted in humble service to the people The Lord has called.  I suppose I always turn to the children to help me stay rooted and real.  It occurs to me that these men are a good reminder that Jesus Christ has said "let the children come to me".  It is truly a profound message that goes much deeper than kindness to the little ones even though that is so important.  Christ reminds us that we are all His children and that we need to humbly serve each other in that relationship.   The children often cut through any over blown "adult" importance we may grasp to ourselves.  I pray that they will always remind me that I'm a heart a kid from Atlanta,Texas who has been greatly blessed by God's kindness and grace.

The Kindness of Shepherds

I am in Baltimore at my first Bishop's Meeting and even though I have not been ordained yet all of the bishops have been very welcoming.  I wanted to share what a great experience it has been to join them as I prepare to enter into this new role.  I suppose I presumed that since I have not been ordained I would more or less take a back seat at this meeting but the opposite has really been true.  Kindness is the word that I have to use to describe the way I have been welcomed by each bishop that I have encountered as we have been arriving and preparing for the official opening of the meeting tomorrow.

I know that I am still in awe of this call from God and Pope Benedict XVI and I suppose that awe continues to color my experiences.  I see bishops, archbishops and cardinals in the hall and all of them are so kind and seem so genuinely happy that I am joining their college.  I've reflected on that word a bit these past few days.  The College of Bishops is really a good way of describing this group of men who all have the same purpose of fostering and promoting the message of Jesus Christ.  It is so much more than a club or organization.  These men are called to be "collegial" in doing their best to share the burdens and celebrate the joys of shepherding God's people.  I have felt that collegial spirit since the moment I arrived here, literally in the shuttle van from the airport to the hotel.  I met one of the bishops from a diocese in the midwest and we visited a bit and compared notes on our dioceses etc.  He was kind enough to invite me to dinner when I'm sure he had several other opportunities that he could have accepted.  As we visited at dinner I commented how nice it is for priests and bishops to be able to meet as total strangers and have so much in common immediately.  I have already been blessed to experience the goodness of these men with whom I will be working for the rest of my life.

It is also good to see that these bishops with all their responsibilities and important positions are ultimately just men.  They have all the human issues that any other group of men from their late forties to their late seventies would have but it is truly inspiring to see their goodness and dignity.  Too often even in Catholic circles bishops are seen as distant authorities and maybe occasionally that perception is accurate but I have to say that does not describe my experience of them at all.  I have to believe that the "grace of office" truly does bring out the best in these men.  I hope you will pray with me that this grace will strengthen and bless me as well.

Let us pray for the Church and for these men who are called to be apostles today.  May The Lord guide us in His Ways and strengthen us in His Spirit.

CHECK CALENDAR UPDATE........ORIGINALLY POSTED NOVEMBER 7

Official Portrait

Another piece of the puzzle..........

Official Portrait



I especially like this picture because Our Lord in the image of the Sacred Heart is watching over me.  Please pray that I will always be strengthened by the special grace that Our Savior's Sacred Heart offers the world.  It is also a great blessing that I stand at the altar in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception the same altar where I celebrated mass as a newly ordained priest assigned to the parish of the Immaculate Conception and where I have celebrated countless masses since. 

A Quote

I liked this quote from Matthew Warner's Blog.

"Elections are not the leading edge of change. Elections are the lagging indicators of what's already changed"


Read more: http://www.ncregister.com/blog/matthew-warner/heres-the-lesson-from-the-election-folks#ixzz2BZyDcFCo

I believe there is a lot of truth in that statement.  It is not good news but it is important that as people of faith we recognize that it describes the realities we face.  Let us be strong in the Lord in professing and living our faith more fully each day so that the lost may be found and so that we may continue to seek the narrow path. 

Bishop Elect's Calendar

Calendar November 16 to December 2


********November 9- 16 Meeting out of town

November 16-  9:00 AM Mass at St. Patrick's School in Lufkin

November 17-  No Public Mass

November 18-  Out of town

November 19-  No public Mass

November 20-  8:00 AM Mass at the Bishop's Chapel in the Chancery

November 21-  8:00 AM Mass at the Bishop's Chapel in the Chancery

November 22-  9:00 AM Mass at the Cathedral

November 23-  No public Mass

November 24-  No public Mass

November 25-  10:00 AM Mass at the Cathedral with Bishop Corrada
                         12:00 PM Mass at the Cathedral as Celebrant

November 26-  No public Mass

November 27-  7:40 Mass in Gorman School Chapel

November 28-  2:00 PM Ordination Mass at Caldwell Auditiorium
                         (Televised live on cable and EWTN)

November 29-  8:15 St. Gregory Cathedral School Mass at Cathedral
                         9:45 Bishop Gorman School Mass

November 30-  7:40 AM Mass at the Chapel of Saints Peter and Paul

December 1-  10:00 AM Altar Server's Mass at Cathedral

December 2-
                       10:00 AM Mass at Cathedral
                       12:00 PM Mass at Cathedral

Coat of Arms

This is the Coat of Arms that has been produced as part of my ordination to the episcopacy.  One of the first things that Cardinal DiNardo said when we talked on September 14, just after I had received the call from the Nuncio was "start working on your Coat of Arms".  I can see why he said that because it is quite a process and I'm afraid several people were in danger of getting ulcers as they kept asking, "is it here yet"!!!!!!

A funny point in that story is that I emailed the priest who was working on the design and as it turned out he was in New Jersey and caught up in the disaster of Hurricane Sandy.  He apologized for being delayed but explained that he had no power after the storm, then I APOLOGIZED and felt like a bum after finding out he was dealing with much bigger problems than my Coat of Arms!

I will add the official description in a later post but the basic imagery in the Coat of Arms includes the following elements.  The left side is the Coat of Arms of the Diocese of Tyler.  The right side includes my personal images, at the top are the Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart, the shell represents the Strickland family crest and is also in Pope Benedict XVI's Coat of Arms.  The wavy line is taken from the Coat of Arms of the Diocese of Dallas where I studied and was ordained to the priesthood.  The cross of stars represents the Southern Cross which is visible in Australia and is part of the Australian flag. 

All is coming together well for my Ordination.  I suppose one of the greatest challenges is the limited seating in Caldwell Auditiorium but our "team" is doing a great job of seeing to it that all of the diocese is at least represented. 

Thank you all for your continued prayers.  Please don't stop!!!!!!!!!!!

Reflections

I wanted to share a few reflections as I continue my journey to the episcopacy. Even as I begin I realize that it is more accurate to speak of our journey to the episcopacy. Don’t worry I’m not adopting the “papal we” as the Holy Father at times speaks of himself in the plural. My point is that it really is the journey of a community to my ordination on November 28, at Caldwell Auditorium in Tyler at 2:00 PM. I keep repeating the details of the date, time and place so that no one makes the effort to drive in and they’ve been given the wrong time!!!!!!


It is our journey because the events that are unfolding are truly remarkable for the Catholic Church of East Texas. I have often tried to express the feeling that comes over me but I never seem to be satisfied that I have conveyed the message very well. I laughed with my sisters this past week as we celebrated my birthday because I often referred to this “feeling” in my conversation with them. I suppose one way of saying it is that the goodness and support of so many constantly reminds me that it truly is not so much about me as it is about the power of the Grace of God. I feel like part of a vast crowd looking on to see the wonders that God creates in our lives.

Those wonders presently are taking concrete form in a virtual of army of people working to make sure all the details of the Solemn Vespers and Ordination Mass are arranged perfectly. I am humbled by this loving service of so many. I know it springs from their commitment to faith and I also know that there is a genuine excitement because this army is made up of people who “know the guy” being ordained. I can say from my perspective that I share the excitement because these same people have been part of my family of faith for many many years. It calls to mind the words of Our Lord, “I know mine and mine know me”, it is a powerful blessing to really know the flock that I am being ordained to serve.

As I continue to prepare I am aware that the Lord has truly been molding me for quite some time. I am humbled to realize that I have been blessed with opportunities that many bishops elect have not experienced. I have celebrated enough Confirmations that I already have a way of celebrating that I am comfortable with but of course I realize some adjustments will have to be made as I begin to celebrate them as a bishop rather than a delegate of the bishop.

One of the more profound experiences for me was the recent dedication of the newly remodeled church of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha in Buffalo, Texas. By special delegation Bishop Corrada allowed me to preside over this dedication because he was not able to return to the diocese on that date. Normally the dedication of a church is reserved to a bishop but Bishop Corrada saw fit to delegate me as bishop elect. The moment of the liturgy that I found to be profoundly moving was the anointing of the altar. I had watched Bishop Corrada and other bishops celebrate this moment in the rite and it was always a very blessed ritual. I have to say that it was extremely moving to be the minister actually conducting this anointing. I was profoundly aware of the beauty of the Eucharistic altar as an image of Christ Himself and I very much felt his presence as I spread the sacred chrism across the top of the altar. I often speak of being humbled by various aspects of this journey but I must say that these words are not adequate for how it felt to anoint this altar as an image of Christ Himself.

All of this reminds me that saying to people “please pray for me” is not merely a way of responding to their kind greetings and congratulations. Indeed “please pray for me” should resonate through my ministry as bishop and profoundly remind me of my great responsibility to always follow with “as I pray for you”. Only in prayer can we begin to fathom even the tiniest elements of the wonder of Jesus Christ in His Church.