Bishop Michael T. Martin, OFM Conv.

Bishop Michael T. Martin

OFM Conv.

Diocese prepares to welcome Franciscan as fifth bishop

Diócesis se prepara para recibir al franciscano como quinto obispo

Our Lady of the Angels Province

Franciscan Friars Conventual

Offers Fraternal Prayers and Heartfelt Congratulations to Our Brother,

Friar Michael T. Martin, OFM Conv.

Fifth Bishop of Charlotte

Diocese prepares to install Franciscan Michael Martin as fifth bishop

Bishop-elect Martin will ‘begin with presence’ and ‘call us beyond ourselves’

LIZ CHANDLER lchandler@rcdoc.org

Ifyou ask Bishop-elect Michael Martin what it means to be a Franciscan, he’ll tell you “trying to explain that in a sound bite or a tweet is impossible.”

Certainly, he’ll oblige with a short answer: “As part of the Franciscan religious order, we take vows of poverty, chastity and obedience as we carry out the work of the apostles in service of the Church.”

If you ask him again, you may get a longer answer that begins with a little humor, as do many moments with this Conventual Franciscan priest from Baltimore and Atlanta, who has deep roots in Catholic education and who is about to become the fifth bishop of the Diocese of Charlotte.

“I’ve heard it said that trying to understand Franciscan-ism is like trying to catch a cloud,” he says. “Just when you think you’ve grabbed it, it’s gone through your hands. …

“The Franciscan community is nuts-tobolts. There is no one kind of Franciscan. There are lots of different personalities, and somehow the grace of the Holy Spirit allows us to live in relative peace and harmony and to carry out the commission of the Church. To me, that is one of the great gifts the Franciscan religious order gives to the universal Church: We don’t all have to look the same, we don’t all have to be the same, but rather, we can be united in mission even in our pretty extended differences.”

For the first time in 20 years, the Charlotte diocese will welcome a new bishop, this one during a three-day celebration, May 28-30, as longtime Bishop Peter Jugis retires and Bishop-elect Martin takes the helm of the rapidly growing diocese. Heretofore, the diocese has hosted a few friars and sisters of the religious order, founded in 1209 by St. Francis of Assisi, to serve in some of its parishes and ministries, but not from the bishop’s chair – which will give the new bishop great influence over the direction and tone of the diocese for what could be more than a decade.

Bishop-elect Martin says he’s not one to come in and make sweeping changes, “I want to listen, listen, listen.” Plus, he says, he likes much of what he sees: a healthy

and growing diocese with a warm welcome, holy priests, and many engaged Catholics focused on discipleship through a broad variety of ministries, reaching a broad variety of people.

At the same time, he says, “I realize the

call to leadership. I do not shy away from that, or from making decisions that need to be made.”

To be effective, he says, he will “get out of the office” to get to know parishioners, priests and people in communities across the diocese’s 46 counties, with 530,000 Catholics living in the western half of North Carolina, “to hear your story of discipleship, and to know how I can serve you best.”

“I look forward to being with you,” he told Catholics and non-Catholics alike on April 9, when it was announced he would become the diocese’s next bishop.

“Being with you” is a consistent refrain. “It’s hard to lead if you’re not first with people,” he says, people of all backgrounds, reflecting the message of “accompaniment” in faith that Pope Francis preaches.

As a Franciscan, he strives to “not just parrot the words” but to live the life that St. Francis modeled, which he notes “has endured for 800 years.” It’s a life of service, ministry to the marginalized, and evangelization that inspires people to carry on as disciples “living the faith and trying to build a new heaven on Earth as we’re all called to do.”

Set to become the diocese’s fifth bishop in late May, Franciscan priest Michael Martin will have great influence over the direction and tone of the diocese for what could be more than a decade. Pictured here, he engages with students at Charlotte Catholic High School in his first visit to the diocese on April 9, the day the Vatican announced Pope Francis’ appointment of Bishop-elect Martin, who has years of experience in Catholic education.

TROY HULL | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

BISHOP

Bishop-elect Martin doesn’t officially start until his installation on May 30, but in the seven weeks since the Vatican announced the pope’s appointment of “Father Mike,” he has already visited with seminarians in Belmont and Ohio, students at Charlotte Catholic High School, people in several parishes, Catholic Charities’ food bank, and residents of Holy Angels’ community for people with disabilities.

At the same time, he’s meeting and mingling with diocesan staff – just this week calling for a briefing on plans to build a new cathedral – while also extracting himself from a parish he loves and pastored for the past two years, St. Philip Benizi, in Jonesboro, Georgia.

Then, of course, there are logistics of moving to Charlotte and planning his May 29 ordination at St. Mark Church. The event will host nearly 2,000 people, including some 500 priests, 15 bishops, one cardinal, nine parishioners from each of the diocese’s 92 churches, and dozens of family and friends – among them Atlanta Archbishop Gregory Hartmayer, who has known the bishop-elect for nearly 50 years and says he “highly recommended” to Pope Francis that he consider Father Martin for the Charlotte bishop’s job.

“I’ve been wrestling with living in two worlds, leaving Atlanta and coming here, but I am feeling my mind and my heart drifting north,” Bishop-elect Martin told the Catholic News Herald. “Some of the things that have really helped are the encounters I’m having with different people here. I have enjoyed very much the opportunity to get to meet so many folks in different walks of life who are trying

to live the faith. That’s made me much more comfortable and given me even more excitement for what’s coming.”

“Still,” he acknowledges, “it’s a difficult transitional time. Lots of things are changing in my life.”

Chief among them, he and others say, will be leaving behind his Franciscan community of friars as he becomes a diocesan bishop, with an unrelenting schedule, and living alone, not in a communal setting as he has for 40 years. Nonetheless, he’s already making plans for how to recreate that communal spirit in his life here, he’s looking forward to “bishop’s school” in Rome, and he says he’s at ease because he knows God is with him.

FINDING ST. FRANCIS

At 6-foot-1 and 250 pounds, he’s a big man with a big personality, an extrovert who draws energy from being with other people. Quick witted with a particular fondness for the Holy Spirit, he wears the gray habit of the Franciscans, which distinguishes him amid clergy who wear black clerics with a Roman collar.

Michael Martin grew up in inner-city Baltimore, in a tiny rowhouse with a wirefenced backyard and an alley, a blue-collar upbringing at a time of civil unrest in the 1960s and 1970s.

His father sold medical supplies and his mother worked as an executive assistant, and together Don and Bev Martin raised four children, with Michael third in line and the only boy. “We were a normal Catholic family who went to church on Sundays. … There was a tremendous amount of love and goodness in my family and extended family.” (See more, page 10.)

Living just a mile from the all-boys Archbishop Curley High School, run by the Franciscan religious order, the Martins regularly had priests over for dinner. Their reverence and good humor appealed

to Michael, so naturally that’s where he wanted to go to high school.

“They were bringing up young men of character,” says his older sister Jeanne Martin, who remembers how Michael worked to help with tuition.

As an eighth-grader, Michael had toured Curley High, where he’d had a chance meeting with a priest-teacher who would later become one of the most significant influences in his life: Father Gregory Hartmayer, now the Archbishop of Atlanta.

“Michael is a great leader, he’s charismatic,” says Archbishop Hartmayer, who over the years would become a mentor, work colleague and close friend. “I find him to be a great homilist, a great teacher and great administrator, and so I think he brings to Charlotte a lot of talent and a lot of experience – and he’s very excited about coming to Charlotte and beginning to work right away.”

He so loved his high school experience, it inspired a 30-year career in Catholic education. “There was a spirit in that school of the Franciscans of love and community that I found attractive,” Bishopelect Martin recalls. “I recognized how my own education made such a difference in my life. I saw how my relationship with Jesus and my sense of the Church and community and of serving was all very much rooted in education. … There are so many wonderful opportunities in education to make that kind of difference, so I wanted very much to do that, too.”

So after graduation, at 17, he joined the Conventual Franciscan Friars Novitiate in Ellicott City, Maryland, to see if religious life was for him – a challenging transition.

FOSTERING A FRANCISCAN SPIRIT

He initially struggled to adjust to the disciplined, “almost monastic” life of Franciscans-in-training. “There were no phone calls. We got to write one letter home a month. We didn’t go anywhere,” he laments.

“The thought behind it,” he understands now, “was that this is a very different way of life, and you can’t hang on to your old way of life. It was very difficult but I think situated me well for an understanding of what religious life is and what it’s not, and for all the steps thereafter.”

His world further expanded when the Franciscans sent him to their international seminary in Rome, the Pontifical Theological Faculty of St. Bonaventure –known as the Seraphicum – where he loved the multicultural flavor and diversity of experiences. While all Franciscans are friars or “brothers,” some are also priests.

Michael Martin was ordained a Franciscan priest in 1989.

Father Martin’s first assignment took him to St. Francis High School outside of Buffalo, New York, where he coached basketball and was director of admissions – and where Father Gregory Hartmayer served as principal.

“Father Martin is a faithful son of St. Francis,” Archbishop Hartmayer says. “We worked closely together for five years at that school, and we’ve come to know each other very well. We oftentimes vacation together, a group of us friars, for many years now.”

In 1994, the Franciscans called Father Martin back to work at his beloved Curley High.

“If you ever get the chance to go back and be principal of your old high school,” he likes to joke, “you should take it. It’s a great justice moment to sit down with teachers who taught you, to sign their contract, and say, ‘How do you like me now?’”

For 16 years, Father Martin served as a Curley teacher, coach, administrator, principal and president – making a big impact on multiple levels, especially by fostering the Franciscan spirit that had captured him.

“He was always great with young people,” his sister Jeanne Martin says. “You have to be real. You have to meet them at their level. He knows how to do that, how to be relevant.”

He was similarly blessed as director of the Duke (University) Catholic Center in Durham, he says, where he gathered a ministry team that set a standard in donor engagement and student outreach with novel approaches such as “Confession on the Quad” and, for 15 months during COVID, celebrating Mass in a parking garage.

“He was amazing at fundraising there, and at increasing the size of the facility where students could come and attend Bible study and liturgies and just be in the company of other Catholic students,” Archbishop Hartmayer says.

In 2022, the archbishop was thrilled to welcome Father Martin to his own Archdiocese of Atlanta, to serve as a firsttime parish priest at St. Philip Benizi – the same church Father Hartmayer had served before becoming Bishop of Savannah, then Archbishop of Atlanta.

DEFINING HIS MINISTRY

Looking ahead, the bishop-elect can’t predict the shape of his ministry but says it will certainly reflect the Gospel, Church teachings and Franciscan values.

He takes seriously the call St. Francis received while praying at the church of San Damiano to “Go, rebuild my church …” You do that, he says, through words and through deeds.

“The Church has since its inception always been a Church in need of grace, in need of reform,” he says. “So the reform of the Church is to continuously re-form our way of seeing ourselves and our God. That’s the ‘rebuilding’ that has to constantly take place. It’s about never getting comfortable, about always diving more deeply into deeper water.”

His homilies connect with people, just as St. Francis’ sermons did. “He talks about things that happen in real life. He makes them universal. They’re not just theory. He gets his message out in ways it can be received, so you have a better shot at internalizing it,” his older sister Jeanne Martin says.

His younger sister, Ellie Proctor, puts it this way: “His homilies will blow you away.”

Emulating St. Francis, Bishop-elect Martin also “has a heart for the poor,” his fellow Franciscan Father Michael Heine says, a quality that surfaced on his first day in Charlotte when he made an unscheduled stop at the food bank and again recently when he hired a workforce-training program for event catering.

The bishop-elect has little patience for division, politically or philosophically in the Church, saying we are called by God to unite across differences: “We need to first begin with presence and listening, and then confirming where Christ is with us. What do we share? Where are we united?”

He eschews labels used in the U.S. Church that reflect societal divisions –conservative, liberal, orthodox.

“I don’t believe that needs to be the lens through which I see our diocese or any individual member in it. I just don’t think that is the optic Jesus gives us. Every encounter Jesus has in the Gospel with others, He always meets them where they are. So I’m not here to proclaim a side and then drag everyone who’s not there to it. And I do believe the more we continue to describe ourselves in these terms, the more we live into those paradigms.”

Rather, he says, he will build community with his brother priests and with the people of the diocese. He will focus on Jesus and the good news of salvation, as St. Francis did: “One of the greatest aha!

moments in

(Above) A gifted homilist, Bishop-elect Martin “talks about things that happen in real life. He makes them universal…so you have a better shot at internalizing it,” says eldest sister Jeanne. Here, he makes announcements at the end of Ash Wednesday Mass at Goodson Chapel at Duke Divinity School.

(Right) Young Michael Martin, a tenor, performs with his fellow friars at an event. “He has a really nice voice,” says little sister Ellie.

Fun facts with Bishop-elect Martin

On the lighter side of this historic moment, the Catholic News Herald pitched a few softballs to get to know our new bishop a little better. Here’s what Bishop-elect Martin shared. What’s your favorite …

CNH: Bible verse?

MARTIN: I can’t give you just one:

n “Jesus said to Simon, ‘Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch’” (Luke 5:4).

n “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68).

n “One thing I ask of the Lord; this I seek: To dwell in the Lord’s house all the days of my life, To gaze on the Lord’s beauty, to visit His temple” (Psalm 27:4).

CNH: Liturgy?

MARTIN: Anywhere God’s grace is celebrated.

CNH: Holy day or feast day?

MARTIN: Pentecost – we don’t celebrate the Holy Spirit enough!

CNH: Patron saint?

MARTIN: Need you ask? St. Francis of Assisi!

BISHOP

St. Francis’ life revolves around Christmas. He couldn’t get over the fact that God would want to be one of us. For Francis, it is the Incarnation that is the foundation of everything he did. Today, people put him in a bird bath because he loved nature. Why did he love nature? He saw the unity, the goodness and the dignity of the created world because God became part of that created world in the person of Jesus. Jesus being one of us lifts all of us to such an incredible height, to God the Father.”

You can also count on the bishop-elect, he says, to call on people to do better – living the faith, reaching out in charity, and focusing on salvation.

“There will always be a bit of a disparity between what the Church is saying is important and what everyone else says. It’s the responsibility, it’s the mission of the

Key dates in Bishop-elect Martin’s biography

Dec. 2, 1961 – Born in Baltimore to Bev and Don Martin. Three sisters: Jeanne, Judy and later Ellie

Spring 1979 – Graduated from Archbishop Curley High School in Baltimore

August 1979 – Entered the Conventual Franciscan Friars Novitiate in Ellicott City, Maryland

May 1984 – Graduated with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from St. Hyacinth College-Seminary in Massachusetts

1984-1985 – Served as a religious studies teacher and coach at St. Francis High School in Athol Springs, New York

1985-1988 – Attended and earned a Bachelor of Sacred Theology from the Pontifical Theological Faculty of St. Bonaventure – the Seraphicum – in Rome

CNH: Favorite golf course?

MARTIN: Any course where someone else is paying.

Other fun facts:

CNH: What is the last book you read?

MARTIN: Religious: “The Spirituality of Imperfection” by Ernest Kurtz and Katherine Ketcham; Nonreligious: “First: Sandra Day O’Connor,” a biography by Evan Thomas

CNH: What do you know about NASCAR?

MARTIN: Only what I have learned driving in the HOV lanes in Atlanta! I know nothing, but admire the athletes, technicians and precision of the sport.

CNH: Have you visited Charlotte before?

Church to pick our heads up and look to a greater vision. The Scriptures so constantly over thousands of years continue to challenge us to look beyond our own particular circumstances. That’s what the Church is here to do – to constantly call us to accountability…to call us beyond ourselves.” If that feels uncomfortable, he says, it should. Yet as the diocese moves forward with its new bishop, he likes to remind people that he’s feeling “jittery,” too – but that we really need not be concerned because, nodding to the Gospel of Matthew, “Jesus is always with us in the boat.”

— Spencer K.M. Brown contributed.

