A funeral Mass celebrated the life of Bishop Francis X. DiLorenzo on Aug. 25 at Richmond's Cathedral of the Sacred Heart (Photo courtesy of the Catholic Diocese of Richmond)
UPDATE: The Catholic Diocese of Richmond announced Dec. 5, 2017 (after this article appeared in print), that Pope Francis has named Barry C. Knestout, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Washington, to serve as the diocese's 13th bishop. His Mass of Installation will be celebrated Jan. 12, 2018, at 2 p.m. at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Richmond.
After the death of Bishop Francis Xavier DiLorenzo, head of the Catholic Diocese of Richmond, this past summer, local parishioners are waiting with anticipation for his replacement and wondering what kind of leadership the next bishop will bring.
DiLorenzo took over as bishop from the long-tenured Walter F. Sullivan in 2004. He tendered his resignation this past April, when he reached the mandatory retirement age of 75, but he planned to continue serving until his replacement was appointed. DiLorenzo died of heart and kidney failure on Aug. 17, though he oversaw Mass nearly every Sunday until the end of his life. After his death, the diocese’s College of Consultors elected Monsignor Mark R. Lane, a clergy member of 44 years, to lead the diocese until Pope Francis appoints a new bishop.
DiLorenzo’s legacy of adhering to traditional Catholic values contrasted with the more progressive leadership of Sullivan, who died in 2012. One notable difference was dissolving the Sexual Minorities Commission, an initiative started by Sullivan that supported LGBT Catholics in the diocese through outreach, resources and ministry. DiLorenzo also dismissed a member of the diocese’s women’s commission who supported ordaining female priests.
Monsignor R. Francis Muench, a judicial vicar, or legal advisor on canonical and civil matters, who worked closely with the bishop, says, “He believed if you’re going to be a leader in the church, you should do what the church says.” DiLorenzo’s tenure was marked by strict faithfulness to the law of the church, and he held himself to a similar standard, Muench says. “[DiLorenzo] wasn’t the kind of person who claimed to work for Coca-Cola and drank Pepsi.”
Jeff Trollinger, former chairman of the Sexual Minorities Commission, says, “DiLorenzo believed if there was going to be gay and lesbian ministry, it should be done at the local level,” rather than by the diocese. Trollinger attends St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church in western Henrico County, which maintains an inclusive ministry.
DiLorenzo was known for his concern for the poor, especially in the western part of the diocese. Established in 1820, the Catholic Diocese of Richmond comprises about 220,000 members in 150 parishes from the Eastern Shore to the West Virginia line, excluding Northern Virginia. (The Arlington Diocese, which broke off from the rest of the state in the 1970s, contains about half a million Catholics.)
“‘We don’t have to look around the world, we’ve got people in our own [region] without homes or meals,’” Muench recalls the late bishop saying.
As the Catholic Church faced a declining population nationally, DiLorenzo made it a priority to increase the number of clergy. He ordained 22 priests and saw the number of men from the diocese enrolled in seminaries rise from 10 to 31. He also advocated for expanding access to Catholic schools, offering new scholarships and assistance through the McMahon Parater Foundation. DiLorenzo even gave $5,000 of his own money to the endowment.
Andrew Chesnut, whose position at the VCU School of World Studies is named after Sullivan, says that DiLorenzo’s time as bishop was also notable for a shift toward some newer techniques in attracting congregants. He pointed to a 2014 evangelism plan that involved going door to door, something unheard of in the Catholic faith. Chesnut says he thinks DiLorenzo was also aware of his flock’s changing demographics. In 2008, the diocese was estimated to be about 30 percent Latin American, and the bishop had since expressed support for Catholic Charismatic Renewal, a movement that appeals to many Latinos and embraces Pentecostal beliefs such as faith healing and speaking in tongues.
Diocese officials say it can take as long as a year to appoint a new bishop.
“It talks about personal encounters with Christ, which historically hasn’t been part of Catholic discourse,” Chesnut says.
There’s no timetable for appointing a new bishop, and diocese officials say it can take as long as a year. Muench says clergy, parishioners and other laymen do have a chance to make nominations. The Vatican sends out nationwide “letters to the faithful” that ask about the issues facing the church and which people they think might help address them.
Local Catholics offer differing views on what kind of leadership is needed.
Trollinger would like to see a more inclusive approach: “I would hope our next bishop embraces the spirit of the church that Pope Francis has brought.”
Conservative writer and blogger Shaun Kenney of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Columbia says that “religious freedom” and expression of religious values in the public square are among the top issues a new bishop needs to be ready to address. He says that some Catholics feel “under siege” in today’s social and political climate.
Adriane Allen Henderson, a parishioner at Saint Peter Catholic Church in Richmond, says she hopes her fellow Catholics will “give the new bishop the proper respect that is due.” She adds, “He’s a man of God. He’s there to be a blessing to the people.”
As parishioners and church leaders pray for their new bishop, Muench notes that it’s impossible to please everyone. “What most people want, even Jesus himself couldn’t fulfill,” he says. “You hope for someone who’s a good teacher and is concerned with spiritual well-being, but is also a competent leader. Teaching, sanctifying and governing are the essence of the job.”
