Bishop Sartain leads others to Christ through prayer, preaching

'I am more and more convinced my life has to be grounded in prayer,' bishop says.

By Malea Hargett
Editor

Bishop J. Peter Sartain admits the tone of his six-year episcopacy was set the first time he visited the Diocese of Little Rock in 2000.

On Jan. 3, the day before the announcement of his appointment, the Memphis priest was invited to the home of retiring Bishop Andrew J. McDonald in the Sherrill Heights neighborhood. The first thing the two priests did was go to the chapel to pray.

"He met me at the door of his home and he immediately took me to the chapel where we prayed the Te Deum. It is an ancient prayer. It is a prayer of praise to God for all of his blessings ... That for me set the tone of welcome and kindness that he began and it continued throughout my time here."

That chapel is now used by Bishop Sartain and is the place where he prays for the Catholics of Arkansas and all others on his prayer list. He said he has tried to maintain the sense of welcome he was shown more than six years ago.

In an interview with Arkansas Catholic in early June, Bishop Sartain was asked to reflect on his episcopacy in Arkansas and what lies ahead in the Diocese of Joliet.

Bishop Sartain has established himself in the diocese as a prayerful man who has a keen memory for names and facts and wants to be a pastor and teacher to the people of Arkansas through his homilies and writings.

Prayer has been a common topic for the bishop at Masses and in the pages of Arkansas Catholic. Prayer is the reason the bishop is able to serve the diocese with joy and peace.

Installation in Joliet Click here

For a complete report on Bishop Sartain's six years in Arkansas, see the print edition of Arkansas Catholic.

Parishioners were always reassured that the bishop would pray for their needs and beginning in July 2004 even invited people to write him about their prayer intentions. Baskets of letters are now kept in his chapel.

"I am more and more convinced than ever that my life has to be grounded in prayer," he said. "My greatest responsibility is to help everyone in the diocese to grow in prayer and holiness. It is a confirmation that I should try and endeavor with all that I've got to do the same thing in the Joliet diocese."

He focused his attention on the needs of priests and increasing religious vocations.

"I have wanted to make promoting vocations to the priesthood and religious life, but particularly the priesthood, a hallmark of my episcopal ministry because that is what I think the Lord wants me to precisely do," he said. "It's not just that it's an aspect of being a bishop. To me it's one of the key aspects of being a bishop. God really does want me to, in his name, extend to young people an invitation to consider a vocation. I have tried to make that an important priority wherever I am."

He has taken opportunities over the years to spend time with the seminarians and their families and the priests of the diocese.

"The bishop can always have an impact on the formation of the seminarians," he said. "But also it is an important aspect of developing a long-term relationship with him because ultimately it is the bishop who will ordain him."

Bishop Sartain said he has tried to show care and concern for the priests, but also their parishioners.

"I always tell young priests, when you are in a parish, 'If you love people's children and their parents, then people know you love them,'" he said. "The same is true for the pastors. If you love a pastor's parishioners, then you are loving the pastor."

Several times a year Bishop Sartain was away from the diocese to assist with the work of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in Washington, D.C. He is finishing his three-year term as the chairman of the Committee on Home Missions and on the Administrative Committee, the highest-ranking group outside the entire body of bishops.

Catholics often do not know or understand much about the work bishops are encouraged to do on the national level.

"Even though the bishop is given charge of a diocese, he is really called to be part of the College of Bishops," he said. "We are encouraged at the USCCB to be involved on the national level through committee work. That is why I have had some involvement in some of the committees."

A few of the major moments that stand out for Bishop Sartain are:

PARISH VISITS

"I always enjoy going to celebrate any liturgy in any parish," he said. "I am often impressed by the little parishes because the parishioners have a tremendous love for each other and they do extraordinary things with few resources. They have learned to bond together. Little parishes have a lot to teach big parishes."

THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY

He attended the Mexican American Cultural Center in San Antonio, Texas, to learn Spanish in 2001 in order to communicate with the growing population.

"I knew as bishop it was going to be very important for me because part of the mission of the Church is to serve those in the Church. As the pastor of the diocese, I felt it was important to learn Spanish," he said. "I tell people I am still at the level of a second grader with my Spanish."

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the state's Hispanic population grew 35 percent from 2000 to 2004, to 117,568. Most of those people come from a Catholic background and were eager to find a place to worship and learn about the faith.

EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS

Bishop Sartain was a big supporter of the Year of the Eucharist. About 5,000 people attended the Eucharistic Congress and closing Mass at Barton Coliseum in Little Rock in October 2005.

"There is a unity among the people and they have a desire to grow in their faith," he said. "I think particularly for a diocese our (geographical) size events like that help people to experience more personally what it feels to be part of the Church and to feel strength and support in the Catholic Church."

In the end, Bishop Sartain continues to be humble and doesn't want to point to any "successes" or "progress" because of him.

"I hope that through my ministry wherever it has been in the diocese that I simply I have led people to Jesus," he said.

Installation in Joliet

Two events are planned to mark the installation of Bishop Sartain as the fourth bishop of Joliet. He replaces Bishop Joseph L. Imesch, who is retiring after leading the diocese for 27 years.

A vespers service will be held at 7 p.m., Monday, June 26 at the Cathedral of St. Raymond with Bishop Sartain presiding. A reception will follow in the Joyce Center. The service is open to the public.

He will be installed at 2 p.m. June 27 at the Cathedral of St. Raymond by Cardinal Francis George of Chicago. Archbishop Pietro Sambi, the apostolic nuncio to the United States, will be present. Bishop Sartain will be the celebrant and homilist. Admission is by ticket only. A reception will follow in the Joyce Center.

The installation Mass will be a simpler service than when he came to Little Rock in 2000 because he was ordained a bishop as well as installed for the Little Rock diocese, Bishop Sartain said.

During the summer, he will celebrate six Masses in each deanery. These Masses will be an opportunity for Joliet Catholics to welcome their new bishop and are open to the public.

Click here for the index of stories about Bishop J. Peter Sartain's six years in Arkansas. For the complete report, see the June 24, 2006 print edition of Arkansas Catholic.

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