Thursday, September 4, 2008
CR01 - A big empty space in a big empty state
This column first appeared in the Wyoming Catholic Register
Like just about every Wyoming Catholic, the news hit me like a kick in the gut.
The announced appointment of our Bishop David Ricken to Green Bay, WI. was news that was hard to take.
Sure there is no question he will be serving ten times as many Catholics for the poor folks in Green Bay who have gone more than a year without a bishop. They lost their beloved Bishop David Zubik a year ago when he was sent to an even bigger diocese in Pittsburgh.
Selfishly, darn it, we felt we had been had.
“I took a vow of obedience. I guess I’m out of here,” he told me with a rueful laugh.
He also gladly recounted just how much he loved his job here in Wyoming. Outside of the governor, he is the highest profile public person in the state. He handled that role extremely well.
He came to us from Colorado where he loved the high plains of the rural part of that state. He felt at home here in Wyoming.
His youth and energy were contagious. And although he certainly did not flaunt it, his intellect is nearly at a genius level. Not much slipped by him.
On a personal level, I had worked with Bishop Ricken on the Catholic Charities Board, the advisory committee of the Catholic Register and with the founding the Wyoming Catholic College in my hometown of Lander.
Among his many talents, he knew how to run a meeting.
They always started and ended with a prayer. He made sure everyone had their say-so, but he always wanted the meetings to have a direction and a goal. A plan of action. Like a modern CEO, he was not fond of meetings for meetings’ sakes.
When you look at the accomplishments of this bishop, well, the list is long and very impressive.
To me, his stewardship of the new Wyoming Catholic College will be a lasting monument to his vision and organizing ability.
At the press conference to announce the selection of a ranch outside of Lander as a site of the college, Bishop Ricken continually used the theme “answered prayers.”
This is a prayerful man and he will always refer to the remarkable power of prayer when it comes to making good things happen.
The remarkable coincidences that have led to a very successful founding of the college are too numerous to mention here (perhaps in a future column), but needless to say, it is almost impossible to deal with this project without seeing the power of prayer in action.
In his message to donors to the college, he wrote:
“But this story of Providence was only beginning. Starting a college is not for the fainthearted; there are challenges every step of the journey. In prayer, I came to know that this was Our Lady’s College and I was moved to dedicate and consecrate the College under her patronage and most fitting title – Our Lady, Seat of Wisdom.”
This month the second class of 32 students has arrived in Lander and is starting class. The curriculum offered by WCC is so powerful that more than 200 applicants applied for those 32 spots.
Yes, Bishop, your vision was on target and your prayers were answered.
Perhaps we can conclude that you can take the Bishop out of Wyoming, but gosh darn it, you cannot take Wyoming out of the Bishop!
Godspeed to you, kind sir.
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