Archbishop's Column
The Catholic Transcript - December Issue, 2003

On December 18, 2003 it will be my happy privilege to witness the formal installation of my successor Archbishop-designate Henry J. Mansell. As is well known, I have reached the mandatory retirement age of seventy-five years. On October 20, 2003 the Holy See announced Archbishop-designate Mansell's appointment as Archbishop of Hartford. The Holy Father at that time appointed me the Apostolic Administrator of the Archdiocese and I have been functioning in that capacity since that day. The time is drawing near when my term as Apostolic Administrator will be concluded and we will have a new Archbishop.

I have written before how delighted I am that the Holy Father has chosen Archbishop-designate Mansell as the new Ordinary of the Hartford Archdiocese. I pray that the Good Shepherd will bless him with long years of fruitful ministry. He knows he has my support and encouragement. I promised our new Archbishop my ready and enthusiastic cooperation. I invite all our priests, religious and laity to assist our new Archbishop in every possible way as he goes about furthering the work of the Church in the Archdiocese entrusted to his pastoral care.
This, therefore, will be my last column in The Catholic Transcript as the Ordinary of the Archdiocese of Hartford. I want to use this opportunity to thank everyone for the cooperation which I have received since I was named by the Holy Father as Archbishop of Hartford on December 10, 1991. These twelve years have passed very quickly indeed. It is trite to say but nevertheless true that it seems like only yesterday when I participated in the Press Conference in the Chancery Office following the announcement of my appointment on that December day twelve years ago.

At times like this there is a temptation to reminisce, to think of days gone by, to recall all that has happened in the intervening years since I was given the privilege of being the Archbishop of Hartford. Although I will resist the temptation for the most part, there is one event which I wish to recall. That is the ceremony on June 29, 1992 in St. Peter's Basilica when Our Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, presented the pallium to me. I accepted the pallium joyfully not only because of the honor it implied but because of the deep meaning which it signifies. The pallium is given to a Metropolitan Archbishop by the Holy Father as a symbol of the ties that bind the new Archbishop as leader of a Metropolitan Province to the person of the Pope and to the Holy See. Each time I wore the pallium, I was conscious of my responsibility to foster unity among the clergy and faithful of the Archdiocese and the solemn duty to unite our Archdiocese with the See of Peter and St. Peter's successor, the current Pope. It truly was a joyous ceremony that day and a very meaningful one for me.

The time has come now to thank my Auxiliary Bishops, Bishop Peter Rosazza and Bishop Christie Macaluso, who have been loyal and wise advisors. They have cooperated with me and supported me in the pastoral endeavors which we have undertaken in the Archdiocese. I extend a special word of gratitude to them at this time.

I want to thank the priests of the Archdiocese of Hartford in a special way. They have been my closest collaborators in the ministry as they have faithfully served the people of God in the parishes of the Archdiocese. I include the religious priests in these words of appreciation. They provide inestimable assistance in our parishes.

I want to thank the Deacons who have likewise served faithfully in the parishes to which they are assigned. They have cooperated generously as we have attempted to bring the Permanent Diaconate Program into conformity with requirements of the Holy See and the Directives of the American Bishops.

I express my gratitude to the religious of our Archdiocese who contribute so much in so many ways to the pastoral activity in the Archdiocese of Hartford. I am mindful of the diminishing number of religious and that makes me all the more grateful for the dedication of the religious, both Sisters and Brothers, who labor so diligently and generously in our many Archdiocesan apostolic activities.

To the faithful laity I wish to convey my heartfelt gratitude for your lives of faith and good example. You are attempting at all times to follow Christ in your religious practice and daily living as good Christians. Your generosity has been outstanding and through your contributions to the Archbishop's Annual Appeal, you have enabled me to carry on the various apostolates of the Archdiocese that assist so many. I am conscious of your goodness and I thank you.

A word to the seminarians: Be not afraid. Continue your formation with faith, hope and love knowing that in the Providence of God and in His good time, you will be ordained priests and you will be offering the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Work together with the Director of Vocations and with all the priests of the Archdiocese of Hartford to foster many more vocations to the priesthood for our Archdiocese in the future.
Now I must write the final lines of this column. I want them to be words which you have heard me say on various occasions in St. Joseph's Cathedral and elsewhere: Pray for me as I pray for you and may God love and bless you all.