Erie's New Catholic Bishop Plans to Listen First

By Dana Massing
Erie Times-News
September 30, 2012

http://www.goerie.com/article/20120930/NEWS02/309299904/Erie%27s-new-Catholic-bishop-plans-to-listen-first

[with video]

Just a few months ago, Monsignor Lawrence T. Persico was a parish pastor who tended a vegetable garden in the summer and shoveled snow from parish sidewalks before morning Mass in the winter.

By the end of Monday, he'll be a bishop and the leader of a 13-county Roman Catholic diocese with about 221,500 parishioners spread out over 10,000 square miles. Persico will take an oath of fidelity at vespers tonight and be installed and ordained during an invitation-only Mass on Monday.

What does Persico want people in the Catholic Diocese of Erie to know about their new bishop?

"That he's a nice guy," he said with a smile.

Persico's appointment by Pope Benedict XVI as the diocese's 10th bishop was announced July 31. Persico, 61, will take over for retiring Bishop Donald W. Trautman, 76.

The bishop-elect moved into his downtown Erie residence on Monday. He's still getting used to the noise from the traffic in the city of about 100,000.

St. James Church in New Alexandria, where he was the pastor, is a rural parish on six acres, Persico said.

"I used to have a little garden," he said.

He's spent his 35-year career as a priest in Westmoreland County, which is in the Catholic Diocese of Greensburg.

He wants to give parishioners in the Erie diocese an opportunity to meet him, learn that he's "more than just a picture" and is "a real-live person."

"After the ordination, I think I'm getting a few days to catch my breath," Persico said. "Then I want to begin moving out into the diocese to meet the clergy and especially also to meet the people in the parish in their situation. I'm looking forward to these opportunities because I'll be able to be in the parish and meet with people. There will be Mass and then a reception. I enjoy that as a pastor."

Persico had served as pastor in New Alexandria since 1998, but that was one of only several positions he held in the Greensburg diocese. His other roles included vicar general, moderator of the curia, chancellor and bishop's delegate for clergy sexual abuse.

He said he believes the sex-abuse scandal led the Catholic Church to do a great deal to rectify such problems by implementing training for clergy and others who work with youth.

"Even dioceses, today, are audited by an outside firm to make sure that each diocese is in compliance with the Charter (for the Protection of Children and Young People)," Persico said.

He encouraged Catholics not to abandon the church because they're upset with it over sex abuse or disagree with its stance on abortion, contraception, same-sex marriage or female ordination.

"I would tell them not to walk away from it, but to seek, to learn, to pray and to try to deepen their relationship to Jesus Christ," Persico said. "Because without Christ, what are we?

"I think it's very easy for people to become discouraged and there's a lot to hope for.

"It's when we get caught up in the values of the world that we become distracted from Christ, and I would just try to encourage them to not lose hope and not to lose that relationship."

For people worried that a new bishop means the closing of Catholic schools and parishes, Persico said he doesn't know yet. He said he doesn't come with preconceived plans for his new diocese, but is ready to begin the learning process.

"I need to come here and hear and listen to what the needs are of the faithful of the diocese of Erie," he said.

His prior experience included 14 years as chaplain to communities of women religious. He said he hopes to serve as "brothers and sisters in the Lord" with nuns in the Erie diocese.

"It's the mission of the church that's important, that together we work at getting the message out there about Jesus Christ," Persico said. "I would hope that it would be a good relationship because the religious women are a very vital part of the church."

The Catholic sisters and parish priests of Persico's childhood frequently talked about religious vocations, he said. He attended Catholic schools, including a high school seminary. But there was no single moment in his life when he knew he wanted to be a priest.

"I didn't get knocked off a horse or anything like St. Paul," he said.

"It was something that I felt I wanted to do and was interested in, and I just pursued it and felt that was what God was calling me to do."

He was ordained in 1977 and named a monsignor in 2005.

This is the first time that the man appointed to head the Erie diocese is being ordained as a bishop here and installed as the bishop of Erie at the same time, officials said. Previous leaders, like Trautman, were already ordained bishops before arriving in the city.

More than 1,000 people are expected for Monday's ordination and installation at St. Peter Cathedral. A ticket is required to get in.

The guest list includes bishops from across Pennsylvania as well as from Ohio and New York.

Following custom, Persico will present the bishops with gifts. Each will receive a small nickel-plate box with an etching of St. Peter Cathedral along with Persico's name and ordination date, according to information from the diocese. A card in the box will explain that a donation was made in each bishop's name to the Bishop's Breakfast Program created by Trautman to help feed the homeless in Erie. Persico intends to continue the program, officials said.

For Erie Catholics under the age of 25, Trautman is likely the only bishop they remember. He began the job in July 1990.

Trautman has said he plans to spend his retirement in the Erie area, writing and possibly teaching. He recently moved from the bishop's residence to Saint Mary's at Asbury Ridge in Millcreek Township.

In 2011, a local priest had Trautman bobblehead dolls made. While the outgoing bishop has his own bobblehead, the new one has his own coloring page.

The Catholic Diocese of Erie's website has a "just for kids" section with a small drawing of Persico based on his official portrait. The sketch was requested by a teacher for students to color.

Persico wasn't aware of the honor.

"That's interesting," he said when asked about it.

He said he does use a computer and goes on the Internet, especially for e-mail, but didn't have access recently because of his move. The new bishop doesn't use Facebook or Twitter.

Instead, he'll interact with parishioners at services and public receptions beginning with tonight's vespers at 7:30 p.m. at the cathedral. Six other gatherings are scheduled around the diocese in October.

The people are what Persico said he'll miss from his last job and what he's looking forward to in his new position.

But one task he's more than happy to give up as bishop is shoveling snow.

Contact: dana.massing@timesnews.com