(Bishop-elect Martin is professed with the Conventual Franciscans, whose order was founded by St. Francis of Assisi in the 13th century.)

CNH: Movie?

MARTIN: Again, it can’t be only one!

n “Patton” with George C. Scott

n “A Few Good Men” –whenever I come across it channel surfing, I have to stop and watch the rest of it!

n “Shadowlands” – a more obscure Anthony Hopkins film about C.S. Lewis. I cried at the end when I first watched it in the movie theater, and I still get a bit choked up thinking about the ending.

CNH: TV show?

MARTIN: “Seinfeld”

MARTIN: Yes, I once officiated at a wedding at St. Patrick Cathedral, and I’ve been to a few bowl games in Bank of America Stadium.

CNH: Do you have a specialty dish you make?

MARTIN: I make a decent chili (but I won’t disclose the secret ingredient).

CNH: What’s your biggest pet peeve?

MARTIN: Being late for anything.

CNH: What is something most people don’t know about you?

MARTIN: I once was scratched by a bat – mammal, not baseball – and had to receive all of the rabies shots. Not fun.

CNH: What is your best golf score and worst golf score?

1988-1989 – Served as transitional deacon at St. Adalbert Parish in Elmhurst, New York

June 10, 1989 – Ordained to the priesthood by Auxiliary Bishop John Ricard of the Archdiocese of Baltimore

1989-1994 — Returned to St. Francis High School to serve as admissions director, teacher and coach

1993 – Earned a master’s degree in education from Boston College

1994-2010 – Returned to alma mater Archbishop Curley High School to serve as teacher, coach, admissions director, principal and president

2007 – Received the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice award for service to the Church

2010-2022 – Served as director of Duke Catholic Center, the official Catholic community at Duke University in Durham

August 2022 – Appointed pastor of St. Philip Benizi Parish in Jonesboro, Georgia

April 9, 2024 – Vatican announced his appointment by Pope Francis to serve as Bishop of Charlotte

May 29, 2024 – Scheduled ordination as a bishop at St. Mark Church, Huntersville

May 30, 2024 – Installation as Diocese of Charlotte’s bishop

Bishop-elect Martin has also held a number of leadership positions in the Church, particularly in Catholic education, and he has served on multiple Catholic school boards and worked with Partners in Mission, a Boston-based consulting firm for Catholic education.

CNH: Requested song for a piano sing-along?

MARTIN: “Sweet Caroline”

(Bishop-elect Martin asked one of the residents at Holy Angels to play the tune during his April 9 tour of their Belmont campus for people with intellectual and development challenges.)

CNH: Sports teams?

MARTIN: I’m a die-hard Baltimore Orioles and Ravens fan. And, yes, I’m a Duke fan – even though most of you aren’t!

CNH: Pastimes?

MARTIN: I love reading historical biographies and doing handyman things around the house.

CNH: Favorite food?

MARTIN: Maryland crab cakes (only made in Maryland – all others never get it right).

MARTIN: Best is 82 – that was a number of years ago. Worst, well, I can’t count that high! I am a 15 handicap.

CNH: What is the most famous golf course you’ve played?

MARTIN: Cypress Point Club in California.

CNH: What’s an obscure talent you have?

MARTIN: I am an OK barber. My first year in the seminary, I was named the barber, and have been cutting the hair of my brothers ever since.

CNH: What are three things you know or love about Western North Carolina?

MARTIN: Grandfather Mountain, St. Francis Springs Prayer Center in Stoneville, and the rocking chairs at the CLT airport.

PHOTOS PROVIDED

Father Michael Martin celebrating mother Bev Martin’s birthday with sisters from left Judy, Ellie and Jeanne. “My family is just very important to me,” he says. (Below) Father Martin watches a Duke lacrosse match.

La diócesis se prepara para instalar al Padre franciscano Michael Martin como quinto obispo

El obispo electo Martin

“comenzará con presencia” y “nos llamará más allá de nosotros mismos”

LIZ CHANDLER lchandler@rcdoc.org

Sile preguntas al Obispo Electo Michael Martin qué significa ser franciscano, te dirá que “tratar de explicar eso en un fragmento de sonido o en un tuit es imposible”.

Ciertamente, lo hará con una breve respuesta: “Como parte de la orden religiosa franciscana, hacemos votos de pobreza, castidad y obediencia mientras llevamos a cabo el trabajo de los apóstoles al servicio de la Iglesia”.

Si le preguntas de nuevo, es posible que obtengas una respuesta más extensa que comience con un poco de humor, al igual que en muchos momentos con este sacerdote franciscano conventual de Baltimore y Atlanta, que tiene profundas raíces en educación católica, y que está a punto de convertirse en el Quinto Obispo de la Diócesis de Charlotte.

“He oído decir que tratar de entender al franciscano es como tratar de atrapar una nube”, dijo, “justo cuando crees que la has agarrado, se te escapa de las manos”.

“La comunidad franciscana es de tuerca y tornillo. No hay un solo tipo de franciscano. Hay muchas personalidades diferentes y,

de alguna manera, la gracia del Espíritu Santo nos permite vivir en relativa paz y armonía, y llevar a cabo el cometido de la Iglesia. Para mí, ese es uno de los grandes dones que la orden religiosa franciscana da a la Iglesia universal: no todos tenemos que parecer iguales, no todos tenemos que ser iguales, sino que podemos estar unidos en la misión inclusive con diferencias bastante grandes”. Por primera vez en 20 años, la Diócesis de Charlotte dará la bienvenida a un nuevo obispo, esta vez durante una celebración de tres días, del 28 al 30 de mayo, cuando el Obispo Peter Jugis se jubile y el Obispo Electo Martin tome el timón de esta diócesis que crece rápidamente. Hasta el momento, la diócesis ha acogido a algunos frailes y hermanas franciscanas de la orden religiosa fundada en 1209 por San Francisco de Asís, para servir en algunas de sus parroquias y ministerios, pero no desde la silla episcopal, lo que dará al nuevo obispo una gran influencia sobre la dirección y tono de la diócesis durante lo que podría ser más de una década. El Obispo Electo Martin dice que no es de los que llegan y hacen cambios radicales: “Quiero escuchar, escuchar, y escuchar”. Además, dice, le gusta mucho de lo que ve, una diócesis en crecimiento saludable que ofrece una cálida bienvenida, sacerdotes santos y muchos católicos comprometidos enfocados en el discipulado a través de una amplia variedad de ministerios,

OBISPO, PASA A LA PÁGINA 7B

El Obispo Electo de Charlotte, Michael Martin, OFM Conv., bendice a Mark, residente de Holy Angels, durante una visita el 9 de abril a la Diócesis de Charlotte tras el anuncio del Vaticano de que sucederá al obispo Peter Jugis.

TROY HULL | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

OBISPO

llegando a una amplia variedad de personas.

Al mismo tiempo, dice: “Me doy cuenta del llamado al liderazgo. No lo rehúyo, ni tampoco tomar las decisiones que haya que tomar”.

Para ser eficaz, dice, “saldrá de la oficina” para conocer a los feligreses, sacerdotes y personas de las comunidades de los 46 condados de la diócesis, con 530.000 católicos que viven en la mitad occidental de Carolina del Norte, “para escuchar su historia de discipulado y saber cómo puedo servirles mejor”.

“Espero estar con ustedes”, dijo a los católicos y no católicos por igual el 9 de abril, cuando se anunció que se convertiría en el próximo obispo de la diócesis.

“Estar con ustedes” es un estribillo constante.

“Es difícil liderar si no eres el primero con la gente”, dice, gente de todos los orígenes, reflejando el mensaje de “acompañamiento” en la fe que predica el Papa Francisco.

Como franciscano, se esfuerza “no solo por repetir las palabras”, sino por vivir la vida que San Francisco modeló, que señala que “ha perdurado durante 800 años”. Es una vida de servicio, ministerio a los marginados y evangelización que inspira a las personas a seguir adelante como discípulos “viviendo la fe y tratando de construir un nuevo cielo en la Tierra como todos estamos llamados a hacer”.

El Obispo Electo Martin no tomará el cargo oficialmente hasta su instalación el 30 de mayo, pero en las siete semanas transcurridas desde que el Vaticano anunció el nombramiento del Papa del “Padre Miguel”, ya ha visitado seminaristas en Belmont y Ohio, estudiantes de Charlotte Catholic High School, personas en varias parroquias, el banco de alimentos de Caridades Católicas y residentes de la comunidad de Holy Angels para personas con discapacidades.

Al mismo tiempo, se está reuniendo y compartiendo con el personal diocesano, justamente esta semana solicitó una sesión informativa sobre los planes para construir una nueva catedral, al mismo tiempo que se retira de una parroquia que ama y pastoreó durante los últimos dos años, San Felipe Benizi, en Jonesboro, Georgia. Luego, por supuesto, está la logística de mudarse a Charlotte y planificar su ordenación el 29 de mayo en la Iglesia San Marcos. El evento acogerá a casi 2.000 personas, entre ellas unos 500 sacerdotes, 15 obispos, un cardenal, nueve feligreses de cada una de las 92 iglesias de la diócesis y docenas de familiares y amigos, entre ellos el Arzobispo de Atlanta, Gregory Hartmayer, que conoce a Michael desde hace casi 50 años y dice que “recomendó encarecidamente” al Papa Francisco que considerara al Padre Martin para el puesto de Obispo de Charlotte.

“He estado luchando con vivir entre dos mundos, dejar Atlanta y venir aquí, pero siento que mi mente y mi corazón se desplazan hacia el norte”, dijo el Obispo Electo Martin al Catholic News Herald. “Algunas de las cosas que realmente me han ayudado son los encuentros que estoy teniendo aquí con diferentes personas. He disfrutado mucho la oportunidad de conocer a tantas personas en diferentes ámbitos de la vida que están tratando de vivir la fe. Eso me ha hecho sentir mucho más cómodo y me ha dado aún más emoción por lo que viene”.

“Aún así”, reconoce, “es un momento de transición difícil. Muchas cosas están cambiando en mi vida”. La principal, dice él y otros, será dejar atrás su comunidad franciscana de frailes cuando se convierta en obispo diocesano, con un horario implacable, y vivir solo, no en un entorno comunitario como lo ha hecho durante 40 años. Sin embargo, ya está haciendo planes sobre cómo recrear ese espíritu comunitario en su vida aquí, espera con ansias la “escuela del obispo” en Roma y dice que está tranquilo porque sabe que Dios está con él.

ENCONTRANDO A SAN FRANCISCO

Con 6 pies 1 pulgada de estatura, y 250 libras de peso, es un hombre grande con una gran personalidad, un ser extrovertido que extrae energía al estar con otras personas. De ingenio rápido y con una afición particular por el Espíritu Santo, viste el hábito gris de los franciscanos, que lo distingue entre los clérigos que visten clérigos negros con cuello romano.

Michael Martin creció en el centro de la ciudad de Baltimore, en una pequeña casa adosada con un patio trasero cercado con alambre y un callejón, una educación obrera en un momento de disturbios civiles en las décadas de 1960 y 1970.

Su padre vendía suministros médicos y su madre trabajaba como asistente ejecutiva, y juntos Don y Bev Martin criaron a cuatro hijos, con Michael tercero en la

línea de sucesión y el único varón. “Éramos una familia católica normal que iba a la iglesia los domingos... Había una tremenda cantidad de amor y bondad en mi familia y en mi familia extendida”.

Viviendo a solo una milla de la escuela secundaria católica Arzobispo Curley, dirigida por la orden religiosa franciscana, los Martin solían invitar a los sacerdotes a cenar. Su reverencia y buen humor atrajeron a Michael, así que, naturalmente, allí es donde quería ir a la escuela secundaria.

“Estaban criando a jóvenes de carácter”, dice su hermana mayor, Jeanne Martin, quien recuerda cómo Michael trabajaba para ayudar con el pago de la matrícula.

Cuando estaba en octavo grado, Michael visitó Curley High, donde tuvo un encuentro casual con un sacerdote y maestro que más tarde se convertiría en una de las influencias más significativas en su vida: el Padre Gregory Hartmayer, ahora Arzobispo de Atlanta.

“Michael es un gran líder, es carismático”, dice el Arzobispo Hartmayer, quien a lo largo de los años se convertiría en mentor, colega de trabajo y amigo cercano de Michael.

“Creo que es un gran homilista, gran maestro y administrador, por lo que creo que llevará a Charlotte mucho talento y experiencia, y está muy emocionado de llegar a Charlotte y comenzar a trabajar de inmediato”.

A Michael le encantó tanto su experiencia en la escuela secundaria que inspiró una carrera de 30 años en la educación católica. “Había un espíritu de amor y comunidad en esa escuela de los franciscanos, que me pareció atractivo”, dice. “Reconocí cómo mi propia educación marcó una gran diferencia en mi vida. Vi cómo mi relación con Jesús y mi sentido de la Iglesia, de la comunidad y de servicio estaban muy arraigados en la educación... Hay tantas oportunidades maravillosas en la educación para marcar ese tipo de diferencia, así que tenía muchas ganas de hacer eso también”.

director de tu antigua escuela secundaria”, le gusta bromear al Padre Martin, “deberías aprovecharla. Es un gran momento de justicia para sentarse con los maestros que te enseñaron, firmar su contrato y decir: ‘¿Cómo te quedó ahora?’”

Durante 16 años, Martin se desempeñó como maestro, entrenador, administrador, director y presidente de Curley, teniendo un gran impacto en múltiples niveles, especialmente al fomentar el espíritu franciscano que lo había capturado.

“Siempre fue genial con los jóvenes”, dijo su hermana Jeanne Martin. “Tienes que ser real. Tienes que encontrarte con ellos a su nivel. Sabe cómo hacer eso, cómo ser relevante”.

De manera similar, fue bendecido como director del Centro Católico Duke (Universidad) en Durham, dice, donde reunió a un equipo ministerial que estableció un estándar en la participación de los donantes y el alcance estudiantil con enfoques novedosos como Confesiones en el Patio y, durante COVID, celebrando Misa en un

El Obispo Electo Martin toma en serio el llamado de “Ve y reconstruye mi iglesia”. Arriba, bautiza a un nuevo católico y abajo, hace anuncios después de la Misa del Domingo de Pascua en el Cameron Indoor Stadium en Duke, donde se acercó a católicos y no católicos por igual, amplió las instalaciones y empleó actividades de divulgación novedosas como “Confesiones en el Patio”.

Así que después de graduarse, a los 17 años, se unió al Noviciado Conventual de Frailes Franciscanos en Ellicott City, Maryland, para ver si la vida religiosa era para él, una transición desafiante.

‘HOMBRE DE GRAN TALENTO’

Al principio, Michael luchó por adaptarse a la vida disciplinada y “casi monástica” de los franciscanos en formación. “No habían llamadas telefónicas. Teníamos que escribir una carta a casa al mes. No fuimos a ningún lado”, se lamenta.

“La idea detrás de esto”, lo entiende ahora, “era que esta es una forma de vida muy diferente y que no puedes aferrarte a tu antigua forma de vida. Fue muy difícil, pero creo que me situó bien para entender lo que es y lo que no es la vida religiosa, y para todos los pasos posteriores”. Su mundo se expandió aún más cuando la Orden lo envió a su seminario internacional en Roma, la Pontificia Facultad Teológica San Buenaventura, El Seráfico, donde le encantó el sabor internacional, la diversidad y la variedad de experiencias. Si bien todos los franciscanos son frailes o “hermanos”, algunos también son sacerdotes. Michael Martin fue ordenado sacerdote franciscano en 1989.

La primera asignación del Padre Martin lo llevó a la Escuela Secundaria San Francisco en las afueras de Buffalo, Nueva York, donde se convirtió en director de admisiones, y donde el Padre Gregory Hartmayer era director. “El padre Martín es un hombre de gran talento y es un fiel hijo de San Francisco...” dijo Hartmayer. “Trabajamos en estrechamente durante cinco años en esa escuela, y hemos llegado a conocernos muy bien. A menudo vamos de vacaciones juntos, un grupo de frailes, desde hace muchos años”.

En 1994, los franciscanos llamaron al Padre Martin para que volviera a trabajar en su amada Curley High. “Si alguna vez tienes la oportunidad de volver y ser

estacionamiento por 15 meses.

“Fue increíble en la recaudación de fondos allí, y el aumento del tamaño de las instalaciones donde los estudiantes podían venir y asistir al estudio bíblico y a las liturgias y simplemente estar en compañía de otros estudiantes católicos”, dijo el Arzobispo Hartmayer. En 2022, el arzobispo estaba encantado de dar la bienvenida al Padre Martin a su propia Arquidiócesis de Atlanta, para servir como párroco por primera vez en San Felipe Benizi, la misma iglesia a la que el Padre Hartmayer había servido antes de convertirse en Obispo de Savannah

VIENE DE LA PÁGINA 6B

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OBISPO, PASA A LA PÁGINA 8B

y luego en Arzobispo de Atlanta.

DEFINIENDO SU MINISTERIO

De cara al futuro, el Obispo Electo no puede predecir la forma de su ministerio, pero dice que sin duda reflejará el Evangelio, las enseñanzas de la Iglesia y los valores franciscanos.

Se toma en serio el llamado que recibió San Francisco mientras rezaba en la iglesia San Damián: “Ve, reconstruye mi iglesia...” Eso se hace, dice, a través de palabras y hechos.

“La Iglesia, desde sus orígenes, siempre ha sido una Iglesia necesitada de gracia, necesitada de reforma”, dice. “Por lo tanto, la reforma de la Iglesia es reformar continuamente nuestra forma de vernos a nosotros mismos y a nuestro Dios. Esa es la “reconstrucción” que tiene que ocurrir constantemente. Se trata de no sentirse nunca cómodo, de sumergirse siempre más profundamente en aguas más profundas”.

Un homilista talentoso, al igual que San Francisco, el Obispo Electo Martin “habla de cosas que suceden en la vida real. Las hace universales. No son solo teoría. Difunde su mensaje de manera que pueda ser recibido, por lo que tienes una mejor oportunidad de internalizarlo”, dice su hermana mayor, Jeanne Martin. Su hermana menor, Ellie Proctor, lo expresa de esta manera: “Sus homilías te dejarán boquiabierto”.

Emulando a San Francisco, Martin también “tiene un corazón para los pobres”, dice su colega franciscano Michael Heine, una cualidad que surgió en su primer día en Charlotte cuando hizo una

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Después de un partido, entrenaba al equipo de baloncesto de St. Francis High School, donde el “Padre Mike” era el entrenador asistente.

parada no programada en el banco de alimentos, y otra vez recientemente cuando contrató un programa de capacitación laboral para el catering de eventos. Martin tiene poca paciencia para la división, política o filosófica en la Iglesia, diciendo que estamos llamados por Dios a unirnos a través de las diferencias:

“Primero tenemos que comenzar con la presencia y la escucha, y luego confirmar dónde está Cristo con nosotros. ¿Qué compartimos? ¿Dónde estamos unidos?”

Evita las etiquetas utilizadas en la

Iglesia de los Estados Unidos que reflejan las divisiones sociales: conservadoras, liberales, ortodoxas.

“No creo que esa deba ser el lente a través del cual vea a nuestra diócesis o a cualquier miembro individual en ella. Simplemente no creo que esa sea la óptica que Jesús nos da. Cada encuentro que Jesús tiene en el Evangelio con los demás, siempre los encuentra donde están. Así que no estoy aquí para proclamar un bando y luego arrastrar a todos los que no están allí. Y creo que cuanto más continuamos

describiéndonos a nosotros mismos en estos términos, más vivimos en esos paradigmas”.

Más bien, se centrará en Jesús y en la buena nueva de la salvación, como lo hizo San Francisco: “Uno de los más grandes momentos en la vida de San Francisco gira en torno a la Navidad. No podía superar el hecho de que Dios quisiera ser uno de nosotros. Para Francisco, la encarnación es el fundamento de todo lo que hizo. Hoy en día, la gente lo pone al lado de una fuente para pájaros porque amaba la naturaleza. ¿Por qué amaba la naturaleza? Vio la unidad, la bondad y la dignidad del mundo creado porque Dios se hizo parte de ese mundo creado en la persona de Jesús. El hecho de que Jesús sea uno de nosotros nos eleva a todos a una altura increíble, a Dios Padre”. También podemos contar con el obispo electo, dice, para pedir a la gente que lo haga mejor: vivir la fe, tender la mano en la caridad y prepararse para la salvación.

“Siempre habrá un poco de disparidad entre lo que la Iglesia dice que es importante y lo que dicen los demás. Es la responsabilidad, es la misión de la Iglesia levantar la cabeza y mirar hacia una visión más grande. Las Escrituras constantemente a lo largo de miles de años continúan desafiándonos a mirar más allá de nuestras propias circunstancias particulares. Para eso está aquí la Iglesia, para llamarnos constantemente a rendir cuentas... para llamarnos más allá de nosotros mismos”.

Si eso se siente incómodo, dice, debería serlo. Sin embargo, a medida que la diócesis avanza con su nuevo obispo, a él le gusta recordarle a la gente que él también se siente “nervioso”, pero que realmente no debemos preocuparnos porque, asintiendo con la cabeza al Evangelio de Mateo, “Jesús siempre está con nosotros en la barca”. — Contribuyó Spencer K.M. Brown

The Fathers, Sisters, Seminarians, Faculty, and Staff of ST. JOSEPH COLLEGE SEMINARY

Friends and faithful react to Bishop-elect Martin’s assignment:

“What a lucky diocese you are! The Diocese of Charlotte is getting a great leader who will do a great job! We will miss him at St. Philip Benizi but are happy for you. Father Mike’s homilies are my favorite things. He really can connect with everyone – I’ve seen him speaking to young people, old people, the Hispanic community. He believes that the Holy Spirit is real, and we can do great things if we allow the Holy Spirit to work in us.”

— Norma Casal Buckley, parishioner at St. Philip Benizi, Jonesboro, Ga., where Bishop-elect Martin served as pastor until his episcopal appointment

“I first met Father Martin as a rising junior at Archbishop Curley High School in Baltimore and got to know him for the next two years when I was the student government president, and years later he was principal and hired me to be the admissions director. As principal he was a visionary and was able to move the institution forward. Your diocese is very blessed to have him. He tries to motivate the people around him to be the best they can be – he will help many people grow closer to Christ.”

— Jeremy Joseph, principal of Archbishop Curley High School in Baltimore, where then-Father Martin served in various roles from 1994 to 2010

“It is a joy to welcome Bishop-elect Mike Martin to the Diocese of Charlotte. He energized the Catholic Campus Ministry at Duke University during his 12-year tenure there. As the bishopelect said during his introductory press conference, ministry with college students is invigorating and a point of hope for the Church. Campus ministry in this diocese has a bright future under his leadership, and I look forward to working with him to spread the good news of Jesus Christ on the college campuses we serve.”

— Darien Clark, director of Campus and Young Adult Ministry in the Diocese of Charlotte

“He was one of the best homilists I’ve ever heard and very good at business in terms of running the campus ministry and being able to raise money, but at the heart of it is his relational ministry with students and helping people get close to Christ.”

— Michelle Sutton, Duke University alumna who worked with then-Father Martin for 11 years at the Duke Catholic Center

“Father Mike is a great leader – great at having a vision and listening to people. He is humble and has a real ability to relate to people. He has a lot of compassion and pastoral concern. He cares deeply for people and takes time for them.”

— Jason Simon, president, The Evangelical Catholic, a ministry group based in Madison, Wis.

“Pope Francis has made a magnificent decision. Father Martin walks the walk and talks the talk. He’s down to earth, he’s personable and a great listener, and he truly embodies all that a priest should embody and now will embody everything that a bishop should be. He has a great sense of humor, he’s a phenomenal speaker, and he is passionate about Catholic education, which will be a priority for him in his new role along with other ministries.”

— Larry Furey, founder and senior partner of Partners in Mission, a Catholic consulting firm

“He has a heart for the poor. Like, St. Francis, he realizes where he came from. Francis’ father was rich and so he had a lot of money, but was willing to give it to the poor. Michael didn’t grow up with a lot of money. His family was blue-collar, working class, and I think he always kept in mind the values that his mom and dad taught him: to work hard and reach out to those who don’t have what he has. He has a good sense of humor and doesn’t take himself seriously. But I will tell you,

he’s very honest, and he will tell you like it is. The people of the diocese are getting a friar who’s going to love them, and that’s the important part. He wants to see those entrusted to him really be the best disciples they can be.”

— Father Michael Heine, OFM Conv., Bishop-elect Martin’s religious superior

“He’s a person of the people, a builder and a visionary. He’s not afraid to try new things. At Duke he created small groups in which seniors and juniors who knew the way would help the freshmen and sophomores. He brought nuns to campus – he thought there needed to be a motherly presence. He also brought the Eucharist into the Duke chapel, which isn’t focused on any one denomination. I think it always bothered him that the Eucharist didn’t have a home there, so he found one.”

— Mike Salvino, St. Matthew parishioner and former board member of Duke Catholic Center

“Holy Angels was deeply honored to have had Bishop-elect Michael Martin grace us with his presence on his very first day. His visit, alongside Monsignor Patrick Winslow, was a testament to their genuine care and commitment to our mission of serving those who are differently able. It was a Mercy Moment watching Bishop-elect Martin truly connect with some of our residents. We extend our heartfelt gratitude for their visit and will pray for Bishopelect Martin in his new role leading the diocese.”

— Kerri Massey, president and CEO of Holy Angels, where Bishop-elect Martin visited on his first day

“I met Father Mike at St. Francis High School in Buffalo, N.Y., when I was 16. He taught morality, literally and figuratively, which I still think about 30 years later. He is a master at distilling large spiritual and moral issues into simple, everyday, bite-sized pieces of applicable wisdom, which I know he used at Duke with some of the brightest college minds. He has led multiple Catholic schools, churches and initiatives that required the help of many others. If you speak to anyone who has worked for him, they will all tell you they were better because of it. He is an amazing teacher, a gifted orator, and I have no doubt that he will inject an energy into the Church that will inspire us all. Trust me when I say Charlotte is very lucky to have Father Mike!”

— Andy Pfeiffer, local Charlotte businessman and former student of Bishop-elect Martin

“He is extremely bright, smart and intellectual while also being down to earth. What he did at Duke was unquestionably hard. The Duke Catholic Center was totally revitalized with Father Mike Martin, and then he’s just been a great friend. He was our go-to spiritually for my wife and myself. We developed a good friendship. He worked out in our football facility and was over there all the time, he did chapel services with our team, and he traveled with us when he could to away games and played a significant role in our football program at Duke. One particular Sunday at church, I was feeling a little bit defeated, and I think he sensed that I was down. I’m going to even use the phrase ‘feeling sorry for myself.’ The team would always have a light workout on a Sunday afternoon or evening, and he would often come over and just watch. I’ll never forget this day when he came up to chat. He said, ‘How are you doing?’ I said, ‘Well, I mean, this is hard.’

He said, ‘Well, what do you mean hard?’ I said, ‘It’s just getting hard.’ And he said, ‘No, wait a minute, it’s about these kids. It’s about who you serve.’ And man, I needed to hear that. We all need to hear the truth, and he was right. I would tell that to any young coach or priest for that matter. It’s not about you; it’s about them.”

— David Cutcliffe, Duke University former head football coach

Welcome Bishop Mar�n

The parishioners of St. Peter Catholic Church, the Jesuit Church in the heart of Charlotte's Center City, welcome you.

Learn more about Learn more about Bishop Michael Martin’s Bishop Michael Martin’s Franciscan Community Franciscan Community

Family affair: “There was a tremendous amount of love and goodness in my family and extended family,” says Bishop-elect Martin, who credits their support for helping him reach ordination day (above) in 1989.

(Below) The Martin kids found ways to have fun together – beach trips, listening to comedy, even doing homework. “When you live in a small house with six people, you do everything together,” says sister Jeanne.

‘One big love story’

The Martin family opens up about life with a future bishop

ANNIE FERGUSON arferguson@rcdoc.org

CallMom. That was Father Michael Martin’s first thought last month after some of the shock wore off from learning that Pope Francis had appointed him the next Bishop of Charlotte. Moments later, Bev Martin, 84, picked up the phone and heard her son’s voice sharing the monumental news.

“Mike, are you kidding me?’’ she said.

“‘No, Mom, it’s happening!’”

Father Martin, OFM Conv., then mentioned something the pontiff said in his letter.

His mother replied, “Does the pope really know who you are?” He chuckled: “Yeah, he knows a little bit about me. He doesn’t know me personally, but he knows a little bit about me.”

Things started making more sense for Bev when she remembered her son’s award from the Vatican during the pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI. In 2007, he had received the prestigious Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice award for his service to the Church.

“I’ve never connected that with the pope. I’ve connected that with an award that goes out to people who have done great things in the Church,” she explains. “I was a little floored when he told me. I was very emotional, as you can imagine. I

was so proud of him. Not proud for me. Proud of him.” The news of his appointment was a watershed moment not only for Bishop-elect Martin and his mother but also

for the entire family of sisters, brothers-in-law, nieces and nephews, who are very dear to the future bishop. Indeed, their lives would soon have a whole new dimension. Their very own Michael Martin would soon be a bishop, a successor of the apostles.

More than a turning point, however, the announcement was in many ways the fulfillment of the family’s faithfulness and fortitude.

SIBLING REVELRY

It all began in a rowhouse in Baltimore with Bev and the late Don Martin and their four children. Bev converted at age 16 to marry Don, a lifelong Catholic who was an altar server and sang in the parish choir. Their third child, Michael, had three sisters – Jeanne, Judy and Ellie.

“Jeanne, Ellie and I were jammed in a bedroom, and Michael was in a tiny room with a bed and a desk. He would knock on our bedroom door at night because he just wanted to be with us,” his second-oldest sister, Judy Ercole says. “It was so cute.”

Each of his sisters noted their brother’s kindness and selflessness as a child.

Ellie remembers how Michael once surprised the family by paying for their Christmas tree. He saved for a bike so he could have a paper route to make a little spending money. The Martins also found fun ways to spend time together, vacationing each summer at Ocean City, Maryland, and sitting by the hi-fi to listen to actor/ comedian Steve Martin. “Michael has a great sense of

PHOTOS PROVIDED

humor, but it’s clean humor,” Ellie says.

They also “played church” in the basement with little crackers and Michael serving as priest, but nobody saw the significance at the time.

While he attended Most Precious Blood Catholic School in Baltimore, Michael’s teachers could see that he was bright but not living up to his potential, his mother remembers. The nuns loved him, but his mind was on other things, she says, like sports, with his dad coaching both his little league and rec baseball teams. Michael was a power hitter.

One year, right before Christmas break, Michael received a deficiency notice from his school.

“He tucked it away and didn’t tell my parents until the end of the break,” his eldest sister Jeanne Martin recalls. “Michael was panicking the whole time. He kept saying, ‘I’m dead.’ But when he finally showed my dad to get it signed, Dad said, ‘You’ve been punished enough – you ruined your whole break.’”

It was a good lesson.

Even then his dad knew he was destined for great things. Neither of his parents, however, had any idea God was calling Michael to be a priest. But others saw it.

SIGNS OF A PRIESTLY VOCATION

In eighth grade, Michael repeatedly rehearsed his speech titled “I Am Just One” with his sisters – and won the local Rotary Club’s oratorial competition.

“When you live in a small house with six people, you do everything together. We all knew his speech and were so happy when he won,” Jeanne says. “He really learned how to project and make it real.”

Later, even though they don’t have valedictorians in middle school, the pastor of his parish school, the late Father Jack Collopy, insisted they give the honor to Michael because he wanted him to speak at graduation. Father Collopy believed Michael had something to say, and he wanted everyone to hear it.

