Nashua Telegraph
September 19, 2011
http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/news/933138-196/new-catholic-bishop-to-be-introduced-today.html
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| The Rev. Peter Libasci speaks Monday morning about his new role as Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Manchester. The previous bishop, The Rev. John McCormack, looks on. |
Behind thin, wire-framed glasses, the Most Rev. Peter Anthony Libasci beamed with excitement as he was introduced Monday as the 10th bishop of the Catholic Diocese in Manchester.
Libasci was an auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Rockville Centre, N.Y., for the past four years. He was born in Queens, N.Y., and started as a priest in Rockville Centre in 1978.
He will be installed as the new bishop in Manchester on Thursday, Dec. 8, at 2 p.m.
During a press conference inside St. Joseph Cathedral, Libasci, 59, briefly addressed the media and a few members of the diocese, but announced no immediate goals or priorities as bishop.
An important first step is to listen to the needs of New Hampshire’s different communities, he said.
“The first challenge is to listen very carefully,” Libasci said. “I’m coming to know all the ways of culture and ways of life in New Hampshire. I’ve come to know and to learn. I want to find the direction of the diocese as we grow.”
Bishop John McCormack, who resigned as the ninth bishop of the Catholic Diocese last August, called it a “big day for the diocese.”
“If you’re Catholic, you can’t help but be excited,” McCormack said. “You’ll find (Libasci) has a strong devotion to our Lord, and he is a true servant of the church.”
Libasci expressed his gratitude to Pope Benedict XVI, who named Libasci as the new bishop in Manchester, and to McCormack and the members of the diocese.
“I hope to carry on as successor with an open heart, an open door and many, many opportunities to talk and to hear,” Libasci said.
Michele Dillon, a scholar of Catholicism and a sociology professor at the University of New Hampshire, said Libasci’s plan is a good one.
Every new bishop coming to a new place is a “relative unknown,” she said, so Libasci would benefit from traveling across the state and visiting different parishes.
“It not only creates goodwill, which is important, but it gives him a clear, direct sense of what New Hampshire looks like,” she said.
Dillon said it will also be important for Libasci to “establish credibility” within the church and the diocese, especially after the controversy surrounding McCormack.
McCormack received bad press and was urged to resign for several years after details surfaced that the Archdiocese of Boston and other dioceses in the U.S. had secretly kept pedophile priests in active ministry for decades. McCormack was previously an aide to Cardinal Bernard Law at the Boston Archdiocese, before he was named bishop and moved to New Hampshire in 1998.
Some laity groups, including Voice of the Faithful and New Hampshire Catholics for Moral Leadership, called for McCormack to step down, but he continued his mission as bishop until 2010.
Dillon said McCormack’s reputation was “tainted” because of his association with Cardinal Law in Boston, and Libasci needs to address that problem early on.
“(Libasci) needs to come out and show he really understands the depth of their pain,” Dillon said.
Dillon said the pain comes in two layers: felt by victims of the sexual abuse cases, and that felt by other Catholics who were not directly affected but “appalled by what they saw and the pattern of cover-up.”
At Monday’s appearance, Libasci was asked about the controversy. He called the sex abuse issue “very important” and said it must be dealt with with “compassion” and the “desire to heal” all of those affected.
A few other laity groups released statements Monday against Libasci as the new bishop, including the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests and BishopAccountability.org.
Both claimed Libasci’s history in Rockville Centre is filled with scandal and the pope’s appointment represents “more of the same” for New Hampshire’s Catholics.
Still, some members of the Manchester Diocese are hoping to move forward and concentrate on other key issues.
Sister Mary Elizabeth Whelan, a member of the New Hampshire Diocese for more than 30 years, said she was happy Libasci didn’t outline specific goals yet because it was a signal that he’s a “true listener.”
Paul Harrington, another member of the diocese, said he hopes the people of New Hampshire are willing to “help him and guide him” to find those priorities.
One issue in particular will likely be the shortage of priests and parishes in the state, Harrington said.
New Hampshire has suffered from a shortage of willing priests and parishes, but the problem is widespread across the country, Dillon said.
Many states are having trouble recruiting new priests to replace the aging generation of Catholic leaders, and Libasci will have to try to find a solution for New Hampshire.
“Over the next few years, how Catholic bishops deal with this shortage will be a test of their creative leadership,” Dillon said. “It’s certainly a big need.”
At the very least, Dillon said Libasci’s appointment gives New Hampshire’s Catholics a new face to meet and possibly a new leader to support.
“There’s nothing not to embrace at this point,” she said. “People generally want their leaders to be good role models, ones they can trust and have confidence in.”
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