Parishioners praise ‘great gift’ to Virgin Islands
Friends, parishioners react to Bishop-elect’s appointment with pride, joy and a touch of sadness
By Lou Baldwin
Special to The CS&T
PHILADELPHIA —When Bishop-elect Bevard made his whirlwind trip to the Virgin Islands for the official announcement of his appointment, he was accompanied by his oldest and closest friend from his St. Charles Borromeo Seminary days — Archbishop of Louisville Joseph E. Kurtz, a former priest of the Diocese of Allentown.
“We’ve been friends for more than 40 years. He’s just a genuinely good person and a pastor’s pastor and he loves his people,” Archbishop Kurtz said. “I’m thrilled that our Holy Father has chosen him to be a Bishop. He’s an astute administrator and has done marvelous things at St. Athanasius.”
As seminarians they were drawn together by common interests, especially swimming, Archbishop Kurtz recalled, but he was always impressed by the faith exhibited by the Bishop-elect as a young seminarian. “Probably because he was a convert he had a spark of zeal and appreciation for the faith we cradle Catholics had to develop,” Archbishop Kurtz said. “We learned by his example.”
Archbishop Kurtz was the first member of the St. Charles class of 1972 to be ordained a Bishop. Now Msgr. Bevard will be the first of the 24 Philadelphia priests of that class to be ordained Bishop, noted Msgr. Hugh J. Shields, another classmate. “This is an honor for him. It shows the confidence of the Pope and of Cardinal Rigali,” Msgr. Shields said. “He will bring his priestly identity to it and he’ll have the support of his classmates. We as a community will be praying for him.”
Upon his return from the Virgin Islands to Philadelphia and St. Athanasius at about 1 a.m. on July 8, a loyal group of friends and parishioners were waiting to greet him with banners and Virgin Island flags.
“Bishop-elect Bevard is a wonderful man who serves St. Athanasius so faithfully,” said Father Stephen D. Thorne, director of the Office for Black Catholics. “It’s a tremendous parish for the black community. We are happy for him but sad to lose him. The people of St. Thomas are blessed to have him.”
St. Joseph Sister Joan Alminde, principal at St. Athanasius School, recalled how Bishop-elect Bevard was attentive to the needs of everyone. He would send virtually everyone in the parish a birthday card, and when snow came, he would be out plowing both the church property and the neighbors’ property.
“He’s been a wonderful, wonderful pastor and it’s a great gift we are giving to the Virgin Islands,” she said.
Parishioner Henry Howerton recalled how the Bishop-elect had recruited him as a volunteer gardener when he arrived at the parish. Parishioner Mary Gallagher called him the parish “energizer bunny,” and spoke of how the great upper church was in disrepair and unused when he arrived but was soon brought back to its former magnificence.
Deacon Fred Poellnitz spoke of the Bishop-elect’s love of decorating the church, especially for the Virgin Mary and for the feasts of Christmas and Easter. Mel Nichols recalled all he has done for the Knights of Peter Claver. “We’ll miss him,” he said.
For Ruth Brown, a member of the Ladies of Peter Claver and the Legion of Mary, the announcement was bittersweet.
“We are happy and sad. He’s been a pastor and a friend,” she said. “He’s done excellent things spiritually and financially. Our parish enrollment is up. Our upper church was closed for 20 years and he had it open within a year.”
Bishop-elect Bevard redirected the praise: “The people really did everything,” he said. “I was only the cheerleader.”
During his visit to the Virgin Islands he said how much he loved his parishioners at St. Athanasius and how difficult it will be to leave them. “I hope that I will never have anything as difficult again,” he said.
Lou Baldwin is a member of St. Leo Parish and a freelance writer.
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