Before ordination, the people gather to pray for their new shepherd
Bishop Emeritus Gaydos leads Solemn Vespers for his successor the night before ordination
“I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will nourish you with knowledge and sound teaching.” — Antiphon based on Jeremiah 3:15
By Jay Nies
Standing at the altar of sacrifice, with his hand on the Book of the Gospels, Bishop-elect W. Shawn McKnight made a solemn, public profession of faith and oath of fidelity to the teachings of Jesus Christ upheld in His Holy Catholic Church.
This brought him a step closer to assuming the role of bishop of the Diocese of Jefferson City the next day.
“Having before me the image of Christ, the Supreme and Eternal Priest, I will conduct myself conscientiously and reverently and thus fulfill the ministry entrusted to me, so that having become myself an example to the flock, I will be able to confer the faithful in the pursuit of Christian perfection,” Bishop-elect McKnight pledged.
He did so during a Feb. 5 Solemn Vespers service in the Cathedral of St. Joseph, the night before his episcopal ordination and installation.
With him were Archbishop Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States; Archbishop Robert J. Carlson of St. Louis; Bishop Emeritus John R. Gaydos, who led the diocese for 20 years and served as presider at the Vespers service; and a vast assembly of bishops, priests, religious, deacons and laypeople from all over this diocese and beyond.
Among them were Bishop-elect McKnight’s parents, siblings and other members of his family.
Deacon William Caubet of Columbia and Deacon Edwin Schepers of California assisted Bishop Emeritus Gaydos. All three wore resplendent, gold-colored vestments.
References to shepherds and their flocks permeated the service, carried out with radiant pageantry and transmitted by the Internet to viewers around the world.
“We recognize the fact,” Bishop Emeritus Gaydos stated in his homily at the service, “that we have coming among us a new shepherd — Bishop-elect Shawn McKnight, called out of Kansas by the Successor of St. Peter, to lead the flock of Jesus that is the Catholic Diocese of Jefferson City.
“May we always be truly one flock and one Shepherd in Christ, bound by the unity of faith, hope and love with the faithful throughout the world and throughout time and eternity,” he said.
One flock
A choir led by Joe Kouba, with members from all over the diocese, led the singing, accompanied by organist Lisa Fender, a string ensemble and a flutist.
Seminarians of the Jefferson City diocese were the servers.
Candles on all 12 cathedral pillars, holding up the crown-shaped roof and representing the 12 Tribes of Israel and the 12 Apostles, were lit.
Each pillar was adorned with flowers.
Old- and New-Testament references to sheep and shepherds abounded in the prayers and antiphons.
“I shall feed my flock; I shall search for the lost and lead back, those who have strayed.”
“The Good Shepard laid down his life … for his sheep.”
“Tend the flock of God in your midst,” lector Joan Bish of St. George parish in Linn proclaimed in a passage from 1 Peter.
Marked by the Shepherd
Using imagery harkening back to his own episcopal ordination 20 years ago, Bishop Emeritus Gaydos pointed out that tending sheep is messier and a lot more difficult than what is usually depicted in stained-glass windows.
Jesus’ followers understood the inherent dirtiness and difficulty of the profession when He identified Himself as the Good Shepherd and instructed them to be like Him.
“I can’t help,” said the bishop emeritus, “but think about the One Who came among us and loved this cruel and wretched human race of ours enough to give His life for us — not because He had to, but because He chose to!
“And I think of how all of us have become part of His flock through being washed clean of the grime and pollution of this sinful world in Holy Baptism and then being dressed in pure white robes as a promise of what we will one day be!” the bishop emeritus continued.
And like sheep that are marked with indelible paint to show who they belong to, Catholic Christians are marked with an indelible anointing in the Sign of the Cross.
“We wear our mark where it can be clearly seen by our real Shepherd, Jesus Christ, as He glances over His shoulder and calls us to follow where He leads us,” said Bishop Emeritus Gaydos.
The world might not be able to see that baptismal seal, the preacher asserted, “but this world won’t be able to ignore the Good Shepherd when He finally raises His club to bring this world to a halt.
“This world cannot ignore also a whole flock of people who follow their Shepherd by saying no to oppression and violence, by taking the side of the victim, by defending the weak and the helpless, by speaking for those with no voice in our society,” he said.
“This world cannot ignore a community of baptized people who are willing to put their lives on the line to bring some mercy, compassion and humanity into this society and to raise up the Good News of the joy of our salvation in Christ!”
Solemn pledge
After the homily, Archbishop Christophe administered the profession of faith, then the oath of fidelity.
Since antiquity, the profession and oath have been part of each new bishop’s preparation for taking office. Bishop-elect McKnight chose to take his publicly as part of the Solemn Vespers service.
The bishop-elect stood with the nuncio, Pope Francis’ personal representative to the United States, at the altar.
With his hand on the Book of the Gospels, the bishop-elect read the words aloud.
Bishop-elect McKnight then signed both documents, followed by Archbishop Pierre and Sister Kathleen Wegman SSND, diocesan chancellor, who then embossed both documents with the diocesan seal.
Archbishop Pierre smiled as he congratulated Bishop-elect McKnight and shook his hand.
“Toward greater unity”
Near the end of the service, Bishop Emeritus Gaydos introduced several dignitaries to the bishop elect.
Among them were: Missouri Supreme Court Judge W. Brent Powell; Cole County Presiding Judge Patricia Joyce; state Sen. Mike and Claudia Kehoe; state Reps. Justin Alderman, Jay Barnes, Mike Bernskoetter and his wife Jeannette, Tom Hurst and Bart Korman; and Lieutenant Rachel White of the Salvation Army in Jefferson City.
Each greeted Archbishop Pierre, Archbishop Carlson and Bishop-elect McKnight while the string ensemble played Mozart’s “Ave Verum Corpus.”
After greeting the dignitaries, Bishop-elect McKnight noted that the chief responsibility of a bishop is to promote the communion of the Church.
“This first priority is the apostolic communion of his own flock,” he said. “Our unity as the local church with the Church Universal.”
But the bishop also bears responsibility for promoting the unity of all who look to Christ, he said.
“Our faith as Christians requires us to work toward greater unity,” he told Lt. White of the Salvation Army. “I pledge my support and commitment to further ways in which we can cooperate together in spreading the Kingdom of God through word and action.”
Bishop-elect McKnight noted that a bishop bears responsibility for promoting the common good with all people of goodwill.
He said the presence of representatives of the state judicial and legislative branches of government indicates respect and recognition of the Catholic Church as a force for good in civic society.
“Good Catholics make good citizens!” he said. “I look forward to opportunities in the future to cooperate with you in promoting peace and justice, the defense of human life and dignity, the family and the protection of religious freedom in our communities.”
He promised to pray for the judges and lawmakers through the intercession of St. Thomas More, patron saint of public service.
“Let us pray for one another, dear people,” he said to everyone present, “as the Roman Catholic Diocese of Jefferson City begins a new chapter in its history as a pilgrim Church.”
After a blessing from Bishop Emeritus Gaydos, the string quartet closed with Bach’s “Arioso” as the principals of the liturgy processed out of the cathedral.
The people then gathered for a reception in the Cathedral Undercroft, where Bishop-elect McKnight greeted those in attendance.
Photos from this event:
