December 14, 2020

Bishop William Byrne installed as 10th bishop of Springfield

REGIONAL
By Carolee McGrath

 

SPRINGFIELD — With great joy and anticipation, family, friends, priests, bishops and cardinals gathered for the Mass of Episcopal Ordination and Installation of Bishop William Byrne at St. Michael’s Cathedral in Springfield, Monday, Dec. 14 at 2 p.m. Boston Cardinal Sean O’Malley was the principal celebrant, with Bishop James F. Checchio of the Diocese of Metuchen, N.J., and Bishop Austin Anthony Vetter of the Diocese of Helena, Mont., as concelebrants.

“Remember always that your ministry is above all a call to follow Christ,” said Cardinal O’Malley in his homily. “Like Peter, you are being called to a deeper conversion, to a call of love and service.”

Cardinal Wilton Gregory of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C.; Cardinal Donald Wuerl, archbishop emeritus of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C.; Cardinal Timothy Dolan of the Archdiocese of New York; St. Louis Archbishop Mitchell T. Rozanski; Worcester Bishop Robert J. McManus and Springfield Bishop Emeritus Timothy A. McDonnell were also concelebrants seated on the altar.

Pope Francis named Bishop Byrne the 10^th bishop of the Springfield Diocese in October. He is a native and former priest of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., and the youngest of eight children of Mary (Largent) Byrne and the late Dr. William Byrne, a thoracic and cardiovascular surgeon who passed away in 2011.

“Overwhelming is a good word. My 97-year-old mom is here, praise God,” said Bishop Byrne shortly before the Mass.

His mother sat in the front pew next to his sister, Sister Deirdre Byrne, of the Little Workers of the Sacred Heart, a surgeon and retired colonel in the U.S. Army Medical Corps and reservist.

“It’s a wonderful feeling,” said Mary Byrne of her son’s ordination and installation. Most of Bishop Byrne’s siblings and many nieces and nephews traveled to Springfield. His sister Susan Rust was a lector during the Mass.

“I started watering up. It’s so wonderful that he’s made it this far. I know he’s smart. Everybody thinks he’s funny. He is a great personality, but he loves people,” said Rust. She also credited him with fostering vocations at the both the University of Maryland, where he served as chaplain at the Catholic Student Center in College Park and as pastor of Our Lady of Mercy Parish in Potomac. Five seminarians from Our Lady of Mercy were altar servers at the installation Mass.

“He fostered vocations,” Rust said. “He would say, ‘don’t become a priest because you can’t think of anything else to do.’ It’s a period of discernment, keep working and praying about it,” she explained.

During the Rite of Ordination, Bishop Byrne was presented to Cardinal O’Malley. The apostolic letter from Pope Francis was then read aloud by Archbishop Christophe Pierre, the apostolic nuncio to the United States. Bishop Byrne walked the letter down the center aisle of the cathedral as the congregation applauded.

After the homily, Bishop Byrne lie prostrate on the altar as the cantors sang the Litany of Saints. This was followed by the laying on of hands, the handing on of the book of Gospels, the giving of the ring, miter, and crosier. Finally, Cardinal O’Malley escorted Bishop Byrne to the cathedra, or chair of the cathedral.

Only 297 people were allowed in St. Michael’s Cathedral for the ordination, which typically would draw as many as 1,000 guests. The planning committee marked off pews and planned seating arrangements keeping people at a safe distance. Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno, Congressman Richard E. Neal (D-Mass.), Springfield Police Commissioner Cheryl Clapprood and Springfield Fire Commissioner Bernard Calvi were also in attendance.

When asked about his top priority, Bishop Byrne said it is transparency and promoting healing and justice in the aftermath of the sexual abuse scandal. Bishop Byrne met with survivors last week prior to his installation.

“The Holy Spirit has spoken to the people of this diocese and now it’s for us to listen and implement. We have to go beyond words. We’ve got to start taking action,” said Bishop Byrne.

“I have already been working on that because that’s the linchpin of rebuilding the faith in people’s lives is to build trust. They won’t be able to hear the message of the Gospel if they can’t trust the teller of the story. And the apostles of which I will soon be one have been telling that story since they met the resurrected Christ. And that’s my top priority,” he said.

At the end of the Mass, Bishop Byrne gave a list of five things he’s grateful for, playing off of his popular YouTube series which was turned into a book, 5 Things with Fr. Bill. He listed God; his parents; brother priests; friends in the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., and the priests and religious in western Massachusetts.

“To priests and religious, you and I are more than neighbors. We are brothers and sisters on a mission to save souls,” he said.

“Love conquers hate. Life conquers death,” he said. “Jesus Christ is risen and in this alone we find hope.”

A video version of this story will be featured on an upcoming edition of “Real to Reel” which airs Saturday evenings at 7 p.m. on WWLP-22 NEWS and in the Berkshires Sunday mornings at 5:30 on Albany’s Fox 23, WXXA.