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Strength for the future

People I interviewed for the 40th anniversary article easily came up with various strengths of the Phoenix Diocese. Those strengths pave the way for the diocese’s next 40 years, whose challenges and successes are “going to be just as great as they were in the first 40 years,” according to Msgr. Richard Moyer.

Sr. Raphael Quinn, agreed. “It’s incredible what we have achieved in all areas of ministry.”

Here are some of those successes:

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  Founded in 1985 at St. Timothy Parish in Mesa.

  Life Teen — originated at St. Timothy Parish in Mesa in the ’80s and is now a worldwide Catholic youth program. Local priests including Msgr. Moyer and Claretian Father Daryl Olds, regularly work with Catholic teens  during summer camp at Camp Tepeyac in Prescott. “It’s really amazing in the summertime to see these young people coming form all over the southwest and what a life-changing experience that is for them,” Fr. Olds said.

• Leadership – “I see a good, solid presbyterate, a bishop who is a real man of vision. I see it also in the laity, in their faith and their desire to serve God and His Church and those are the best things. That’s the best church you could possibly have. That’s a true living out of the body of Christ,” Fr. Olds said. Bishop Thomas J. O’Brien noted “an extraordinary bond of respect and appreciation” between diocesan priests and religious order priests,” something that’s unique he said.
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  cited as a strong outreach by Phoenix Catholics.

  Laity – Fr. Felt also mentioned the lay spiritual movements of Catholic Renewal Ministries and Cursillo. Their role in supporting the Society of St. Vincent de Paul has been impressive as well, several priests said, noting that it’s among the best in the country. Bishop O’Brien also placed a great emphasis on the laity’s role. That helped fulfill his episcopal motto, “to build up the body of Christ.” One or two people mentioned the outreach of the Foundation for Senior Living.

• Large liturgies – Bishop Edward A. McCarthy, the diocese’s first, held them as did Bishop O’Brien including on Holy Thursday. Sr. Raphael said they brought great life and involvement from the laity.
• Catholic music – Bishop O’Brien always wanted to have good music at liturgy,” Fr. Felt said. That made the national headquarters for North American Liturgy Resources in Phoenix a natural fit. “It became a source of Christian worship as we know today,” Msgr Moyer said, noting that Paul Hildebrand, Tim and Julie Smith and Tom Booth were inspired by those artists.
• Ecumenical work – “There was a strong ecumenical movement,” Msgr. Eugene O’Grady said. He was serving at Christ the King Parish in Mesa during the diocese’s infancy and met regularly with neighboring Mormons. He even flew up to Salt Lake City to see the temple before it was closed to the public. Bishop O’Brien had a large ecumenical outreach as well and Phoenix even hosted the National Workshop on Christian Unity in April.
• Catholic education