“I didn’t know what that meant, but Michael gave his speech at graduation, and he did a great job,” his mother recalls.

Afterward, she remembers how Father Collopy approached her and her husband.

“I want to tell you something,” he said. “I think it’s really important. I know this is the beginning of Michael’s journey, but I really believe he has a vocation (to the priesthood).”

His mother remembers that Father Collopy wanted Michael to become a diocesan priest, but it was ultimately the Conventual Franciscan friars at the all-boys Archbishop Curley High School who inspired him to join their order. Many of the friars from the school would spend time with the Martin family enjoying meals and conversation in their home, giving Michael an inside look at the lives of the friars.

In high school, Michael loved sports and remains an avid Baltimore Orioles and Ravens fan. He performed in plays, including “Hello Dolly” and “Fiddler on the Roof,” and still has “a really nice voice,” sister Ellie Proctor says. He also worked as a janitor at the school to help earn tuition, and at a local tailor shop. His sister Judy says he even had a couple girlfriends during his high school years, but religious life was where he found his true calling.

In 1979, he won the Curley Service Award at his high school, chosen from among 300 boys.

Shortly before his high school graduation, he told his parents he was joining the Conventual Franciscan Friars Novitiate in Ellicott City, Maryland. His parents couldn’t believe it and thought he was joking. But Michael told them he had been thinking about joining the Franciscans for a long time.

FOLLOWING THE LORD’S CALL

When he broke the news to the rest of the family, his sisters were shocked, but not surprised, Bev says. Michael officially left home in 1979 at just 17. It was hard for the whole family, especially Ellie, to see him go.

“With me being the youngest, he was my mentor, my psychologist, my best friend,” sister Ellie says, choking back tears. “He was just the nicest brother ever.”

Bev kept Michael’s room just as it was for a year while he was discerning religious life. She wanted him to have a safe, familiar place to land in case he changed his mind. His sisters jokingly called his empty room “The Shrine.”

Soon, however, it became clear Michael wasn’t turning back, and despite her initial disbelief, Bev would become the biggest champion of her son’s vocation to the priesthood.

After the year of discernment, he began his studies at St. Hyacinth College in Massachusetts and was eventually sent to the Pontifical University of St. Bonaventure in Rome for four years to study Sacred Theology, which worried his mother who thought it would be too much change for him.

“I’ve always said Michael was very much a local boy. He loves this country and his beloved hometown of Baltimore. He loves people, he loves sports, he loves his family,” she says. “I have to say the Lord again knew what He was doing. Michael went over there a boy and came back a man.”

“He came back with experiences that I’m still told about to this day – the people he met, the people he lived with, the places that he went, including a mission trip to Ghana.”

The people in need on his mission trip from Rome to Ghana made a deep impression on him as a seminarian, as did meeting Pope John Paul II during his years studying at the Pontifical University. His mother keeps a framed picture of the meeting on display along with other items from Rome at her Maryland home.

DEDICATED TO CATHOLIC EDUCATION

Michael was ordained a transitional deacon in Rome in 1988 and a priest in 1989 at St. Casimir Catholic Church in Baltimore.

After helping to grow St. Francis High School in Athol Springs, New York, from 1989 to 1994, the now-Father Martin became a teacher, coach and eventually the head of school at his alma mater, Archbishop Curley High School, serving there from 1994 to 2010.

Under his leadership, the school completed a $7 million capital campaign to build an arts center, downsize the

(Left) Bishop-elect Martin has a heart for the poor. On a mission trip to Ghana, his mother says, he was profoundly moved not only by the depth of the poverty, but also because “everyone was so happy with what little they had.”

friary, and created a new library, offices, meeting areas, and a modern fitness center. The science labs and the auditorium also received updates. Enrollment grew to 600 students, and the Archdiocese of Baltimore credited him for helping Archbishop Curley become a regional school. The Vatican also took notice, awarding him the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice award in 2007.

As his sister Judy recalls, “He stood out as a leader and knew most of the kids by name. As the head of the school, he wanted them to feel the brotherhood that he experienced when he was a student at Curley.”

His sister Jeanne adds, “He easily engages with students, partly through his sense of humor. He’s real and he’s relevant. So much of that comes from his years teaching and serving as principal and president. You can’t play act in front of a bunch of high school boys or girls. It’s his best attribute aside from his faith.”

His experience at both high schools prepared him to become director of the Duke Catholic Center in Durham from 2010 to 2022, where he effectively reached Catholics and non-Catholics alike. During his tenure, he grew participation in the faith, started “Confession on the Quad,” celebrated Mass in a parking garage during the pandemic, and renovated and built an addition to the Falcone-Arena House, a prayer and study center. They even dedicated the center’s entertainment room to his mother for her instrumental role in Father Martin’s priesthood.

GIVING THE GIFT OF HIMSELF

Bev says her son’s vocation has enriched all their lives. “We were just normal people, and now our family has friends in all the places Michael has been,” she says. “It’s truly one big love story.”

His sisters agree.

“His designation as Bishop of Charlotte is not surprising when you know what he’s accomplished in all his years as a priest and consider the impact he has had on so many people – family, friends, and acquaintances who are now friends,” Jeanne says.

“He has tremendous leadership skills. He can be a firstline manager and move all the chess pieces that need to be moved in a job like being a bishop. From the spiritual side, he has an ability to connect with people of all kinds and ages, while also staying true to the Church’s teachings. He’s also a phenomenal homilist!”

Judy says she was elated at the news, and their sister Ellie, who has been helping set up her brother’s new residence in Charlotte, laughs about how her brother – because of his Franciscan vow of poverty – teases his sisters about some of their fanciness. “Aren’t you schwanky,” he’ll say. In turn, they call him “Uncle Schwank.”

Bev says she is overjoyed to be here to celebrate this momentous occasion with her family, and although their father is no longer here to share in the good news, he is certainly pleased.

“I can only say that his dad supported Michael in any way that he could, and now he supports him from heaven,” his mother says. “I know he’s up there saying, ‘Look at my boy. Yes, look at my boy.’ I know that he’s very proud at this moment.”

— Liz Chandler contributed.

(Below left) Michael and his Conventual Franciscan brothers ham it up at the friars’ novitiate in Ellicott City, Maryland.

Then-seminarian Michael Martin meets Pope John Paul II, one photo among many mementos from Rome at Bev Martin’s home.

PHOTOS PROVIDED

“Había una enorme cantidad de amor y bondad en mi familia y en mi familia extendida”, dice el Obispo Electo Martin, quien atribuye a su apoyo el haberle ayudado a alcanzar el día de la ordenación (arriba y a la derecha) en 1989. Los niños Martin encontraron maneras de divertirse juntos: viajes a la playa, escuchar comedia e incluso hacer la tarea. “Cuando vives en una casa pequeña con seis personas, lo haces todo juntos”, dice la hermana Jeanne.

‘Una gran historia de amor’

La familia Martin se sincera sobre su vida con un futuro obispo

ANNIE FERGUSON arferguson@rcdoc.org

Llama

a mamá. Ese fue el primer pensamiento del Padre Michael Martin el mes pasado, después que parte de la conmoción se desvaneciera al enterarse de que el Papa Francisco lo había nombrado el próximo Obispo de Charlotte. Momentos después, Bev Martin, de 84 años, tomó el teléfono y escuchó la voz de su hijo compartiendo la monumental noticia.

“Mike, ¿estás bromeando?”, dijo.

“‘¡No, mamá, es verdad!’”

El P. Martin, OFM Conv., mencionó entonces algo que el pontífice dijo en su carta.

Su madre le respondió: “‘¿Sabe realmente el Papa quién eres?’ Se rió entre dientes: “Sí, él sabe un poco sobre mí. No me conoce personalmente, pero sabe un poquito de mí’”. Las cosas empezaron a tener más sentido para Bev cuando recordó el premio de su hijo del Vaticano durante el pontificado del Papa Benedicto XVI. En 2007 recibió el prestigioso premio Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice por su servicio a la Iglesia.

“Nunca he relacionado eso con el Papa. Lo he relacionado con un premio que se otorga a personas que han hecho

grandes cosas en la Iglesia”, explica. “Me quedé un poco anonadada cuando me lo dijo. Estaba muy emocionada, como te puedes imaginar. Estaba muy orgullosa de él. No es un orgullo para mí. Orgullosa de él”. La noticia de su nombramiento fue un momento decisivo no solo para el Obispo Electo Martin y su madre, sino también para toda la familia de hermanas, cuñados, sobrinas y sobrinos, muy queridos por el futuro obispo. De hecho, sus vidas pronto tendrían una nueva dimensión. Su Michael Martin pronto sería obispo, un sucesor de los apóstoles. Sin embargo, más que un punto de inflexión, el anuncio fue en muchos sentidos el cumplimiento de la fidelidad y fortaleza de la familia.

JOLGORIO ENTRE HERMANOS

Todo comenzó en una casa adosada en Baltimore con Bev y el difunto Don Martin y sus cuatro hijos. Bev se convirtió a los 16 años para casarse con Don, un católico de toda la vida que era monaguillo y cantaba en el coro de la parroquia. Su tercer hijo, Michael, tuvo tres hermanas: Jeanne, Judy y Ellie. “Jeanne, Ellie y yo ocupábamos un mismo dormitorio, y Michael estaba en una habitación diminuta con una cama y un escritorio. Llamaba a la puerta de nuestra habitación

por la noche porque quería estar con nosotras”, dice su segunda hermana mayor, Judy Ercole. “Fue tan lindo”. Cada una de sus hermanas notó la bondad y el altruismo de su hermano cuando era niño.

Ellie recuerda cómo Michael una vez sorprendió a la familia al pagar el árbol de Navidad. Ahorró para comprar una bicicleta y poder tener una ruta de entrega de periódicos para ganar un poco de dinero. Los Martin AMOR, PASA A LA PÁGINA 13B

FOTOS PROPORCIONADAS

AMOR

también encontraron formas divertidas de pasar tiempo juntos, vacacionando cada verano en Ocean City, Maryland, y sentándose junto al tocadiscos para escuchar al actor y comediante Steve Martin. “Michael tiene un gran sentido del humor, pero es un humor limpio”, dice Ellie.

También jugaban a la iglesia en el sótano con pequeñas galletas y Michael sirviendo como sacerdote, pero nadie vio el significado en ese momento.

Mientras asistía a la Escuela Católica de la Preciosísima Sangre en Baltimore, los maestros de Michael podían ver que era brillante pero que no estaba a la altura de su potencial, recuerda su madre. Las monjas lo amaban, pero su mente estaba en otras cosas, dice, como los deportes, con su padre entrenando a sus equipos de béisbol de ligas menores y recreativos. Michael era un bateador de potencia. Un año, justo antes de las vacaciones de Navidad, Michael recibió un aviso de deficiencia de su escuela.

“Lo guardó y no se lo dijo a mis padres hasta el final de las vacaciones”, recuerda su hermana mayor, Jeanne Martin. “Michael estaba en pánico todo el tiempo. No paraba de decir: ‘Estoy muerto’. Pero cuando finalmente le mostró a mi papá para que se lo firmara, papá dijo: ‘Ya te has castigado lo suficiente, arruinaste todas tus vacaciones”. Fue una buena lección.

Incluso entonces, su padre sabía que estaba destinado a grandes cosas. Sin embargo, ninguno de sus padres tenía idea de que Dios estaba llamando a Michael a ser sacerdote. Pero otros lo vieron.

SIGNOS DE UNA VOCACIÓN SACERDOTAL

En octavo grado, Michael ensayó repetidamente su discurso titulado “Yo soy solo uno” con sus hermanas, y ganó la competencia de oratoria del Club Rotario local.

“Cuando vives en una casa pequeña con seis personas, haces todo juntos. Todos conocíamos su discurso y nos alegramos mucho cuando ganó”, dice Jeanne. “Realmente aprendió a proyectar y a hacerlo realidad”.

Más tarde, a pesar de que no tienen valedictorians en la escuela media, el párroco de su escuela, el difunto Padre Jack Collopy, insistió en que le dieran el honor a Michael porque quería que hablara en la graduación. El padre Collopy creía que Michael tenía algo que decir, y quería que todos lo escucharan.

“No sabía lo que eso significaba, pero Michael dio su discurso en la graduación e hizo un gran trabajo”, recuerda su madre.

Después, recuerda cómo el Padre Collopy se acercó a ella y a su esposo.

“Quiero decirte algo”, dijo. “Creo que es muy importante. Sé que este es el comienzo del viaje de Michael, pero realmente creo que tiene una vocación (al sacerdocio)”. Su madre recuerda que el Padre Collopy quería que Michael se convirtiera en sacerdote diocesano, pero finalmente fueron los frailes franciscanos conventuales de la escuela secundaria Arzobispo Curley, para varones, quienes lo inspiraron a unirse a su orden. Muchos de los frailes de la escuela pasaban tiempo con la familia Martin disfrutando de comidas y conversación en su casa, lo que le daba a Michael una visión interna de la vida de los frailes. En la escuela secundaria, a Michael le encantaban los deportes y sigue siendo un ávido fanático de los Baltimore Orioles y los Ravens. Actuó en obras de teatro, como “Hello Dolly” y “El violinista en el tejado”, y todavía tiene “una voz muy bonita”, dice su hermana Ellie Proctor. También trabajó como conserje en la escuela para ayudar a ganar la matrícula y en una sastrería local. Su hermana Judy dice que incluso tuvo un par de novias durante sus años de escuela secundaria, pero fue en la vida religiosa donde encontró su verdadera vocación.

En 1979, ganó el Premio Curley al Servicio en su escuela secundaria, elegido entre 300 niños.

Poco antes de graduarse de la escuela secundaria, les dijo a sus padres que se uniría al Noviciado Conventual de los Frailes Franciscanos en Ellicott City, Maryland. Sus padres no podían creerlo y pensaron que estaba bromeando. Pero Michael les dijo que había estado pensando en unirse a los frailes durante mucho tiempo.

SIGUIENDO EL LLAMADO DEL SEÑOR

Cuando le dio la noticia al resto de la familia, sus hermanas se conmovieron, pero no se sorprendieron, dice Bev. Michael se fue oficialmente de casa en 1979 con solo 17 años. Fue difícil para toda la familia, especialmente para Ellie, verlo partir. “Como yo era la más joven, él era mi mentor, mi psicólogo, mi mejor amigo”, dice Ellie, conteniendo las lágrimas. “Era el hermano más amable del mundo”.

Bev mantuvo la habitación de Michael tal como estaba durante un año mientras discernía la vida religiosa. Quería que tuviera un lugar seguro y familiar donde llegar en caso de que cambiara de opinión. Sus hermanas llamaban en broma a su habitación vacía “El Santuario”. Pronto, sin embargo, quedó claro que Michael no iba a dar marcha atrás y, a pesar de su incredulidad inicial, Bev se convertiría en la mayor defensora de la vocación sacerdotal de su hijo.

Después del año de discernimiento, comenzó sus estudios en la Universidad San Jacinto en Massachusetts y finalmente fue enviado a la Universidad Pontificia San Buenaventura en Roma durante cuatro años para estudiar Sagrada Teología, lo que preocupó a su madre, quien pensó que sería demasiado cambio para él.

“Siempre he dicho que Michael era un chico muy local. Ama este país y su amada ciudad natal de Baltimore. Ama a la gente, ama los deportes, ama a su familia”, dice. “Tengo que decir que el Señor sabía de nuevo lo que estaba haciendo. Michael fue allí como un muchacho y regresó como un hombre”.

“Regresó con experiencias de las que todavía me habla hasta el día de hoy: las personas que conoció, las personas con las que vivió, los lugares a los que fue, incluido un viaje misionero a Ghana”.

