New Leader for Catholics, by Steve Maynard, News Tribune, December 2, 2010

New Leader for Catholics

By Steve Maynard
News Tribune
December 2, 2010

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2010/12/02/1448219/new-leader-for-catholics.html

PETER HALEY/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER - Deacon Dwight Lewis of Tacoma carries a cross during Wednesday’s ceremony installing the Most Reverend J. Peter Sartain as the new archbishop of the Archdiocese of Seattle.

PETER HALEY/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER - Archbishop Alex J. Brunett, left, greets newly installed Archbisop J. Peter Sartain before communion Wednesday at St. James Cathedral in Seattle. Sartain is the new spiritual leader of Western Washington Catholics.

With the passing of a pastoral staff and a hug, Archbishop J. Peter Sartain was installed Wednesday as the spiritual leader for Western Washington Catholics.

Archbishop Alex J. Brunett handed Sartain his 14-pound pastoral staff, called a crosier, and embraced his successor as an overflow crowd of 2,200 people stood and applauded at St. James Cathedral in Seattle.

At that moment, Sartain, the former bishop of the Diocese of Joliet, Ill., officially became the fifth archbishop for the Archdiocese of Seattle.

At 58, Sartain is the second-youngest archbishop in the United States.

Several hundred laypeople and 168 priests of the archdiocese, more than 30 bishops and three cardinals looked on in the ornate, gold-trimmed cathedral.

In a portion of the homily he delivered in both Spanish and English, Sartain highlighted the ethnic diversity in Western Washington, including the sizable and growing Hispanic population.

"Together we will proclaim that the love of God does not know barriers of culture, language or nationality," Sartain said.

Pope Benedict XVI appointed Sartain archbishop for Western Washington in September, succeeding Brunett, 76, who is retiring after leading the archdiocese for 13 years.

Sartain is now the leader of about 600,000 practicing Catholics in Western Washington, forming the region's largest religious group. The Diocese of Joliet is similar in numerical size, made up of about 650,000 practicing Catholics in suburban Chicago.

The installation Mass, which lasted two hours and 15 minutes, included singing, processions, the burning of incense, the vivid red hats of cardinals, the beige miters of bishops and the celebration of the Eucharist.

Reflecting some of the archdiocese's diversity, prayers were read in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Korean, Tagalog and Polish and in sign language. Singers and drummers from the Lummi Tribe led the processions.

At one point, the Rev. Michael McDermott, a leader in the archdiocese and pastor of St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church in Tacoma, displayed to the crowd the letter from the pope appointing Sartain as archbishop. The letter is in Latin and printed on a scroll.

Monsignor Jean-Francois Lantheaume, acting on behalf of the pope's representative to the United States, read the letter in English.

In it, Benedict praised Sartain, saying he had been deemed "suitable to govern this metropolitan see."

After he received the crosier, Sartain sat down in the green velvet archbishop's chair, called the cathedra, at St. James Cathedral.

Brunett, who led the Seattle archdiocese since 1997, passed the 6-foot-tall crosier – a symbol of a bishop's authority – that was given to him on the 50th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood.

Lawrence and Sally Palermo were asked by McDermott to represent the Catholic parishes of Pierce County at the installation, an honor they gladly accepted. They've been members of St. Charles Borromeo parish for 52 years.

At a reception after the Mass, Sartain blessed both of the Palermos by putting a hand on each of their heads and praying.

"He said a wonderful prayer," said Lawrence Palermo, 76.

Sally Palermo, 72, had been eager to attend the installation of the new archbishop.

"This doesn't come along very often," she said Tuesday.

"He's the spiritual director for the priests and laity," she said. "He'll kind of set the tone for what he wants the archdiocese to do."

But outside the cathedral Wednesday, two members of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) handed out fliers criticizing Sartain for ordaining a "sexually troubled" priest last year.

"We want Archbishop Sartain to explain to the Catholics of the Northwest why he did this," said John Shuster, spokesman for SNAP in the Pacific Northwest.

Catholic officials allegedly caught the man with pornography on his computer a few months earlier before he was ordained.

In January, Sartain removed the priest as parochial vicar at a parish after a boy accused the priest of sexually abusing him. The priest pleaded guilty to sexual abuse and was sentenced in September to four years in prison.

Sartain declined to comment specifically on the case at a news conference when he was appointed in September.

Seattle archdiocese spokesman Greg Magnoni said Wednesday that Sartain immediately reported the allegations, then removed the priest from the ministry, and supported and apologized to the victim's family.

In his homily, Sartain made one mention of the clergy sex-abuse crisis that has shaken the Catholic Church.

"Conscious of our awesome call to serve in the name of the Lord Jesus," Sartain said, "we will continue to ask pardon for the times we have not been faithful to that call, and especially seek God's healing for his little ones who have been harmed by clergy and others acting in the name of the church."

Steve Maynard: 253-597-8647 steve.maynard@thenewstribune.com