Selection of Bishop-elect McKnight lauded

Catholic leaders throughout Missouri are expressing gratitude to Bishop Emeritus John R. Gaydos while applauding Pope Francis’ selection of Bishop-elect W. Shawn McKnight of the Diocese of Wichita, Kansas, to succeed him.

Bishop-elect McKnight will be installed as the Jefferson City diocese’s fourth bishop on Feb. 6.

Pope Francis accepted Bishop Gaydos’ request for early retirement due to health concerns that have diminished his energy.

Bishop Gaydos, 74, is serving as apostolic administrator of the diocese until Bishop-elect McKnight’s installation and plans to continue residing in Jefferson City.

Pope St. John Paul II appointed Bishop Gaydos bishop of Jefferson City in 1997.

“We’re blessed,” said Bishop Gaydos. “Bishop-elect McKnight ... brings with him an abundance of gifts and experiences to continue and augment the ministry of Jesus Christ and His Church in the heartland of Missouri.”

“The people of Jefferson City are blessed to have had a man such as Bishop Gaydos as their shepherd,” said Archbishop Robert J. Carlson of St. Louis in a statement. “They are equally blessed to now receive a man of Bishop-designate McKnight’s quality and dedication. I congratulate him on his new appointment, and I ask God to grant both Bishop-elect McKnight and Bishop Gaydos many years of continued, fruitful service leading the souls to the joy of the Gospel.”

“I welcome Bishop-elect McKnight to the state of Missouri and the Diocese of Jefferson City,” said Bishop Edward M. Rice of Springfield-Cape Girardeau. “I look forward to a long and fruitful collaboration with him as the bishops of the State of Missouri further the mission of the Church.”

“I am happy to welcome Bishop elect McKnight to Missouri, and am grateful to the Holy Father for this appointment,” said Bishop James V. Johnston Jr. of Kansas City-St. Joseph.

“Bishop-elect McKnight served the United States Bishops well during his time on the USCCB staff and as well as a priest of Wichita, and he brings many gifts for service to the Church of Jefferson City,” Bishop Johnston added.

Bishop Carl A. Kemme of Wichita, Kansas, noted that Bishop-elect McKnight, currently pastor of a large parish in the Wichita diocese, will be one of several priests from that diocese who are serving the Church as a bishop.

“Our prayers, best wishes and congratulations go to (Bishop-elect) W. Shawn McKnight, pastor of the Church of the Magdalen, upon his appointment as the fourth bishop of the Diocese of Jefferson City,” Bishop Kemme stated. “We thank our Holy Father, Pope Francis, for choosing yet another of our worthy priests to serve as a bishop in the Church. We receive this appointment as a great honor for our diocese and our priests.”

Common traits

Father Ken Van Haverbeke, a priest of the Wichita diocese, reflected on how growing up, discerning a priestly calling and serving as a priest in the Wichita diocese might influence a new bishop.

As director of the Spiritual Life Retreat Center and director of the Office of Stewardship for the Wichita diocese, Fr. Van Haverbeke was a keynote speaker at a stewardship conference in the Jefferson City diocese in 2014.

He suggested looking for hallmarks shared by Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Bishop James D. Conley of Lincoln, Nebraska; and Bishop John B. Brungardt of Dodge City, Kansas.

He noted that all three, who were priests of the Wichita diocese, ae strong advocates for perpetual Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament; the sacrament of confession; stewardship as the basis of family and parish life; and education of children and youth.

“Our tradition of Perpetual Adoration chapels which began in the early 1980s has had a significant impact upon us,” said Fr. Van Haverbeke. “This leads to a strong personal relationship with Jesus and a strong desire for vibrant Masses.”

Furthermore, priests and parishes in the Wichita diocese are known for the availability of the sacrament of reconciliation and the mercy of Christ being shown there, he said.

A well-formed, Catholic understanding of stewardship also plays a large role.

“Gratefully recognizing and receiving everything as a gift from the Lord, and then sharing these gifts through the family and the parish family to the wider community,” said Fr. Van Haverbeke, “our priests see stewardship not as a manner of funding a mission, such as Catholic schools, but rather an acceptance of God’s grace in our lives, and the desire to share this grace with others.”

There is also an emphasis on strengthening the family while educating children and young people in the ways of faith, either through Catholic schools or a strong parish religious education program.

“These would be the hallmarks of a priest from the diocese of Wichita,” Fr. Van Haverbeke asserted.

But that’s far from the end of the story.

“These things all being said, I’ve noticed the bishops from the Diocese of Wichita all have entered into their new dioceses to listen and learn about the spirituality and strengths of their new diocese, and not imposing their own,” he noted.

“While being influenced by their home diocese, they then integrate their experiences with the experiences of the priests and people they now are serving,” he said. “This integration then makes both dioceses strong.”

He said that might be one reason the Church generally names a priest from outside the diocese to serve as bishop.