Over the years I have written quite a few times about His Excellency Most Reverend Michael F. Burbidge, olim Bishop of Raleigh in North Carolina. He was just translated to the Diocese of Arlington in Virginia.
Bp. Burbidge has been open to traditional expressions of our faith and sacred worship. I am sure that the people of Arlington are happy. Let us pray for a solid replacement in Raleigh.
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since Sat., 25 Nov. 2006:
As an Arlington resident, I’m very happy with this choice. I’m curious about the reasoning, though, as Raleigh and Arlington seem roughly on par, and moving Burbidge just creates extra work to replace him in Raleigh.
The Diocese of Saskatoon in Saskatchewan is getting a new bishop. Archbishop-elect Donald Bolen has been appointed archbishop of the Archdiocese of Regina, and I really do worry who will be the new bishop since there really is so few who meet the required qualifications. The diocese is even talking about a missionary priest from Africa since they make up the majority of the priests in and around the diocese, which leaves me liturgically concerned.
Deo Gratias!
As a resident of Raleigh, I’m disappointed that we’re losing Bishop Burbidge. I’m sure Bishop Burbidge is also disappointed that he won’t oversee the construction of our new cathedral in Raleigh to its completion.
Anyone think that Bishop Barron is a possibility for Raleigh?
Good news indeed! Raleigh is more like Richmond…very liberal when Bp Burbidge arrived. Places near the beach are still on the edge of flakiness, but hopefully getting better with age. I’m praying that the good bishop doesn’t get swallowed up in the politics in this area and stands firm on the “non-negotiables”. Bp Loverde is a great bishop and will be missed.
Great news for Arlington! I lived in Raleigh for several years and served as a parish employee. In that capacity, I had the pleasure of meeting His Excellency numerous times and was always very impressed by his kindness, holiness, and dedication to his flock. He doesn’t waver from proclaiming the truth as the Church professes it.
I too wonder about the transfer, as it seems like a sideways move rather than upwards. But Arlington does seem like a good fit for Bishop Burbidge. It’s liturgically traditional and very urban, which I imagine he will fit in well to with his Philly background.
Perhaps the wonderful Fr. Paul Scalia of Arlington could be traded for Bishop Burbidge as Raleigh’s new Bishop? And then, when the Richmond Bishop retires next year, Raleigh can send us one of Bishop Burbidge’s proteges as our new ordinary! (Hey, if you’re going to get into wishful thinking you may as well really go for it.)
As an Arlington Diocese resident it’s good to know we are getting a good one. I’ll be sad to see Bishop Loverde go, though. He’s done lots of work, some of it behind the scenes.
Example I heard: Growing church wanted to build a new church. Church design was “in the round”. Pastor was quietly transferred a new Pastor sent out. Suddenly the church design became very traditional looking and is (my wife visited) pretty awesome.
Also, scheduled confessions are available pretty much everywhere, and our vocations are doing very well (for both priests and religious women). One of our newly ordained priests did the Exsultet at St. Peter’s last Easter. We’re getting lots of good seminarians from good parishes.
So he’ll be missed. I hope he enjoys his retirement.
Well, I was praying that Fr. Jim Gould would be made the next Bishop for Arlington, but I am glad that the Pope made a good pick. Seriously, I was speculating that Burbidge might have been on the short list to become the new Bishop of Dallas (I live in Texas).
During my own discernment process ten years ago, I visited St. Charles Borromeo seminary for almost a week on a retreat. The seminarians who were there under Burbidge were very positive (he had been elevated about a year before I visited) about his leadership, and I followed his record a little bit after his arrival in Raleigh, where in a short few years vocations went from 8 to 20. Bishop Burbidge also changed the seminary, and began sending seminarians in Raleigh to Borromeo, which made a huge difference.
While I would of personally welcomed Bishop Burbidge to my diocese, I think he will do well in Arlington. Now, one of my prayers is that Raleigh, Dallas, Cheyanne, and Rockville Center (NY) get a good bishop.
Dear Father,
As you probably know, in the same bulletin, the Holy Father appointed Bishop Paul Etienne metropolitan archbishop of Anchorage.
I love the verb “was translated”.
So appropriate for this web site.
Giuseppe says: “was translated”
Yes, indeed. As you know from your Latin, “translate” is from transfero, fero having the parts fero, tuli, latum. Translate and transfer are synonymous in this context, through the Church likes to translate both relics and bishops… sometimes the same thing.
I met Bishop Burbidge at our summer institute (with orientation for the incoming class of deacon aspirants). He gave a wonderful talk on working with your pastors. Arlington is blessed.
I am happy too for the good people of the Diocese of Arlington. I was able to “hang out” with Bishop Loverde around the coffee station after the last Mass. There is something about combining holiness with a regular guy that is very satisfying. He will be missed but I am happy for him.
And the new bishop looks like a winner too. I hope he likes outstanding cathedral choir!
I am glad the TLM I sometimes go to in that diocese will be protected by this good and faithful bishop. Thank you, Lord!
pray for our Bishops-and pray that Bp Chaput is elevated to a cardinal soon(subito!)! While not a native of Arlington, I occasionally attend mass there & I am very impressed by the reverence of the Priests. I have heard Fr Scalia on several occasions & have greatly enjoyed his sermons. I was privileged to attend a nuptial mass by Fr Scalia in Latin with several seminarians as the chorus that was beautiful.
I have an unforgettable memory of Bishop Burbidge from a decade ago, when I was living in the Raleigh Diocese. I used to go to Sacred Heart parish in Dunn, a traditional mass community pastored by the magnificent and courageous Fr Paul Parkerson (who endured so much from previous bishops and survived). Bishop Burbidge had just been installed in Raleigh and made his first pastoral visit to Sacred Heart, at the Sunday solemn mass in the traditional form. The congregation presented him with a beautiful new mitre made just for him.
He sat in choro for the mass and spoke afterward. He said the mass was a powerful experience for him, and he said that the beautiful sight of everyone kneeling at the altar rails and devoutly receiving Holy Communion on the tongue brought him to the brink of tears. The congregation sat in stunned silence. Bishop Burbidge continued that he was overjoyed to see the incredible spiritual fruit borne by the traditional rites in this parish and that he wanted to make it more available throughout the diocese of Raleigh.
I had tears in my eyes. All I could think of, when looking at my bishop in front of me, was “Papa”. The blessed people of Arlington will not be spiritual orphans under the care of this holy man.
I was received into the Church through Bishop Burbidge’s presiding over the traditional rite. He is a fantastic bishop who knows how to adhere to the faith while not being off-putting. A rare quality. He has those leadership qualities at an individual as well as diocesan level. He will be missed in the Diocese of Raleigh, but the Diocese of Arlington has a good one!
I am a priest of the diocese of Arlington and overlapped a couple of years with Bishop Burbidge while we were both seminarians St. Charles Seminary. An excellent choice. Bishop Loverde has been a true blessing to us as our bishop and I will continue to pray for him as well as our new bishop. God is good!
this is great news. It’s a promotion of sorts since Arlington has roughly 3x the Catholic population of Raleigh. Further, for a bishop known to be supportive of Summorum Pontificum to be “translated” to a diocese like Arlington (known for its bounty of young, tradition-minded priests, many from my alma mater, Christendom College) cannot be an accident.
Bp. Loverde, bless him, was wise enough not to tinker with a very successful diocese by rolling back the very traditional ethos among the clergy. Bp. Burbidge sounds like someone who will not simply NOT upset the applecart, but will positively shape the direction of the diocese along it’s already encouraging path.
Now, for Richmond… sigh.
woo-hoo!!!!!!
I have been worrying and praying ever since our good bishop Loverde turned in his resignation. What a relief!
But still worrying about Cardinal Wuerl’s replacement. A bad one could wreck all of us concerned. We don’t need any poseur neo-conservatives or the famed and lauded by the modernist Catholic media. A quiet, holy, faithful, loving, courageous, effective replacement would be just fine. May God hear the cry of the poor and have mercy on us.
And I guess, yeah, we need to pray for all the dioceses in need of a good shepherd.
I was disappointed that Bishop Burbidge did not change the Mass directives he had been left with by the previous more liberal bishop in which the congregation was directed to stand for communion and remain standing — especially since the rule in the Diocese of Charlotte (the only other one in the state) is to kneel after communion. It would have eliminated a lot of confusion for people traveling around the state. That’s just a minor quibble as I’ve heard many good things about Burbidge. What I fear is that Burbidge is being sent to a more urban diocese to “grow” and that a new liberal bishop will be put in Raleigh.
And, since NC he been at the center of a lot of social controversies, I should note that both bishops Burbidge and Jugis (of Charlotte) have been working very well together in promoting the church’s teaching on marriage etc. and have actually created a website in which they talk of social issues and other things from a Catholic perspective.
All it will take is for a liberal bishop to come into Raleigh and sow dissent for this joint effort to be completely undone and for the church to no longer speak with a clear voice here. Pray for Raleigh, I fear the worst.
We in Arlington are happy to have Bishop Burbidge.
Apparently, many priests here in Arlington already know our new bishop, either as classmates in seminary or as students while our new bishop was rector, both at Saint Charles Borromeo in Philadelphia.
We will certainly pray for the diocese of Raleigh.
There are two issues that he’ll need to deal with pretty soon after arriving.
1). Ending the stalling from Diocesan HQ about permitting Mass ad orientem and stop stonewalling on allowing parishes who are building new churches or recovering from older renovations to install/reinstall altar rails.
2). Justice for Fr. James Haley, the whistleblower who was railroaded some years back by the outgoing administration to save face in the press.