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Witnesses get chills during Bishop Taylor's ordination

Published: June 14, 2008   

By Tara Little
Associate Editor

Bob Ocken

Members of Bishop Anthony Taylor's family watched the ordination Mass from the front row June 5 in Little Rock.

Bob Ocken

Members of Bishop Anthony Taylor's family watched the ordination Mass from the front row June 5 in Little Rock.

Father Rayanna Pudota got "goose bumps" as "joyful tears" ran down his face during Bishop Anthony B. Taylor ordination on June 5.

He served as the former Father Taylor's associate pastor at Sacred Heart Church in Oklahoma City for the past two years. He drove his bishop to concelebrate the ordination, which was held at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock.

Bishop Moses Prakasam, of Nellore, India, has 11 priests, including Father Pudota, serving in the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. He was visiting them at the time of Bishop Taylor's installation as the bishop of the Diocese of Little Rock.

Parishioners from Sacred Heart Church filled two buses to attend the ordination, the associate pastor said.

"I feel like heaven has come down. Angels and saints have come down to bless and anoint Bishop Taylor," he said. "I am going to miss a great pastor, a good friend and a really great mentor."

Sister Deborah Troillett, RSM, president and interim principal at Mount St. Mary Academy in Little Rock, first met Bishop Taylor in 1980 when she taught Mount St. Mary High School in Oklahoma City. At the time, newly ordained Father Taylor was Sacred Heart's associate pastor. Last year, she got reacquainted with him when she became a member of the school's Board, of which he was also a member.

During the ordination, she wiped away tears. "It was very moving. It's just a matter of the heart. I think his genuine willingness to serve the Lord just exudes from him," she said. "There was so much joy in this whole hall today."

Based on her experience with him, she said she believes young people would really relate to him. "There's no pretense with him. He's so genuine. Young people really, they know when a person cares for them and I think he'll speak to their hearts."

Diocese of Little Rock seminarian Juan Guido said he was very excited about the new bishop. "I can see he's really an outgoing person. He likes to smile. He's happy. You can see it in his face."

Guido, a member of St. Edward Church in Little Rock, was the cross bearer for the ordination. He said he was nervous carrying the new cross and wore gloves to avoid putting smudges on it. He attends Saint Joseph Seminary College in Saint Benedict, La.

Guido said he misses Bishop J. Peter Sartain, but looks forward to getting to know his new bishop. For him, the most meaningful moment is when Bishop Taylor sat in his cathedra.

He said he was struck with the feeling, "'he's now my bishop. He's now part of me. When I am going to look for somebody to help me in making decisions in my life, I'm going to look for him."

Sister Mary Lou Stubbs, DC, director of Catholic Charities of Arkansas, said she loved the ordination. She sang in the choir at both the vespers service and ordination.

What moved her most was when Bishop Taylor blessed everyone at the ordination. "He did this big wide open cross. It looked like he was embracing people, I love it," she said.

"He obviously has the option for the poor and social justice as an absolute priority," she said.

For her office, this would mean, "he's going to have us working really hard," she said humorously.

"I think his vision is going to expand what we're able to do; to go into new fields that we haven't in the past because he brings different gifts."

Father Greg Luyet, pastor of St. Michael Church in West Memphis, said for him, Bishop Taylor's ordination was an answer to prayer.

God has blessed the diocese with a bishop who is able to minister to all the people of the diocese "regardless of language or socio-economic level," he said.

The moment that gave him "chill bumps" was when Msgr. J. Gaston Hebert, former diocesan administrator, held up the apostolic letter from Pope Benedict XVI appointing Bishop Taylor.

That document "showed that connection that we have with the Holy Father and that he actually thought about us, providing us a bishop and ending our two-year drought," he said.

Ellen Young, who attended with her husband Michael, and daughter, Mary Kate, 13, were eager to share their enthusiasm for Bishop Taylor. The family attends St. Monica Church in Edmond, Okla.

"You guys are so lucky. You don't know how blessed you are!" Ellen Young said.

This was the family's first time witnessing an episcopal ordination. "We thought it was very well done," she said.

Mary Kate Young said she "thought it was pretty cool. It was kind of inspiring how happy everyone was."

Aileen Neil, a college friend of Rachel Taylor, said she "enjoyed every minute" of the ordination. "I wouldn't have cared if it lasted for hours. It meant so much."

Neil drove herself from Fort Worth, Texas to attend the celebration. She and the bishop's mother attended Texas Christian University together. She also has son the bishop's age.

"He's so happy. He's so good to people. You know he's right here, he's yours. He just comes across as being there for everybody," she said of Being there meant more to her than she realized it would. Before hand she thought, "'Oh my goodness, that's a long drive.' But I wanted to be here to pray for him and support him and support the family."

Arkansas parishioners were equally enthused after their first "meeting" with the new bishop. Sue Winter, of Christ the King Church in Little Rock, said the ordination "was absolutely beautiful. I was speechless."

Winter said she has high hopes for Bishop Taylor. "I think he's great -- very witty, charming." She was also impressed with his ability to speak multiple languages.

Reyna and Adrian Alvarez, members of St. Barbara Church in De Queen, agreed.

"We are blessed that we have a bilingual bishop," Reyna Alvarez said. "I think he's going to be a good bishop. He's humble."

Kathy Davis, parish secretary at St. Michael Church at West Memphis, who attended with her husband, John, and their young son in a stroller, was impressed in a different way.

"It's what every Catholic mother hopes for their son," she said.

Mary Hightower contributed to this story.