Las personas necesitadas en su viaje misionero de Roma a Ghana le causaron una profunda impresión como seminarista, al igual que su encuentro con el Papa Juan Pablo II durante sus años de estudio en la Universidad Pontificia. Su madre tiene una foto enmarcada de la reunión en exhibición junto con otros artículos de Roma en su casa de Maryland.

DEDICADO A LA EDUCACIÓN CATÓLICA

Michael fue ordenado diácono transicional en Roma en 1988 y sacerdote en 1989 en la Iglesia Católica San Casimiro en Baltimore.

Después de ayudar a hacer crecer la Escuela Secundaria San Francisco en Athol Springs, Nueva York, de 1989 a 1994, el ahora Padre Martin se convirtió en maestro, entrenador y, finalmente, director de la escuela en su alma mater, la Escuela Secundaria Arzobispo Curley, sirviendo allí de 1994 a 2010.

(Izquierda) Su madre Bev fue su mayor defensora cuando decidió convertirse en sacerdote. (Arriba) Michael haciendo gracias con una guitarra que no toca. (Abajo) Michael hace reír a la gente con un “gran sentido del humor, pero es un humor limpio”, dice su hermana Ellie, que junto a su hermano admiraba al comediante Steve Martin. Posa con su hermana Jeanne, su madre Bev y sus hermanas Ellie y Judy.

Bajo su liderazgo, la escuela completó una campaña de recaudación de $7 millones para construir un centro de artes, reducir el tamaño del convento y crear una nueva biblioteca, oficinas, áreas de reuniones y un moderno gimnasio. Los laboratorios de ciencias y el auditorio también fueron renovados. La matrícula creció a 600 estudiantes, y la Arquidiócesis de Baltimore le dio crédito por ayudar al Arzobispo Curley a convertirla en una escuela regional. El Vaticano también tomó nota y le otorgó el premio Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice en 2007.

Como recuerda su hermana Judy: “Se destacaba como líder y conocía a la mayoría de los niños por su nombre. Como director de la escuela, quería que sintieran la hermandad que él experimentó cuando era estudiante en Curley”.

Su hermana Jeanne añade: “Se relaciona fácilmente con los estudiantes, en parte gracias a su sentido del humor. Es real y relevante. Gran parte de eso proviene de sus años de enseñanza y servicio como director y presidente. No puedes actuar frente a un grupo de chicos o chicas de secundaria. Es su mejor atributo, aparte de su fe”.

Su experiencia en ambas escuelas secundarias lo preparó para convertirse en director del Centro Católico Duke en Durham de 2010 a 2022, donde efectivamente llegó a católicos y no católicos por igual. Durante su mandato, aumentó la participación en la fe, comenzó Confesiones en el Patio, celebró Misa en un estacionamiento durante la pandemia y renovó y construyó una adición a la Casa Falcone-Arena, un centro de oración y estudio. Incluso dedicaron la sala de entretenimiento del centro a su madre por su papel fundamental en el sacerdocio del Padre Martin.

DANDO EL DON DE SÍ MISMO

Bev dice que la vocación de su hijo ha enriquecido todas sus vidas.

“Éramos personas normales, y ahora nuestra familia tiene amigos en todos los lugares en los que Michael ha estado”, dice. “Es realmente una gran historia de amor”. Sus hermanas están de acuerdo.

“Su designación como Obispo de Charlotte no es sorprendente cuando se sabe lo que ha logrado en todos sus años como sacerdote y se considera el impacto que ha tenido en tantas personas: familiares, amigos y conocidos que ahora son amigos”, dice Jeanne.

“Tiene tremendas habilidades de liderazgo. Puede ser un gerente de primera línea y mover todas las piezas de ajedrez que necesitan ser movidas en un trabajo como ser obispo. Desde el punto de vista espiritual, tiene la capacidad de conectarse con personas de todo tipo y edad, al mismo tiempo que se mantiene fiel a las enseñanzas de la Iglesia. ¡También es un homilista fenomenal!”.

Judy dice que estaba eufórica con la noticia, y su hermana Ellie, que ha estado ayudando a establecer la nueva residencia de su hermano en Charlotte, se ríe de cómo su hermano, debido a su voto franciscano de pobreza, se ríe de sus hermanas sobre algunas de sus sofisticaciones.

Bev dice que está encantada de estar aquí para celebrar esta ocasión trascendental con su familia, y aunque su padre ya no está aquí para compartir las buenas nuevas, ciertamente está contento.

“Solo puedo decir que su padre apoyó a Michael en todo lo que pudo, y ahora lo apoya desde el cielo”, dice su madre. “Sé que está ahí arriba diciendo: ‘Mira a mi hijo. Sí, mira a mi hijo. Sé que está muy orgulloso en este momento”. — Contribuyó Liz Chandler

VIENE DE LA PÁGINA 12B

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THE STAFF OF THE OFFICE OF DEVELOPMENT

Bishop Michael T. Martin, OFM Conv.

AS THE FIFTH

BISHOP OF THE DIOCESE OF CHARLOTTE Welcomes

CATHOLIC CHARITIES JOYFULLY WELCOMES

FR. MICHAEL MARTIN, OFM CON ., AS THE NEW BISHOP OF THE DIOCESE OF CHARLOTTE

“At all times and seasons, in every country and place, every day and all day, we must have a true and humble faith.” - St. Francis of Assisi

Bishop-Elect Michael Martin, OFM Conv., greets and prays with a family who came through the food distribution line at Catholic Charities’ food pantry on April 9. Catholic News Herald

Key moments of the episcopal ordination

The Ordination Mass for a bishop can be a lengthy liturgy, and if you don’t know what is going on, you can miss out on a lot of rich symbolism and meaning behind the various moments of the rite.

Here’s a brief summary of the key moments of the May 29 episcopal ordination:

Entrance Procession: Hundreds of priests and deacons, at least a dozen bishops and one cardinal will process into St. Mark Church beginning at 1 p.m. for what is expected to be a two-hour liturgy with 2,000 ticketed guests filling the church and the adjacent Monsignor Joseph Kerin Center.

After the introductory rites and the Liturgy of the Word, with readings proclaimed in English and Spanish, the Rite of Ordination of a Bishop will begin.

The principal celebrant and consecrator for the liturgy will be Atlanta Archbishop Gregory Hartmayer, OFM Conv., a friend of the bishop-elect and fellow Franciscan. Coconsecrators will be Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the pope’s ambassador to the United States, and retiring Charlotte Bishop Peter Jugis.

Veni, Creator, Spiritus: The “Come, Creator Spirit” prayer is chanted after the Gospel reading, invoking the Holy Spirit.

Presentation of the Elect: The bishopelect is presented to the consecrating bishop by two assisting priests, both close friends of the bishop-elect: Father Michael Heine, OFM Conv., minister provincial of the Conventual Franciscans of OLA Province, and Father Jude Michael Krill,

Meet the bishop, then join in the ordination online or on EWTN

Bishop-elect Michael Martin, OFM Conv., will be ordained at St. Mark Church on Wednesday, May 29, and installed as the fifth Bishop of Charlotte the next day at St. Patrick Cathedral. Due to the churches’ limited size, attendance at these liturgies is by ticket only.

Both Masses will be livestreamed on the Diocese of Charlotte’s YouTube channel, plus available “on demand” afterward.

EWTN will also air the ordination Mass at 3 p.m. Wednesday, May 29.

Come meet Bishop-elect Martin on Tuesday, May 28, during a special “Holy Hour with Benediction: An Evening of Praise and Prayer” at 7 p.m. at St. Mark Church (14740 Stumptown Road, Huntersville). Free, no ticket required.

OFM Conv. They will ask the principal consecrator, Archbishop Hartmayer, to ordain the bishop-elect in the name of the Diocese of Charlotte.

Apostolic Letter: The apostolic letter from Pope Francis is then read aloud by Cardinal Pierre. This letter testifies to the desire on the part of the Vicar of Christ that the bishop-elect should receive the third and final “degree” of the sacrament of holy orders, namely, the episcopate.

Assent: After the document is read, all present give their assent to the election of the bishop by saying: “Thanks be to God.”

Nine Promises: After the homily, the bishop-elect is asked nine questions to ascertain whether he is prepared to: 1)

discharge this sacred duty until the end of his life, 2) remain “faithful and constant” in proclaiming the Holy Gospel, 3) maintain without change the “deposit of faith” that the Apostles have passed along down through the ages, 4) “build up the Church as the Body of Christ,” 5) “remain united to it within the Order of Bishops under the authority of the successor of the Apostle Peter,” 6) guide the People of God “as a devoted father,” 7) “be welcoming and merciful to the poor,” 8) “seek out the sheep who stray,” and 9) pray unceasingly for the People of God.

Litany of the Saints: The principal consecrator invites everyone to pray for the bishop-elect, who then prostrates himself while the entire congregation chants the Litany of Supplication (commonly called the Litany of the Saints).

Laying On of Hands and the Prayer of Ordination: The principal consecrator, followed by the other bishops, lays hands upon the head of the bishop-elect. Then, the open Book of the Gospels is placed over the head of the bishop-elect by two deacons, while the principal consecrator offers the Prayer of Consecration, in part with all the consecrating bishops. The placing of the Book of the Gospels illustrates that the preaching of the Word of God is the “pre-eminent obligation of the office of the Bishop.”

Anointing and Investiture: The Book of the Gospels is removed from above the head of the new bishop. The principal consecrator anoints the head of the new bishop with sacred chrism, hands him the Book of the Gospels, places the episcopal ring on his finger and the miter on his head, and gives him the crosier or pastoral staff – symbols of the office of bishop.

Seating of the New Bishop: The new bishop then takes the first place among the concelebrating bishops.

Kiss of Peace: Before the Mass continues as usual with the Liturgy of the Eucharist, the Rite of Ordination ends with the kiss of peace from the principal consecrator and all the other bishops who are present, sealing the new bishop’s admittance into the College of Bishops.

— Adapted with permission from the Denver Catholic

Momentos claves de una ordenación episcopal

La Misa de ordenación de un obispo puede ser una liturgia larga y, si no sabe lo que está sucediendo, puede perderse muchos ricos simbolismos y significados detrás de los diversos momentos del rito. He aquí un breve resumen de los momentos clave de la ordenación episcopal del 29 de mayo:

Procesión de entrada: Cientos de sacerdotes y diáconos, al menos una docena de obispos y un cardenal, entrarán en procesión a la Iglesia San Marcos a partir de la 1 p.m. para lo que se espera sea una liturgia de dos horas con 2.000 invitados con entrada que llenarán la iglesia y el Centro Monseñor Joseph Kerin adyacente. Después de los ritos introductorios y la Liturgia de la Palabra, con lecturas proclamadas en inglés y español, comenzará el Rito de Ordenación de un Obispo. El celebrante principal y consagrador de la liturgia será el Arzobispo de Atlanta Gregory Hartmayer, OFM Conv., amigo del obispo electo y compañero franciscano. Los coconsagradores serán el Cardenal Christophe Pierre, embajador del Papa en Estados Unidos, y el obispo saliente de Charlotte, Peter Jugis.

Veni, Creator, Spiritus: Después de la lectura del Evangelio se canta la oración “Ven, Espíritu Creador”, invocando al Espíritu Santo.

Presentación de los elegidos: El obispo electo es presentado al obispo consagrante por dos sacerdotes asistentes, ambos amigos cercanos del obispo electo: el Padre Michael Heine, OFM Conv., ministro provincial de los franciscanos conventuales de la provincia

Conozca al obispo, únase a la ordenación en YouTube o EWTN

El Obispo Electo Michael Martin, OFM Conv., será ordenado en la Iglesia San Marcos el miércoles 29 de mayo, e instalado como el quinto obispo de Charlotte el día siguiente en la Catedral San Patricio. Debido al tamaño limitado de las iglesias, la asistencia a estas liturgias es solo con tiquete.

Ambas Misas se transmitirán en vivo en el canal YouTube de la Diócesis de Charlotte, además estarán disponibles “a pedido” después. EWTN también transmitirá la Misa de ordenación el miércoles 29 de Mayo a las 3 de la tarde.

Vaya a conocer al Obispo Electo Martin el martes 28 de mayo, durante una “Hora Santa con Bendición: Una Noche de Alabanza y Oración” especial a las 7 p.m. en la Iglesia San Marcos (14740 Stumptown Road, Huntersville). Gratis, no se requiere boleto.

de OLA, y el Padre Jude Michael Krill, OFM Conv. Ellos le pedirán al consagrador principal, el Arzobispo Hartmayer, que ordene al obispo electo en nombre de la Diócesis de Charlotte.

Carta Apostólica: Luego, el Cardenal Pierre leerá en voz alta la carta apostólica del Papa Francisco. Esta carta testimonia el deseo del Vicario de Cristo de que el obispo electo reciba el tercer y último ‘grado’ del sacramento del orden sagrado, es decir, el episcopado.

Asentimiento: Después de leer el documento, todos los presentes dan su asentimiento a la elección del obispo diciendo: “Gracias a Dios”.

With prayers and filial devotion from our mothers, children, staff and volunteers, we welcome Bishop Michael Martin, OFM, Conv.

Room At The Inn

Where Hope Is Born!

See that you all follow the bishop, even as Jesus Christ does the Father, and the presbytery as you would the apostles; and reverence the deacons, as being the institution of God Let no man do anything connected with the Church without the bishop

Ignatius of Antioch, Letter to the Smyrneans, 108 a d

PO Box 13936

Greensboro, NC 27415

Phone: 336.996.3788

Obtén detalles en www. catholicnewsherald.com o escanea este código QR:

Nueve promesas: Después de la homilía, al obispo electo se le hacen nueve preguntas para determinar si está preparado para: 1) cumplir con este sagrado deber hasta el final de su vida, 2) permanecer “fiel y constante” en la proclamación del Santo Evangelio, 3) mantener sin cambios el ‘depósito de la fe’ que los Apóstoles han transmitido a través de los siglos, 4) “edificar la Iglesia como Cuerpo de Cristo”, 5) “permanecer unidos a ella dentro del Orden de los Obispos bajo la autoridad del sucesor del apóstol Pedro”, 6) guiar al Pueblo de Dios “como un padre devoto”, 7) “ser acogedor y misericordioso con los pobres”, 8) “buscar las ovejas descarriadas”, 9) y Orar incesantemente por el Pueblo de Dios.

Letanía de los Santos: El consagrador

principal invita a todos los fieles a orar por el obispo electo, quien luego se postra mientras toda la congregación canta la Letanía de Súplica.

Imposición de manos y oración de ordenación: El consagrador principal, seguido por los demás obispos, impone las manos sobre la cabeza del obispo electo. Luego, dos diáconos colocan el Libro de los Evangelios abierto sobre la cabeza del obispo electo, mientras el consagrador principal ofrece la Oración de Consagración, en parte con todos los obispos consagrantes. La ubicación del Libro de los Evangelios ilustra que la predicación de la Palabra de Dios es la “obligación preeminente del oficio del Obispo”.

Unción e Investidura: Se retira el Libro de los Evangelios de encima de la cabeza del nuevo obispo. El consagrador principal unge la cabeza del nuevo obispo con el sagrado crisma, le entrega el Libro de los Evangelios, le coloca el anillo episcopal en el dedo y la mitra en la cabeza, y le entrega el báculo o báculo pastoral, símbolos del oficio de obispo.

Asiento del nuevo obispo: El nuevo obispo ocupa entonces el primer lugar entre los obispos concelebrantes.

Beso de Paz: Antes que la Misa continúe como de costumbre con la Liturgia de la Eucaristía, el Rito de Ordenación finaliza con el beso de paz del consagrador principal y de todos los demás obispos presentes, sellando la admisión del nuevo obispo al Colegio de Obispos. — Adaptado con permiso de El Católico de Denver

The Redemptorists, staff, and all parishioners at St. James the Greater Catholic Church of Concord, NC, extend heartfelt congratulations and a warm welcome to

BISHOP MICHAEL T. MARTIN

Bishop Martin’s coat of arms harkens to his background

CHRISTINA LEE KNAUSS clknauss@rcdoc.org

Bishop Michael Martin has chosen simple, powerful symbols of his faith and personal history for his episcopal coat of arms. He also enlisted the help of a former student to design it.

