After over two years, the Diocese of Gaylord now has a Bishop permanently assigned. On March 4, Jeffrey Walsh was ordained and installed as Bishop of the Diocese. At the end of the installation Mass, Bishop Walsh said a few comments. Here are some excerpts:
It really is a fitting celebration. It’s nice not to be wearing masks. It’s nice not to be social distancing.
The Church has what the world needs. And what I think I mean by that is that if we can always remain rooted and steadfast in two simple things: prayer and the sacraments. And it might seem naive or sometimes it even seems like you can’t see the forest through the trees or the trees through the forest or that prayer and the sacraments are what make our faith come alive and help us stay close to Christ and to be the best that we can be.
What I would consider to be the two great saint makers; the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the Sacrament of the the Holy Eucharist.
We need to be able to come out in person. We are a very incarnational faith. We need to see each other and to have that experience of connecting with one another. And so to always be steadfast in the habit of going to Mass and the discipline that it takes.
The leadership team at Gaylord Diocesan Watch looks forward to meeting Bishop Walsh and offering our support and encouragement as we have offered for all of the clergy in the Diocese of Gaylord. This Diocese is in need of strong and faithful leadership, rooted in the teachings of the Church, with transparency and accountability to the faithful of the Diocese. Our prayer is that Bishop Walsh has the strength to be that kind of leader for his spiritual children.