New Life into All of US, by Maddie Hanna, Concord Monitor, December 9, 2011

"New Life into All of US"

By Maddie Hanna
Concord Monitor
December 9, 2011

http://www.concordmonitor.com/article/297326/new-life-into-all-of-us

Bishop Peter Libasci takes a moment before starting the procession during his installation ceremony at St. Joseph Cathedral in Manchester on Thursday, December 8, 2011.Purchase photo reprints at PhotoExtra »

Incense and applause filled a crowded St. Joseph's Cathedral yesterday afternoon as Bishop Peter Libasci took his seat at the front of the church, becoming the new leader of the state's Catholics.

Libasci, who was installed yesterday as the 10th bishop of Manchester, stood and faced the nearly 1,000 clergymen and parishioners in the pews, holding his right hand over his heart as he received their standing ovation. He had just formally taken over the Diocese of Manchester from Bishop John McCormack, who turned 75 last year and retired in accordance with canon law.

"This new bishop who comes to you now begs you to join me in asking God for mercy . . . asks you to allow the stirrings of God's grace to breathe new life into all of us together," Libasci said during his homily.

Throughout his homily, which he delivered on the day that Catholics celebrate the conception of the Virgin Mary, Libasci called for the church to embrace a new beginning, asking that "this faith be entrusted, whole and entire, to a new young generation eager to engage in that divine companionship that enabled Mary to say yes to God."

Libasci was appointed in September by Pope Benedict XVI to succeed McCormack, who became the bishop of Manchester in 1998 and oversaw the consolidation of many of the state's parishes, including the merger of three in downtown Concord.

Calls came for his resignation in 2002, when the New Hampshire diocese avoided criminal charges by admitting it harmed children by moving accused priests between parishes. McCormack, who had previously served in Boston as a top aide to Cardinal Bernard Law, acknowledged mistakes in the handling of abuse allegations.

Yesterday, however, he won applause from the people filling the pews, who came from churches and Catholic schools across the state. At the end of the Mass, as clergymen filed out of the church - there were more than 150 priests and 36 bishops from across New England and New York in attendance - McCormack waved to parishioners, shaking hands with several as he left the cathedral.

The procession was the last touch of fanfare during a ceremony that began with trumpets heralding the new bishop's arrival. As a crucifix was carried into the cathedral, followed by candles and a swinging ball of incense, parishioners craned their necks to watch their priests enter, with some pulling out cell phones to take pictures or videos.

Libasci - who had been led to the cathedral doors by the archbishop of Boston, Cardinal Sean O'Malley - was one of the last to enter, and he did so to the sound of hundreds singing Ave Maria. Head bowed and hands clasped in prayer position, he made his way to the front of the church, where O'Malley escorted him to the cathedra, the wooden chair for which the cathedral is named.

As Libasci sat in the cathedra, he was handed a golden staff called a crozier. At that moment, he became the bishop of Manchester.

Libasci was appointed to the position in September by Pope Benedict XVI, and a Vatican representative, Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, yesterday read a letter from the pope welcoming Libasci to the diocese. The letter, which had a yellow tassel dangling from it, was then held aloft for the crowd's benefit.

For those who attended the Mass, the occasion was memorable. "It just felt like a wedding, waiting for the bride to come down the aisle," said Rose Lavallee of Concord, who was with her husband Bill, a candidate in the diocese's deaconate program. "Because you may never see that again."

Both Lavallees said they liked Libasci - who added several moments of levity during the Mass, referring to himself mid-homily as "Flo and Bill Libasci's kid" - and were excited for his leadership. "I think he's going to be an awesome bishop," said Bill Lavallee. "He's a very humble man."

Rose Lavallee said Libasci seemed "very passionate." That will make him a good fit, she said, to counteract a trend of Catholics leaving the church.

In recent years, "a lot of people left," Lavallee said. "We just need stronger leadership. With his passion, he could really bring that together."

Maddie Hanna can be reached at 369-3321 or mhanna@cmonitor.com