Brian Taberski was one of then-Father Martin’s theology students at St. Francis High School in Athol Springs, New York. Thirty years later, he found himself designing the coat of arms that would symbolize his former teacher’s new status as the fifth Bishop of Charlotte.

Taberski developed an interest in heraldry, the system of creating coats of arms, while he was a student at St. Francis. He turned it into a personal passion – a way of expressing his faith and love of history, and a way of serving the Church. He has designed coats of arms for two other bishops. One of them was Archbishop Gregory Hartmayer of Atlanta, also a Franciscan, when he became bishop of the Diocese of Savannah prior to his move to Atlanta. Archbishop Hartmayer also served on the faculty at St. Francis when Taberski was a student.

Taberski says then-Father Martin had a profound impact on him in high school – both as a teacher and as a priest. The insights on Catholicism he learned from Father Martin led him to teach theology for a while later in life, he said, and during the lockdowns of COVID-19 he found a spiritual lifeline in watching livestreams of Masses that Father Martin celebrated at Duke University.

“When you hear him preach, you see his pastoral skill as well as his intellect,” Taberski says. “This is a man whose intellect is so sharp that he can sit with anyone and explain things about the Church to them in exactly the way it needs to be said so they can understand.”

Taberski kept in touch with his former teacher over the years, and offered to create his coat of arms when he was named to lead the Charlotte diocese.

“Bishop Martin was very clear about wanting to represent who he is – a Franciscan and a native son of Maryland,” Taberski says. “He wanted something that was easily identifiable and not complicated.”

Coats of arms originated in 11th-century Europe and were originally used by warriors to identify their comrades on the battlefield. Over the centuries, they have become official symbols of families, rulers and Church leaders. A bishop’s coat of arms is used on documents, letterheads and other official items as a symbol of his office.

At the top of Bishop Martin’s coat of arms is a green

Crosier being crafted by fellow Franciscans

Bishop Martin’s crosier has been designed by one of his Franciscan brothers, Father Joseph Dorniak, OFM Conv., and is being crafted by another Franciscan, Father Peter Tremblay, OFM Conv.

The design is of a wooden staff with the open space in the crook containing a circle of woven cord with the three tied knots symbolizing the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. Since it will not be ready in time for the ordination Mass on May 29, Bishop Martin will use a crosier of the Diocese of Charlotte.

Impalement

Impalement is a heraldic practice in which two coats of arms are combined in one shield to denote a union. The impaled shield is bisected in pale – that is, by a vertical line – with each half of the shield displaying one coat of arms. For Bishop Martin, his personal Coat of Arms (right) is impaled, or combined, with the Arms of the Diocese of Charlotte (left), to form his official Coat of Arms as the Fifth Bishop of Charlotte (top).

galero, a broad-brimmed hat once worn by clergy that now designates their rank. On either side are six green tassels called “houppes” which also signify the rank of a bishop in the Church.

To the viewer’s right is the Franciscan coat of arms. Featuring the traditional Franciscan Tau cross with two arms crossing one another, it is rich in symbolism. The two arms, one Christ’s and the other St. Francis of Assisi’s, both bear the stigmata. They symbolize God’s love and Francis’s loving response to the Word made incarnate, Taberski explained. It is an image found throughout the ministries, friaries, missions and sites served by the Franciscan order.

On the right side of the shield, the top (known as the “chief”) and the bottom (the “base”) feature references to George Calvert and his son Cecil Calvert – the first and second barons of Baltimore. The Calverts were among the first Catholics to arrive in colonial America. They established the then Province of Maryland as a safe place for English Catholics to emigrate to since they were no longer able to freely practice their faith at home. In the coat of arms, the use of six vertical stripes – alternately gold and black, with the diagonal stripe in color – recalls Bishop Martin’s hometown of Baltimore.

To the viewer’s left are two symbols of the Diocese of Charlotte. On the top is a Celtic cross symbolizing St. Patrick, patron of the diocesan cathedral. Below it, a crown symbolizes Queen Charlotte, consort of King George III of England, for whom the city of Charlotte was named.

The coat of arms also includes Bishop Martin’s personal motto, “Duc in altum,” which means “put out into the deep,” and are the words Jesus spoke to Peter in the Gospel of Luke (5:4).

Behind the shield is a gold San Damiano cross as the processional cross, a symbol of the bishop’s office. This particular style of cross is significant to Franciscans because the order’s movement began when St. Francis heard Jesus tell him from the cross in the chapel of San Damiano in Italy: “Francis, go rebuild my Church for it is falling to ruins.” At first, St. Francis thought it was a literal command to rebuild the chapel. Soon after, he realized it was a call to a greater mission: creating an order that would transform the life of the Church worldwide. Taberski says it has been an honor to design the coat of arms for a man whose ministry has had such a profound impact on his life.

“My first thought as the news broke that he had been named bishop was that the people of Charlotte will get to experience one of the most pastoral priests I’ve ever encountered,” he says. “You have received first and foremost a pastor and a shepherd who understands that everything we do in the Church is for the salvation of souls.”

Long-time friend designs, creates Bishop Martin’s ring

CHRISTINA LEE KNAUSS clknauss@rcdoc.org

Abishop’s ring is one of the most ancient symbols of his authority, dating back to the seventh century. When Bishop Michael Martin puts on his ring at his ordination, he will be wearing a one-of-akind piece that combines ancient Church tradition with modern high-tech production. The ring was designed by his longtime friend Paul Winicki and his team at Radcliffe Jewelers in Baltimore – Bishop Martin’s hometown. Made of gold, the ring features the bow of a fishing boat similar to what the apostles used, with the boat’s keel forming the Franciscan Tau cross at its top. The image of the boat nods to Bishop Martin’s motto, “Duc In Altum,” which translates to “put out into the deep” (Luke 5:4).

Like a wedding ring, a bishop’s ring is a symbol of his fidelity to and spiritual bond with the Church, his spouse. Each one is unique and worn for life.

When they first met 25 years ago, Winicki and Bishop Martin discovered they had something in common: both were from Baltimore and graduated from Archbishop Curley High School, where Bishop Martin later worked as an administrator, coach and teacher. Then-Father Martin asked Winicki

to serve on the school’s board. He agreed, and they developed a friendship.

“I heard through other friends that he had been named bishop for the Diocese of Charlotte and then he called me and asked if I would be able to help him produce his ring,” Winicki says. “I said I would be honored.”

Designers at Radcliffe, led by head designer Ryan Plummer, looked at sketches Bishop Martin provided with possible ideas, and produced a series of detailed drawings on a computer, using a wide range of technology including artificial intelligence. This enabled them to show him prospective designs done in incredible detail, and produce images of what each design would look like on his hand.

After Bishop Martin chose a design, the team at Radcliffe used a 3D printer to create a three-dimensional model of the ring. Once the model was approved, the ring itself was cast.

The ring incorporates gold from the high school class ring that belonged to Bishop Martin’s late father.

“He’ll be able to wear part of his family and his heritage on his finger for the rest of his life – it’s exciting,” Winicki says.

Winicki’s expertise in jewelry started more than 50 years ago, when at age 14 he

got a job in a Baltimore area coin shop and became so interested in coin collecting that, while still in high school, he contributed to a weekly local radio show focused on coins.

After graduating from Maryland’s Towson State College (now Towson State University), he worked in a coin shop and then later started working with jewelry and founded Radcliffe Jewelers in 1982.

He also has done appraisals for more than 34 years and for the past 18 has served as one of the appraisers on the hugely popular PBS series “Antiques Roadshow,” offering on-air appraisals on silver, jewelry and watches brought in by people from all over the U.S.

This isn’t the first time Winicki has been asked to use his skill for the Church. He has worked on restoring items used at the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Baltimore. Getting the chance to produce a ring that will be part of Church history in the Charlotte diocese for a priest and friend he admires is a special honor, he says.

“I’ve always said that if Father Martin hadn’t been a priest, he could have been the CEO of a Fortune 500 company because he’s a people person, he’s incredibly compassionate and his depth of knowledge is incredible,” Winicki says. “Being asked to produce a ring that he will wear as a bishop has been a thrill.”

El escudo de armas del Obispo Martin

CHRISTINA LEE KNAUSS clknauss@rcdoc.org

El Obispo Michael Martin ha elegido símbolos sencillos y poderosos de su fe e historia personal para su escudo de armas episcopal. También contó con la ayuda de un antiguo alumno para diseñarlo.

Brian Taberski era uno de los estudiantes de teología del entonces Padre Martin en la Escuela Secundaria San Francisco en Athol Springs, Nueva York. Treinta años más tarde, se encontró diseñando el escudo de armas que simbolizaría el nuevo estatus de su antiguo maestro como el Quinto Obispo de Charlotte.

Taberski se interesó en la heráldica, el sistema de creación de escudos de armas, mientras estudiaba en San Francisco. Lo convirtió en una pasión personal, una forma de expresar su fe y su amor por la historia, y una forma de servir a la Iglesia.

Ha diseñado escudos de armas para otros dos obispos. Uno de ellos fue el Arzobispo Gregory Hartmayer de Atlanta, también franciscano, cuando se convirtió en Obispo de la Diócesis de Savannah antes de su traslado a Atlanta. El Arzobispo Hartmayer también sirvió en la facultad de San Francisco cuando Taberski era estudiante.

Taberski dice que el entonces Padre Martin tuvo un profundo impacto en él durante la escuela secundaria, tanto como maestro como sacerdote. Las ideas sobre el catolicismo que aprendió del Padre Martin lo llevaron a enseñar teología más adelante en su vida, dijo, y durante el encierro por el COVID-19 encontró un salvavidas espiritual al ver las transmisiones en vivo de las Misas que el Padre Martin celebró en la Universidad Duke.

“Cuando lo escuchas predicar, ves su habilidad pastoral, así como su intelecto”, dijo Taberski. “Este es un hombre cuyo intelecto es tan agudo que puede sentarse con cualquiera y explicarle cosas acerca de la Iglesia exactamente de la manera en que necesitan ser dichas para que puedan ser entendidas”.

Taberski se mantuvo en contacto con su antiguo maestro a lo largo de los años, y se ofreció a crear su escudo de armas cuando fue nombrado para dirigir la Diócesis de Charlotte.

“El Obispo Martin tenía muy claro que quería representar quién es él: un franciscano e hijo nativo de Maryland”, dijo Taberski.

“Quería algo que fuera fácilmente identificable y sin complicaciones”.

Partición

La partición es una práctica heráldica en la que dos escudos de armas se combinan en un escudo para denotar una unión. El escudo partido está dividido en dos, es decir, por una línea vertical, y cada mitad del escudo muestra un escudo de armas. Para el Obispo Martin, su escudo de armas personal (derecha) está partido o combinado con el de armas de la Diócesis de Charlotte (izquierda), para formar su escudo de armas oficial como Quinto Obispo de Charlotte (arriba).

En el flanco siniestro, sector central de la parte izquierda del escudo, no del espectador, está el escudo de armas franciscano. Con la tradicional cruz Franciscana Tau con dos brazos cruzados, es rica en simbolismo. Los dos brazos, uno de Cristo y el otro de San Francisco de Asís, llevan los estigmas. Simbolizan el amor de Dios y la respuesta amorosa de Francisco al Verbo encarnado, explicó Taberski. Es una imagen que se encuentra en todos los ministerios, conventos, misiones y lugares atendidos por la orden franciscana.

En la misma siniestra del escudo, la parte superior (‘jefe’) y la parte inferior (‘punta’) presentan referencias a George Calvert y su hijo Cecil Calvert, el primer y segundo barón de Baltimore. Los Calvert estuvieron entre los primeros católicos en llegar a la América colonial. Establecieron la entonces provincia de Maryland como un lugar seguro para que los católicos ingleses emigraran, ya que ya no podían practicar libremente su fe en casa. En el escudo de armas, el uso de seis franjas verticales, alternativamente doradas y negras, con la franja diagonal en color, recuerda la ciudad natal del obispo Martin, Baltimore.

A la diestra del escudo, izquierda del espectador, hay dos símbolos de la Diócesis de Charlotte. En la parte superior hay una cruz celta que simboliza a San Patricio, patrón de la catedral diocesana. Debajo, una corona simboliza a la reina Carlota, consorte del rey Jorge III de Inglaterra, por quien la ciudad de Charlotte recibió su nombre.

El escudo de armas también incluye el lema personal del Obispo Martin, ‘Duc in altum’, que significa ‘remar mar adentro’, y son las palabras que Jesús le dijo a Pedro en el Evangelio de Lucas (5:4).

Detrás del escudo hay una cruz dorada de San Damián como cruz procesional, símbolo del oficio del obispo. Este estilo particular de cruz es significativo para los franciscanos porque el movimiento de la orden comenzó cuando San Francisco escuchó a Jesús decirle desde la cruz en la capilla de San Damián en Italia: “Francisco, ve a reconstruir mi Iglesia porque está cayendo en ruinas”. Al principio, San Francisco pensó que era un mandato literal reconstruir la capilla. Poco después, se dio cuenta de que era un llamado a una misión mayor: crear una orden que transformaría la vida de la Iglesia en todo el mundo.

Taberski dice que ha sido un honor diseñar el escudo de armas de un hombre cuyo ministerio ha tenido un impacto tan profundo en su vida.

EEn la parte superior del escudo de armas del Obispo Martin hay un galero verde, un sombrero de ala ancha que alguna vez usaron los clérigos y que ahora designa su rango. A cada lado hay seis borlas verdes que también significan el rango de un obispo en la Iglesia.

Los escudos de armas se originaron en la Europa del siglo XI y fueron utilizados originalmente por los caballeros para identificar a sus camaradas en el campo de batalla. A lo largo de los siglos, se han convertido en símbolos oficiales de familias, gobernantes y líderes de la Iglesia. El escudo de armas de un obispo se utiliza en documentos, membretes y otros artículos oficiales como símbolo de su oficio.

“Lo primero que pensé cuando se supo que había sido nombrado obispo fue que la gente de Charlotte conocería a uno de los sacerdotes más pastorales que he conocido”, dice. “Han recibido ante todo a un pastor, y a un pastor que entiende que todo lo que hacemos en la Iglesia es para la salvación de las almas”.

Un viejo amigo diseñó y realizó el anillo del Obispo Martin

CHRISTINA LEE KNAUSS clknauss@rcdoc.org

l anillo del obispo es uno de los símbolos más antiguos de su autoridad, una señal que se remonta al siglo VII. Cuando el Obispo Michael Martin se ponga su anillo durante su ordenación, llevará una pieza única que combina la antigua tradición de la Iglesia con la producción moderna de alta tecnología. El anillo fue diseñado por su viejo amigo Paul Winicki y su equipo de Radcliffe Jewelers en Baltimore, la ciudad natal del Obispo Martin. Hecho de oro, el anillo presenta la proa de un barco de pesca similar al que usaban los apóstoles, con la quilla del barco formando la cruz Franciscana Tau en su parte superior. La imagen de la barca representa el lema del Obispo Martin, ‘Duc In Altum’, que se traduce como ‘Rema mar adentro’ (Lucas 5:4). Al igual que el anillo de bodas, el anillo de un obispo es un símbolo de su fidelidad y vínculo espiritual con la Iglesia, su esposa. Es único y se usa de por vida.

Cuando se conocieron hace 25 años, Winicki y el Obispo Martin descubrieron que tenían algo en común: ambos eran de Baltimore y se graduaron de la escuela secundaria Archbishop Curley, donde el Obispo Martin trabajó más tarde como administrador, entrenador y maestro. El entonces Padre Martin le pidió a Winicki que sirviera en la junta directiva de la escuela. Él aceptó y desarrollaron una amistad.

