I have been up to my ears with a couple projects and so yesterday I wasn’t able to post anything regarding the changing of the guard in the Diocese of Albany.
After 36.88 years (not that anyone is counting precisely), Albany finally has a new bishop as Most. Rev. Howard Hubbard’s resignation was at last accepted.
A priest from the Brooklyn diocese is appointed the new bishop: Fr. Edward Sharfenberger. We wish him every good thing as he prepares to be consecrated and take the reins. He will now get to deal with the likes of Gov. Andrew “GET OUT” Cuomo.
There was something of a summary of Bp. Hubbard’s time in Albany HERE.
Meanwhile, recently Bp. Hubbard (retired), on 6 February, published in the diocesan paper/website his defense of why Catholic schools in Albany use Common Core. HERE
What could go wrong?
We wish His Excellency a quiet restful retirement.
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Apparently Bishop-to-be Scharfenberger has a friend among the Freepers. Somebody Freepish also posted a link to a 2008 Deacon’s Bench post about his efforts to get folks to stop living in sin by promoting a nice cheap wedding and party (in big batches). Obviously I don’t know anything about the man myself, but I can find links!
Note the speed of this appointment; Bishop Hubbard turned 75 only last October.
Observations:
1. Bishop-elect Sharfenberger seems to be a sound man.
2. There was the so-called “shake-up” at the Bishops’ Congregation last December.
3, The Apostolic Nuncio is a good man, with at least some influence over the terna.
If the Observations are correct, and keeping in mind all the implications of the time-line:
Quaeritur: Do we have nothing to fear about bishop appointments in the future, or was this already in the pipeline and may be one of the last gasps of the previous order?
Here in Albany, Father Z., many Catholics have been struggling to impart the Faith to the next generation in such a way that they may feel free to apply it as a balm to what is encountered in daily life, and have hope. Connecting with others has served to highlight the undying commitment to Holy Mother Church in the fulness of the sacraments and her traditions: the Real Presence of Jesus Christ Son of the Living God in the Eucharist, the healing power of frequent confession, a beautifully reverent Mass in the Extraordinary Form, homeschoolers committed to living the truth no matter the sacrifices, an army of prolifers willing to stand up to the currently prevailing pro-death Democrats at federal, state, and local liberties who not only assert continually that young and innocent life matters not, nor our religious right to advocate to have life in abundance. We have remained faithful, and we have not despaired. We seek to restore an alienated generation to their Catholic birthright and a future of joy with God and in His Church through a renewed call to the universal vocation of holiness in the Gospel. We know that our new shepherd needs our prayers, love, and support in the days ahead.
Last week we mourned the death of an incredibly talented actor who was raised a Catholic in a neighboring region in which the Mass has been altered similarly to be just a banal meal between friends and little more, with the sacral quality stripped and unrecognizable. I read of his public comments given to a priest in a book compilation in which he talked about how, as a child growing up in the 70s and 80s in upstate New York, he endured Mass with dread, how terrible it was, how it was just a miserable experience. I recall experiencing that myself growing up here, never knowing about the Real Presence, not comprehending the point for God and me of the endless homilies about the horror of Ronald Reagan or the need for nuclear disarmament, the drone of the voice of a depressed sounding middle aged man singing endless Haugen with no one singing, the anger in my pastor’s voice (who was a serial sexual abuser who left the priesthood) as he lectured us as to the statues and candles had to go, as to why we must gut our beautiful parish to become a theatre in the round, as to why Vatican II dictated that we must receive communion in the hand in an exact way…had it not been for the miraculous presence of others in another diocese who encouraged me to look further, could I not have wound up just like that actor? I wonder. However, thanks to a reverent,beautiful Mass, to substantive homilies, to the quiet insistence of the Real Presence, day in and day out, to young joyful vocations, and to the encouragement of people like you Father Z., and so many others, thanks be to God, I know one child who looks forward to His time with Jesus in the Mass on Sundays, for whom it never gets old, and, I look around, and see, many many more like him! When our new Bishop wants to talk vocations to holiness, whether it be to the consecrated or married or single states, whenever he is ready, there is a crew I know who would be very open to what he has to say on that. We are grateful to Holy Father Pope Francis and especially, Deo Gratias.
He was the last of Abp Jadot’s gifts to American Catholics. When JPII visited the US in autumn of 1979, he huddled with Cdl Kroll and certain others he trusted. In June of the following year Jadot was canned, given a job in Rome but never the red hat.
Pio Laghi took over and fought for the appointment of O’Connor in NYC. American “Pope” Bernardin was pushing his man Abp Kelly, who visited NYC more than once during the time the See was open.
Of course, O’Connor was named to NYC, the Bernardin influence declined, and the American episcopacy began to improve.
Hubbard is the last of the red-hot Jadotists (grace a Dieu). Must say, however, he authorized a splendid restoration of his Cathedral, judging from photos on the diocesan web page.
May Our Lord give him a blessed retirement and the new Bishop the strength to guide his flock.
(NYer is a great FReeper!)
We note with joy that the incoming Bishop has let his parish be used for the a TLM in the past!
http://www.timesnewsweekly.com/news/2010-03-18/Local_News/Latin_Mass_At_St_Matthias_To__Celebrate_Annunciati.html
Also– we would very much welcome the formation of a Juventutem Albany!
@benedetta
Just as the light has broken out here in Rochester Diocese, I pray and hope that the same happens in Albany.
My Brother lives in Niskayuna and we have often commiserated about the progressive duo of Clark and Hubbard. The dawn will break, and the people who have wandered in Darkness will see a great light. The recovery of the Faith in Upstate New York is at hand, Ad majorem Dei Gloriam!
benedetta said – ” I read of his [Hoffman’s] public comments given to a priest in a book compilation in which he talked about how, as a child growing up in the 70s and 80s in upstate New York, he endured Mass with dread, how terrible it was, how it was just a miserable experience. ” I didn’t know that. How tragic.
Bp. Hubbard will have a lot to account for someday, methinks. But he’s certainly not the only one.
I suppose the only reason Bp. Clark and Bp. Hubbard stayed in one place for so long, unlike many of their counterparts in the years since mandatory retirement was imposed, is that less damage would be done by leaving them in one place instead of letting it spread to a second place.
May both of these bishops have a good retirement, and may God’s blessings be on them and on their successors.
I noticed in the picture that Bishop Scharfenberger is a ‘stole on the outside’ guy! But I’ll reserve judgment! ;)
However, let it be said (by someone who grew up and lived in the Albany Diocese for the first 27 years of his life) that authentic liturgical renewal is going to have to be a top priority for the new bishop if any rebuilding is going to happen there. And that can be the kind of thing that requires nerves of steel in a pastor – the thing that requires you to say ‘No, you may not do that (even though you’ve been allowed/encouraged to do that for 37 years!).’ The kind of thing that requires some people to be fired and new people to be hired. Please pray for Bishop Scharfenberger. He is going to need double doses of the virtues of courage and regnative prudence to begin to rebuild the Diocese.
P.S. After McCloskey, Conroy, McNierney, Burke, Cusack, Gibbons, Scully, Broderick, and Hubbard … and now Scharfenberger?? The Bishop should schedule his consecration for St. Patricks’s Day, just to rub it in. Ah, but perhaps his mother is Irish!
Went to a Mass in the Albany diocese 4 years ago with relatives . I was horrified that the church Scotia had no kneelers and I was a lukewarm Catholic at the time and not in a state of grace. It thunderstruck as wrong that nobody kneeled before Christ’s presence at Mass.