Bishop Wester celebrates five years in Diocese of Salt Lake City

Intermountain Catholic

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On March 14, 2007, the Most Rev. John C. Wester was installed as the ninth bishop of Salt Lake City.

More than 50 bishops attended the installation, along with Roger Cardinal Mahoney, Archbishop emeritus of Los Angeles; and Theodore Cardinal McCarrick, Archbishop emeritus of Washington D.C.

Among the memories that stand out of that event is how "the people of the diocese opened their hearts," Bishop Wester said. "I can still feel that warm welcome."

As he celebrates his fifth anniversary here, "there’s a sense of belonging that I have now, that this is a home for me," he said. "It’s been a wonderful opportunity for me to be with people and to serve people and to bring Christ’s message to them."

Bishop Wester has brought that message not only to Catholics but to others in the state. Utah Gov. Gary Herbert, who has worked with the bishop on several matters, including the emotionally fraught immigration issue, said the bishop’s essence is "treating each other with kindness, or what he will say, in a Christ-like manner."

Monsignor J. Terrence Fitzgerald, vicar general emeritus of the diocese, agrees. "The wonderful gift Bishop Wester is to us in the diocese is that he is such a warm, caring human being. His very personality is one that reaches out, that welcomes people, that embraces people and people feel that, whether they are Catholic or of other faiths," Msgr. Fitzgerald said.

Brad Drake felt that welcome when, as a finalist for the position of Catholic Community Services director, he met with the bishop. "I can admit it was a little intimidating, not ever having an association with someone in the Catholic Church, particularly someone of that hierarchy," said Drake, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. "But the minute I met Bishop Wester all of those fears … were replaced because of his graciousness."

That graciousness extends to everyone; when the bishop visits CCS, he not only meets with Drake but also talks with the employees. "He truly has interest in them," Drake said.

Father Joseph Frez, who was ordained a priest by Bishop Wester in 2010 and now is parochial vicar of Saint Francis Xavier Parish in Kearns, has seen firsthand that at every reception he attends, the bishop "takes time to go around to every table. To see the bishop doing that is an inspiration," Fr. Frez said.

Bishop Wester connects especially well with young people, said Monsignor Robert Servatius, pastor of Blessed Sacrament Parish, who tells the story of one confirmation when a young woman told the bishop that her sponsor was the best Catholic she’d ever known.

"There was a pause, then the bishop said, ‘Well, thanks a lot!’" Msgr. Servatius said. "He has a good sense of humor when it comes to dealing with people."

The bishop also has a "genuine rapport with the clergy," said Msgr. Servatius, who has been a priest in the diocese for 47 years. "He is very appreciative of us and he expresses that very often. If something comes along in our lives that is a little bit special, he never fails to send a note of congratulations or recognition."

That recognition is extended to the women religious in the diocese, said Sister Genevra Rolf, Episcopal liaison for women religious and assistant superintendent of Utah Catholic Schools. Not only does the bishop host an annual lunch for the sisters, he arranges special events, such as a dinner at his residence when the Sisters of the Incarnate Word withdrew from the diocese last year. When the Vatican called for a study of U.S. women religious, Bishop Wester "went out of his way … to gather the sisters together to talk about it and answer any questions they might have and, I think, to assure us of his support," Sr. Genevra said.

Likewise, Bishop Wester is a proponent of Catholic education, said Sister Catherine Kamphaus, superintendent of Utah Catholic Schools. The bishop has backed a restructuring of the financial model so that all parishes support the schools, and he attends the biannual educators’ days and thanks teachers for their ministry, Sr. Cathy said.

That kind of recognition means a lot, said Chuck Dover, immediate past state deputy of the Utah Knights of Columbus. No matter what the event, the bishop "always remembers to thank the Knights when they’re there," said Dover, who was among those to invite Bishop Wester to become a Knight, which he did in 2008.

Bishop Wester is equally appreciative of the lay women in the diocese, said Michael O’Shea, president of the Diocesan Council of Catholic Women.

"He’s shown support in everything we have talked to him about," she said. "His appreciation and knowledge of women’s dedication to the church is very much appreciated. He never forgets how much we do, and some people do."

Another quality that Bishop Wester brings is collaboration, said Julie Boerio-Goates, immediate past president of the Diocesan Pastoral Conference. He meets regularly with the DPC about matters on which he wants their input, listens to their comments and takes them into consideration when he makes decisions, she said.

The past five years have been rich in experiences and learning, Bishop Wester said. For example, he has learned not only the Spanish language but about the Latino culture, which has reinforced for him the importance of family and the place of the Virgin Mary in the life of the Church, he said.

As a fourth-generation San Franciscan who spent 57 years in the Bay Area, serving in Utah "has opened up a whole new world for me that I never dreamed of," Bishop Wester said. "Up until 2007, Utah was for me a four-letter answer in my crossword puzzle to ‘Delicate Arch State.’ But now I’ve been to the Delicate Arch; I’ve hiked the canyons and parks and experienced the four seasons. It’s a part of me now. It’s been a great gift. But it’s mainly the people who have entered my life. Those relationships are very precious to me. Especially the priests. They’re my closest collaborators. They’re a wonderful, giving, loving group dedicated to Christ."