“Escuché por otros amigos que había sido nombrado obispo de la Diócesis de Charlotte y luego me llamó y me preguntó si podría ayudarlo a realizar su anillo”, dijo Winicki. “Le respondí que me sentiría honrado”.

Los diseñadores de Radcliffe, dirigidos por el diseñador jefe Ryan Plummer, observaron los bocetos que Bishop Martin proporcionó con posibles ideas y produjeron una serie de dibujos detallados en una computadora, utilizando una amplia gama de tecnología, incluida la inteligencia artificial. Esto les permitió mostrarle posibles diseños realizados con

increíble detalle y producir imágenes de cómo se vería cada diseño en su mano.

Después que el Obispo Martin eligiera un diseño, el equipo de Radcliffe utilizó una impresora 3D para crear un modelo tridimensional del anillo. Una vez que el modelo fue aprobado, el anillo fue fundido. El anillo incorpora oro del anillo de promoción de la escuela secundaria a la que perteneció al difunto padre del Obispo Martin.

“Podrá llevar parte de su familia y herencia en su dedo por el resto de su vida. Es emocionante”, dijo Winicki.

La experiencia de Winicki en joyería comenzó hace más de 50 años, cuando a los 14 años consiguió un trabajo en una tienda de monedas del área de Baltimore y se interesó tanto en la colección de monedas que, mientras aún estaba en la escuela secundaria, contribuyó a un programa de radio local semanal centrado en ese tema. Después de graduarse de la Universidad Estatal de Towson de Maryland (ahora Universidad Estatal de Towson), trabajó en una tienda de monedas y luego comenzó

a trabajar con joyas y fundó Radcliffe Jewelers en 1982.

También ha realizado tasaciones durante más de 34 años, y durante los últimos 18 se ha desempeñado como uno de los tasadores en la popular serie de PBS “Antiques Roadshow”, que ofrece tasaciones de plata, joyas y relojes llevados por personas de todo Estados Unidos. Esta no es la primera vez que se le pide a Winicki que use su habilidad para la Iglesia. Ha trabajado en la restauración de artículos utilizados en la Catedral de María Reina en Baltimore. Tener la oportunidad de producir un anillo que formará parte de la historia de la Iglesia en la Diócesis de Charlotte para un sacerdote y amigo al que admira es un honor especial, dijo. “Siempre he dicho que, si el Padre Martin no hubiera sido sacerdote, podría haber sido director ejecutivo de una empresa de la lista Fortune 500 porque es sociable, increíblemente compasivo y su profundidad de conocimiento es increíble”, dijo Winicki. “Que se me pida que produzca un anillo que usará como obispo ha sido emocionante”.

Our Lady of Lourdes, Monroe Welcomes Bishop Michael T. Martin, OFM Conv. to the Diocese of Charlotte

“May you offer your vows to the Most High in the pursuit of that perfection to which the Spirit of the Lord has called you”.

-St. Clare of Assisi

Most Rev. Jacques Fabre-Jeune, CS, the clergy, religious & faithful of the Diocese of Charleston offer heartfelt prayer & congratulations to

Most Rev.

MICHAEL T.

MARTIN

OFM Conv. on his ordination & installation as Bishop of the Diocese of Charlotte, North Carolina.

AD MULTOS ANNOS!

OF

The Staff of the

would like to thank Bishop Jugis for his 20 years of leadership and welcome our new publisher,

Bishop Michael Martin

The People of St. Eugene in Asheville send our love and prayers to Bishop Martin

The Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church Community offers prayers & congratulations to

Bishop Michael T. Martin, OFM Conv. on the occasion of his ordination & installation as the Fifth Bishop of the Diocese of Charlotte.

La Gente de San Eugenio en Asheville manda nuestra amor y oraciones a

Obispo Martin

First day: Bishop-elect greeted by smiles as he travels the region

LIZ CHANDLER lchandler@rcdoc.org

CHARLOTTE — Bishop-elect Michael Martin was playful, prayerful and true to his promise to get out among the people of the Diocese of Charlotte, traversing the region on April 9 – just hours after the Vatican announced he was to become the diocese’s fifth bishop.

Bishop-elect Martin began his day at 8 a.m. with retiring Charlotte Bishop Peter Jugis, concelebrating a moving Mass in the small chapel at the Diocesan Pastoral Center, before they would announce that the episcopal baton would be passed in May. The pair then walked into a conference room full of TV cameras and reporters to talk about the historic transition.

It has been 20 years since the Diocese of Charlotte installed a new bishop. Bishop Jugis took the helm in 2003 and has guided the diocese – which covers 46 counties in western North Carolina – through unprecedented growth, with the Catholic population surging to more than 530,000.

The future bishop is a Conventual Franciscan who originally hails from Baltimore and has decades of experience in Catholic education and campus ministry. He comes to Charlotte from the Atlanta area, where he served as pastor of St. Philip Benizi Parish in Jonesboro, Georgia.

In the press conference, Bishop-elect Martin pledged to “get out of the office” and meet people in different communities around the diocese, to discover their needs – especially among the poor and marginalized.

“I realize that our Church and our area are growing in so many ways,” he said. “To the people of Western North Carolina, and Charlotte in particular, who are of other faiths or of no particular faith, I look forward to being with you as we all strive to make our area a place of dignity, peace and prosperity for everyone, especially the most marginalized.”

His first action after the press conference was to divert briefly from a planned staff meeting to visit the diocese’s food pantry, operated by Catholic Charities every Tuesday and Thursday at the Pastoral Center.

“Oh, wow, I am so excited. I am a Franciscan, too!” food pantry director Sylvia Sekle said as the bishop-elect introduced himself and eyed a dozen carts filled with bags of groceries lining the hallway. Sekle explained to him how the food pantry works, and that momentarily volunteers would roll the carts outside to recipients waiting in their cars. Instantly, the bishop-elect was outside despite the rainy weather, talking and praying carside with families, and shaking hands with pleasantly surprised food pantry volunteers.

As Bishop-elect Martin departed, Sekle called out, “Thank you. We make a good team!”

He then dashed off to his meeting with diocesan leaders, telling them: “I have a strong personality … but I want you always to feel free to speak up.” He also said he valued their leadership and pledged to help them deepen their own spiritual life. “Regardless of what your faith journey is, we need you to engage the Holy Spirit in your ministry,” he said.

Then he was off to south Charlotte, to a place where the longtime educator felt right at home: Charlotte Catholic High School. His visit came just two days after the school community had learned two of its students – 17-year-old Abby Lynn Robinson and 18-year-old Isabella Tarantelli – had been badly injured in an April 6 car accident near Asheville that killed two other teens.

HUMOR, ENCOURAGEMENT AND PRAYERS

In the school lobby, a delegation greeted Bishop-elect Martin – teachers, administrators and two students designated to guide a tour. He immediately asked how Abby Lynn and Isabella were doing after the crash and promised to keep them in his prayers.

Dressed in his gray Franciscan habit, new bishop’s amaranth red zucchetto (skullcap) atop his head, Bishop-elect Martin couldn’t help but attract attention as he walked the halls with Natalie Dominguez and Madeline Lewis.

Madeline is student body president and is headed to UNC. Natalie is senior class president, planning to attend Yale University next year, where she’ll play softball.

“Seniors?” he teased the girls. “You two are already checked out!” As he learned more, he suggested potential contacts for them at college, then declared, “You two will be the queens from the Queen City,” then later in the chapel called them “spiritual giants,” and in the art rooms named them “art girls.” Fun nicknames appear to be a thing with the bishop-elect.

The tour stopped by five classrooms – each time, the bishop-elect commanding the room the way only a former teacher could. Bishop-elect Martin spent two decades in Catholic schools in Baltimore and New York, as a teacher, basketball coach, principal and school president.

His classroom visits were equal parts humor, encouragement and reflection. Before departing each class, he asked if he could lead students in prayer, calling on the Holy Spirit and then pausing before speaking. He also asked students to pray for him, noting, “This is my first day!”

Later, Madeline, 17, reflected: “I thought he was awesome, really personable. I loved how on his first day he came here. It is so important for everyone to feel some connection to their Catholic family, and having a personal relationship with the bishop is cool. It makes me want to get more immersed in my faith, like they really care about my faith journey.”

When the bishop-elect reached Brian Mathews’ theology class, he found it unusually quiet. The juniors were preparing for a test on the Fifth Commandment. He asked students: “What’s going on? What have you learned about the Fifth Commandment?” When it became clear the students were distracted, he asked if there was anything in particular they wanted to pray for.

A girl raised her hand and asked if they

could pray for their classmate Abby Lynn, pointing to Abby Lynn’s empty desk next to her. Someone else suggested praying for all the families involved in the fatal crash. He agreed: “We love you, Jesus, and we want to love you more. We pray for these families. We want to lift them up and ask that you send your healing and comfort to them and to these students. Every student in this class has something in their heart, something they pray for. We entrust those intentions to you.”

Natalie and Madeline then escorted the bishop-elect to the school’s Options program for students with intellectual disabilities. He sat in a circle with five students, asking about their ongoing training for the Special Olympics, eliciting gleeful answers about swimming and jumping. They held hands for a special prayer.

“I liked how he met students where they are,” Principal Kurt Telford said. “He is able to engage with all kinds of students. You could tell he was totally at home here.”

The last tour stop at the school of 1,300 students was a visit to the cafeteria. The bishop-elect veered off into the kitchen first, visiting with cafeteria workers before emerging into a lunchroom filled with more than 100 students in uniforms of Cougar red, white and light blue. He was mobbed. Yet he easily flowed between clusters of boys and girls, asking questions and urging students to love Jesus and “keep on” in their studies.

VISITING PEOPLE IN NEED

A trip to Belmont came next, as the bishop-elect visited Holy Angels and ate lunch at Holy Angels’ Cherubs Café. Founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1955, Holy Angels cares for 81 residents – toddlers to senior citizens – who have intellectual and developmental disabilities and delicate medical conditions.

Mercy Sister Nancy Nance, a board member and former longtime employee, shared details about Holy Angels’ $21.5 million expansion expected to begin this summer. Included will be three six-bed homes, a community center, learning center and support building.

He then got to meet the residents. He held Holy Angels’ youngest resident, a 14-month-old girl who requires 24-hour nursing care, on his lap, speaking warmly as she fidgeted with the Franciscan San Damiano crucifix hanging from his neck. In the adults’ residence, he met 82-year-old Butch – who is a blind, autistic savant, who is said to be able to play any tune on the piano.

The bishop-elect requested “Sweet Caroline,” and Butch delivered, prompting him and others to sing along.

Soon, he lamented looking at a wall clock, he had to depart. He had only 25 minutes to return to Charlotte, where he was scheduled to meet many of the diocese’s priests. Some had driven hours from the mountains, flown back early from vacation, or canceled marriage prep meetings and other activities to meet their new shepherd.

“I loved him. He is very personable,” Father Jonathan Torres, Charlotte Catholic High School’s chaplain, said after the meet-and-greet. “It’s pretty amazing how he could talk to anyone, from freshman kids to kitchen workers, to all of us. He is comfortable with everybody.”

PHOTOS BY TROY HULL | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

(Above) Bishop-elect Michael Martin, OFM Conv., speaks to students at Charlotte Catholic High School April 9, during his first day visiting the Diocese of Charlotte following the announcement that he would become the fifth Bishop of Charlotte. (Below) He holds Holy Angels’ youngest resident during his visit to the Belmont-based facility that cares for children and adults with intellectual developmental disabilities and delicate medical conditions.

Diocese of Charlotte Bishop Michael Martin, OFM

Primer día: Obispo electo es recibido con sonrisas en su recorrido por la región

LIZ CHANDLER lchandler@rcdoc.org

CHARLOTTE — El obispo electo Michael Martin se mostró sonriente, devoto y fiel a su promesa de salir en búsqueda de la gente de la Diócesis de Charlotte, recorriendo la región el martes, apenas unas horas después de que el Vaticano anunciara que pronto se convertiría en el quinto obispo de la diócesis.

El Obispo Electo Martin comenzó su día a las 8 a.m. con el obispo saliente de Charlotte, Peter Jugis, concelebrando Misa en la capilla del Centro Pastoral Diocesano, antes que se anunciara que transferirá el bastón episcopal en mayo. Luego, la ambos ingresaron en una sala de conferencias llena de cámaras de televisión y reporteros para hablar sobre la histórica transición.

Han pasado 20 años desde que la Diócesis de Charlotte instaló un nuevo obispo. El Obispo Jugis asumió el mando en 2003 y ha guiado a la diócesis, que cubre 46 condados en el oeste de Carolina del Norte, a través de un crecimiento sin precedentes, con una población católica que ha aumentado de 30.000 a más de 530.000.

El futuro obispo es un franciscano conventual originario de Baltimore y tiene décadas de experiencia en educación católica y ministerio universitario. Llega a Charlotte desde el área de Atlanta, donde actualmente se desempeña como párroco de la Iglesia San Felipe Benizi en Jonesboro, Georgia.

En la conferencia de prensa, el Obispo Electo Martin se comprometió a “salir de su oficina” y reunirse con personas en diferentes comunidades de la diócesis, para descubrir sus necesidades, especialmente entre los pobres y marginados.

“Me doy cuenta de que nuestra Iglesia y área están creciendo de muchas formas”, dijo. “A la gente del oeste de Carolina del Norte, y de Charlotte en particular, que son de otras religiones o de ninguna fe en particular, (les digo) que espero estar con ustedes mientras todos nos esforzamos por hacer de nuestra área un lugar digno, de paz y prosperidad para todos, especialmente para los más marginados”.

Su primera acción después de la conferencia de prensa fue desviarse brevemente de una reunión planificada del personal para visitar la despensa de alimentos de la diócesis, operada por Caridades Católicas todos los martes y jueves en el Centro Pastoral.

“Oh, guau, estoy emocionada. ¡Yo también soy franciscana!”, dijo la directora de la despensa de alimentos, Sylvia Sekle, mientras el obispo electo se presentaba y miraba una docena de carritos llenos de bolsas de comestibles que se alineaban en el pasillo. Sekle le explicó cómo funciona la despensa de alimentos, y que momentáneamente los voluntarios hacían rodar los carritos afuera a los destinatarios que esperaban en sus autos. Al instante, el obispo electo ya estaba afuera a pesar del clima lluvioso, hablando y orando junto al automóvil con las familias y estrechando la mano de los voluntarios de la despensa de alimentos gratamente sorprendidos.

Cuando el Obispo Electo Martin se marchó, Sekle gritó: “Gracias. ¡Hacemos un buen equipo!”.

Luego se dirigió a su reunión con los líderes diocesanos, diciéndoles: “Tengo una personalidad fuerte... pero quiero que siempre se sientan libres de

hablar”. También dijo que valoraba su liderazgo y se comprometió a ayudarlos a profundizar su propia vida espiritual. “Independientemente de cuál sea su camino de fe, necesitamos que involucren al Espíritu Santo en su ministerio”, dijo.

Luego se fue al sur de Charlotte, a un lugar donde el educador de toda la vida se sentía como en casa: Charlotte Catholic High School. Su visita se produjo solo dos días después de que la comunidad escolar se enterara de que dos de sus estudiantes, Abby Lyn Robinson, de 17 años, e Isabella Tarantelli, de 18, habían resultado gravemente heridas en un accidente automovilístico el 6 de abril cerca de Asheville que causó la muerte de otros dos adolescentes.

HUMOR, ÁNIMO Y ORACIONES

En el pasillo de la escuela, una delegación saludó al Obispo Electo Martin: maestros, administradores y dos estudiantes designados para guiar el recorrido. Inmediatamente preguntó cómo estaban Abby Lynn e Isabella después del accidente y prometió tenerlas presente en sus oraciones. Vestido con su hábito franciscano gris, con el nuevo gorro magenta de obispo sobre su cabeza, el Obispo Electo Martin no pudo evitar llamar la atención mientras caminaba por los pasillos con Natalie Domínguez y Madeline Lewis, a quienes algunos llaman “la Alcaldesa”.

