Florida Catholic | Bishop Wenski’s Column

Papal and diocesan honors expression of local church unity with Peter

Published: 04.25.08

Festival of Faith

Remember to attend the Festival of Faith — May 8-10, Orange County Convention Center, South Concourse, International Drive, off I-4, Orlando — celebrating the Diocese of Orlando’s 40th anniversary and the “Year of Evangelization.” For more information, visit the Web site: www.festivaloffaith.org.

On May 9, seven priests will be honored with the title “Monsignor” during a special celebration at our Festival of Faith at the Orange County Convention Center. They will join more than 100 members of our laity who will also receive Papal or Diocesan honors during this celebration which commemorates the 40th anniversary of our Diocese.

That these honors come so soon after the Holy Father’s visit to the United States is especially fitting. In honoring these priests and members of Christ’s faithful, the Pope recognizes all the Catholics of the Diocese. While he did not visit Orlando when he came to the United States, these honors are a way of expressing his closeness to this local Church, and it affords us as a Diocesan Church the opportunity to express our affection and loyalty to the man who walks in the shoes of the Fisherman.

“Ubi Petrus, ibi Ecclesia”, “Where Peter is, there is the Church,” has long been an expression of our Catholic Faith. The Pope as the successor of St. Peter is the sign and effective instrument of the unity of the Church. The conferral of Papal Honors during our diocesan anniversary celebration is a concrete expression of this local Church’s unity cum Petrum et sub Petro, with and under Peter.

The priests, Msgrs. Patrick Caverly, David Page, John Caulfield, Manuel Fernandez, Fabian Gimeno, Paul Kamide and Leon Dobosiewicz, have served long and well in our Diocese. In fact, a few of them began their priestly service in Florida before the Diocese was created. Msgr. Caverly, our Vicar General and pastor of Annunciation Parish, had already been promoted to the rank of Monsignor several years ago. He was raised to the highest Monsignorial rank, Protonotary Apostolic Supernumerary. The other six priests were made “Chaplains of His Holiness” and given the title “Monsignor.”

Of course, the Gospel tells us not to aspire to the “highest places.” Jesus was always among us as “one who serves.” If we can associate the words “Christian” and “ambition,” it should only be when “Christian ambition” describes the Christian’s passion to serve. For “service” is the highest calling of every Christian. Even the Pope — who is the “highest” figure in the hierarchy of the Church — is rightly called the Servus Servorum, the Servant of the Servants of God. And those we honor during the Festival of Faith, both lay and clergy, have distinguished themselves for their service to the Church and the community.

The celebration that will take place on May 9 is an opportunity for us as a community of faith, hope and love to express our gratitude to God for the gifts he gives us — individually and collectively. In honoring the contributions of these members of our local Church, we remind ourselves that all these gifts are given not for personal reward, but for the building up of the Church, the Body of Christ.

In the Church, the greatest title or “honor” we can receive is that of the name “Christian.” That title is given to us in Baptism. “Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ, are incorporated into the Church and made sharers in her mission” (CCC 1213). As Christians, we aspire to become what we already are in Baptism, namely Children of God and co-heirs with Christ to the promises of his Kingdom. This is our greatest dignity — but the Church does often honor her members, and rightly so, with titles and recognitions that while not as significant as the name “Christian,” do serve to illuminate for us the different paths that Christian service can lead someone who, in his or her particular witness to hope, is truly “Alive in Christ.”

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