Madeline es la presidenta del cuerpo estudiantil (de ahí el apodo) y se dirige a la UNC. Natalie es la presidenta de la clase de último año y planea asistir a la Universidad de Yale el próximo año, donde jugará softbol.

“¿Estudiantes de último año?”, bromeó con las chicas. “¡Ustedes dos ya casi están fuera!”

A medida que enteraba más, sugirió posibles contactos para ellas en la universidad, luego declaró: “Ustedes dos serán las reinas de la Ciudad Reina”, luego más tarde en la capilla las llamó “gigantes espirituales” y en las salas de arte las llamó “chicas de arte”. Los apodos divertidos parecen ser una característica del obispo electo.

El recorrido se detuvo en cinco aulas. En cada ocasión, el obispo electo dirigía el salón de manera en que solo un exmaestro puede hacerlo. El Obispo Electo Martin pasó dos décadas en escuelas católicas en Baltimore y Nueva York, como maestro, entrenador de baloncesto, director y presidente de escuela.

Sus visitas a las aulas fueron de humor, aliento y reflexión. Antes de salir de cada clase, preguntaba si podía guiar a los estudiantes en oración, invocando al Espíritu Santo y luego haciendo una pausa antes de hablar. También pidió a los estudiantes que oraran por él, señalando: “¡Este es mi primer día!”.

Más tarde, la “alcaldesa” Madeline, de 17 años, reflexionó: “Pensé que era increíble, realmente agradable. Me encantó cómo en su primer día vino aquí. Es muy importante que todos sientan alguna conexión con su familia católica, y tener una relación personal con el obispo es genial. Me hace querer sumergirme más en mi fe, como si realmente se preocuparan por mi camino de fe”. Cuando el obispo electo llegó a la clase de teología de Brian Mathews, la encontró inusualmente tranquila. Los jóvenes se preparaban para una prueba sobre el Quinto Mandamiento.

Preguntó a los estudiantes: “¿Qué está pasando? ¿Qué has aprendido acerca del quinto mandamiento?” Cuando quedó claro que los estudiantes estaban distraídos, preguntó si había algo en particular por lo que quisieran orar.

Una niña levantó la mano y preguntó si podían orar por su compañera de clase Abby Lynn, señalando el escritorio vacío de Abby Lynn a su lado. Alguien más sugirió orar por todas las familias involucradas en el accidente fatal.

Él estuvo de acuerdo: “Te amamos, Jesús, y queremos amarte más. Oramos por estas familias. Queremos levantarlos y pedirte que envíes tu sanidad y consuelo a ellos y a estos estudiantes. Cada estudiante en esta clase tiene algo en su corazón, algo por lo que ora. Te confiamos esas intenciones”.

Natalie y Madeline luego acompañaron al obispo electo al programa de Opciones de la escuela para estudiantes con discapacidades intelectuales. Se sentó en un círculo con cinco estudiantes, preguntándoles sobre su entrenamiento en curso para las Olimpiadas Especiales, obteniendo respuestas alegres sobre la natación y el salto. Se tomaron de las manos para una oración especial.

“Me gustó cómo se encontró con los estudiantes donde ellos están”, dijo el director Kurt Telford. “Es capaz de relacionarse con todo tipo de estudiantes. Se notaba que se sentía como en casa”.

La última parada de la gira en la escuela de 1.300 estudiantes fue una visita a la cafetería. El obispo electo se dirigió primero a la cocina, visitando a los trabajadores de la cafetería antes de salir a un comedor lleno con más de 100 estudiantes con uniformes de rojo, blanco y celeste.

Fue rodeado por todos. Sin embargo, fluía fácilmente entre grupos de niños y niñas, haciendo preguntas e instando a los estudiantes a amar a Jesús y a “seguir adelante” en sus estudios.

VISITANDO PERSONAS NECESITADAS Un viaje a Belmont vino después, ya

que el obispo electo visitó Holy Angels y almorzó en el Cherubs Café de Holy Angels. Fundado por las Hermanas de la Misericordia en 1955, Holy Angels atiende a 81 residentes, desde niños pequeños hasta personas mayores, que tienen discapacidades intelectuales, del desarrollo y condiciones médicas delicadas.

La Hermana de la Misericordia Nancy Nance, miembro de la junta directiva y exempleada desde hace mucho tiempo, compartió detalles sobre la expansión de $21.5 millones de Holy Angels que se espera comience este verano. Se incluirán tres casas de seis camas, un centro comunitario, un centro de aprendizaje y un edificio de apoyo.

Luego pudo conocer a los residentes. Sostuvo en su regazo a la residente más joven de Holy Angels, una niña de 14 meses que requiere atención de enfermería las 24 horas del día, hablándole cariñosamente mientras ella jugueteaba con el crucifijo franciscano de San Damián que colgaba de su cuello. En la residencia de adultos, conoció a Butch, de 82 años, que es ciego y autista, del que se dice que puede tocar cualquier melodía en el piano.

El obispo electo pidió “Sweet Caroline”, y Butch lo hizo, lo que provocó que otros se unieran a ellos. Pronto, se lamentó mirando un reloj de pared, pues tenía que partir. Le quedaban solo 25 minutos para regresar a Charlotte, donde tenía previsto reunirse con muchos de los sacerdotes de la diócesis. Algunos habían conducido horas desde las montañas, habían regresado temprano de las vacaciones o habían cancelado las reuniones de preparación para el matrimonio y otras actividades para conocer a su nuevo pastor.

“Lo queremos. Es muy agradable”, dijo el Padre Jonathan Torres, capellán de Charlotte Catholic High School, después de conocerlo.

“Es sorprendente cómo puede hablar con cualquiera, desde los niños de primer año hasta los trabajadores de la cocina, con todos nosotros. Se siente cómodo con todo el mundo”.

TROY HULL | CATHOLIC NEWS HERALD

El Obispo Electo Michael Martin, OFM Conv., saluda y ora con una familia que pasó el 9 de abril por la fila de distribución de alimentos en la despensa de alimentos de Caridades Católicas en el Centro Pastoral de la Diócesis de Charlotte.

The Clergy and Faithful of St. Matthew Catholic Church

joyfully welcome

Bishop Michael Martin, OFM Conv.

We send our heartfelt prayers and congratulations on your Episcopal Ordination and appointment as the Bishop of Charlotte. May your ministry be blessed abundantly, and may you find joy and fulfillment in serving the people of Charlotte.

Her Excellency Valencia Yvonne Camp, DGCHS, Lieutenant Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem MiddleAtlanticLieutenancy with the Knights and Dames of the Diocese of Charlotte extend congratulations and a warm welcome to

Bishop-elect Michael T. Martin, OFM Conv.

Fifth Bishop of the Diocese of Charlotte

WELCOME

Bishop-elect Michael T. Martin!

From the foundational and impactful youth initiatives to the essential and transformational St. Joseph College Seminary, we look forward to partnering together to build up and spread the Catholic faith in our diocese. May God bless and guide you and our collaboration, the fruit of which will endure for years to come.

Rev. Fr. Philip Kollithanath, Parish Staff & the Parish Community extend our loving, prayerful & hearty welcome to Our Dear

Most Rev. Bishop Michael T. Martin, OFM Conv as the Fifth Bishop of the Diocese of Charlotte

The Sisters of Mercy of the Americas are pleased to welcome Bishop Michael Martin, OFM Conv. to the Diocese of Charlotte.

Serving the people of God in the Diocese of Charlotte since 1892.

MICHAEL MARTIN, OFM CONV.

to the Diocese of Charlotte, NC to the Diocese of Charlotte, NC

from all of us at miravia, congratulations on being elected our next bishop. may god bless you abundantly. our prayers are with you!

Share the mission of Mercy. Discover how at sistersofmercy.org.

Saint Francis of Assisi Catholic Church

La Iglesia Católica de San Francisco de Asís

Ad Multos Annos Mocksville, North Carolina

5th Bishop of Charlotte

Michael T. Martin, OFM Conv.

Facts

about a

Catholic

bishop, what they do and how they are appointed

Abishop is the highest order of ordained ministry in the Catholic Church (the other two orders are deacons and priests). While there are several types of bishops, the most common is a diocesan bishop.

A diocesan bishop is in charge of a geographic territory known as a diocese – one of the ways the Catholic Church organizes the People of God across the world (all 1.3 billion of them!).

The bishop is responsible for the pastoral care of all the people within that territory. The Bishop of Charlotte serves a diocesan territory encompassing the 46 counties of the western half of North Carolina – about 20,700 square miles – that includes 92 parishes and missions, 20 schools and over 50 ministries. Approximately 5.5 million people live within the Diocese of Charlotte, about 530,000 of whom (10%) are Catholic.

The word “bishop” has its roots in the Greek word “episkopos.” The prefix “epi” means over, and “skopeo” means to watch. So “episkopos” means someone who watches over others. In Latin, the word became “episcopus,” then in Old English “bisceop,” and in modern English “bishop.”

5 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT A BISHOP

n Each Catholic bishop is personally

Uappointed by the pope and reports directly to him. Once every five years or so, he must visit the pope in Rome during what’s called an “ad limina” visit.

n Every Catholic bishop is ordained by at least one other bishop, and they can connect their ordinations all the way back to the Twelve Apostles called by Jesus Christ. This unbroken lineage is called “apostolic succession.”

n A bishop wears a custom-designed ring on his right hand, like a wedding band, that symbolizes his fidelity to the Church. People often kiss this ring as a sign of respect and greeting.

n Bishops must be at least 35 years old and must have been a priest for at least five years.

n A bishop formally takes up his post –what’s called “taking canonical possession” of his diocese – when he first sits in the cathedra (the bishop’s chair). This prayerful and joyous ceremony takes place at the diocesan cathedral and is a historic moment in the life of a diocese.

WHAT DOES A BISHOP DO?

A bishop is responsible for the pastoral care of the People of God within his territory. As shepherd – directly appointed by the pope – he is the principal cleric responsible for teaching, governing and sanctifying the faithful.

As the diocese’s chief teacher, he has a duty to preach the Word of God and ensure that clergy and catechists in his diocese are preaching the Gospel and teaching sound doctrine.

As leader of the diocese, he is its chief lawmaker – making local laws and judging local Church matters; overseeing the liturgy, worship and administration of the sacraments; and ensuring that the local community’s material and spiritual needs are met, including training priests and overseeing the diocese’s property and finances.

As the diocese’s principal prelate, he oversees the training, calls to holy orders and ordains the diocese’s priests and deacons. He also usually administers the sacrament of confirmation.

His responsibilities also include being a mentor and spiritual father to his fellow priests – ensuring they are supported in their spiritual, emotional and intellectual life and making sure they are faithfully fulfilling their obligations.

He has the unique task of blessing the sacred oils used each year in the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, anointing of the sick, ordinations and consecration of churches and altars. In addition, he ensures that Mass is celebrated in his diocese every Sunday and on major feast days.

Bishops must regularly visit each part of their diocese. They must also visit Rome to meet with the pope at least once every five years or so and visit the tombs of the Apostles Peter and Paul, in what’s called an “ad limina” visit.

HOW DOES A BISHOP GET APPOINTED?

The ultimate decision on appointing bishops rests with the pope, and he is free to select anyone he chooses. But how does he know who to select?

The process for selecting bishop candidates normally begins at the diocesan level with a list of candidates called a “terna,” then works its way through a series of consultations until it reaches Rome. It is a process bound by strict confidentiality and involves a number of important players – the most influential being the apostolic nuncio (the pope’s ambassador in each country), the Vatican’s Congregation for Bishops and the pope. It can be a timeconsuming process, often taking eight months or more to complete.

More online

At www.usccb.org/offices/generalsecretariat/appointing-bishops : Read more about the steps involved in identifying and selecting a bishop in the Catholic Church.

Datos sobre un obispo católico, qué hace y cómo es nombrado

n obispo es la orden más alta del ministerio ordenado en la Iglesia Católica (las otras dos órdenes son diáconos y

sacerdotes). Si bien existen varios tipos de obispos, el más común es el obispo diocesano. Un obispo diocesano está a cargo de un

territorio geográfico conocido como diócesis, una de las formas en que la Iglesia Católica organiza al Pueblo de Dios en todo el mundo (¡los 1.300 millones de ellos!).

El obispo es responsable del cuidado pastoral de todas las personas dentro de ese territorio. El Obispo de Charlotte presta servicios en un territorio diocesano que abarca los 46 condados de la mitad occidental de Carolina del Norte (alrededor de 20,700 millas cuadradas) que incluye 92 parroquias y misiones, 20 escuelas y más de 50 ministerios. Aproximadamente 5,5 millones de personas viven dentro de la Diócesis de Charlotte, de las cuales alrededor de 530.000 (10%) son católicas.

La palabra “obispo” tiene sus raíces en la palabra griega “episkopos”. El prefijo “epi” significa encima y “skopeo” significa mirar. Entonces “episkopos” significa alguien que vela por los demás. En latín, la palabra se convirtió en “episcopus”, luego en inglés antiguo “bisceop” y en inglés moderno “obispo”.

5 COSAS QUE DEBE SABER SOBRE UN OBISPO

n Cada obispo católico es nombrado personalmente por el Papa y le reporta directamente. Aproximadamente una vez cada cinco años, debe visitar al Papa en Roma durante lo que se llama una visita “ad limina”.

n Cada obispo católico es ordenado por al menos otro obispo, y pueden conectar sus ordenaciones hasta los Doce Apóstoles llamados por Jesucristo. Este linaje ininterrumpido se llama “sucesión apostólica”.

n Un obispo lleva un anillo diseñado a medida en su mano derecha, como un anillo de matrimonio, que simboliza su fidelidad a la Iglesia. La gente suele besar este anillo en señal de respeto y saludo.

n Los obispos deben tener al menos 35 años y haber sido sacerdotes durante al menos cinco años.

n Un obispo asume formalmente su cargo – lo que se llama “tomar posesión canónica” de su diócesis – cuando se sienta por primera vez en la cátedra (la silla del

obispo). Esta ceremonia llena de oración y alegría tiene lugar en la catedral diocesana.

¿QUÉ HACE UN OBISPO?

Un obispo es responsable del cuidado pastoral del Pueblo de Dios dentro de su territorio. Como pastor, nombrado directamente por el Papa, es el clérigo principal responsable de enseñar, gobernar y santificar a los fieles.

Como maestro principal de la diócesis, tiene el deber de predicar la Palabra de Dios y garantizar que el clero y los catequistas de su diócesis prediquen el Evangelio y enseñen la verdadera doctrina. Como líder de la diócesis, es su principal legislador: elabora leyes locales y juzga los asuntos de la Iglesia local; supervisa la liturgia, el culto y la administración de los sacramentos; y garantiza que se satisfagan las necesidades materiales y espirituales de la comunidad local, incluida la capacitación de sacerdotes y la supervisión de las propiedades y finanzas de la diócesis.

Como prelado principal de la diócesis, supervisa la formación, convoca a las órdenes sagradas y ordena a los sacerdotes y diáconos de la diócesis. También suele administrar el sacramento de la confirmación.

Sus responsabilidades también incluyen ser mentor y padre espiritual de sus compañeros sacerdotes, asegurándose de que reciban apoyo en su vida espiritual, emocional e intelectual; y velar que cumplan fielmente con sus obligaciones. Tiene la singular tarea de bendecir los óleos sagrados utilizados cada año en los sacramentos del bautismo, confirmación y unción de los enfermos, las ordenaciones y la consagración de iglesias y altares. Además, se asegura que en su diócesis se celebre Misa todos los domingos y días de guardar.

Los obispos deben visitar periódicamente cada área de su diócesis. También deben visitar Roma para reunirse con el Papa al menos una vez cada cinco años aproximadamente y visitar las tumbas de los apóstoles Pedro y Pablo, en lo que se llama una visita “ad limina”.

DIOCESE OF CHARLOTTE