Archbishop Wester's statement at the April 27 press conference

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Archbishop-designate John C. Wester

The following is Archbishop John C. Wester's statement fromthe April 27 press conference announcing his appointment to Santa Fe.

Thank you for that kind introduction and thank you all for being here today.

Muchas gracias por su amable presentacion y a todos por su presencia aquí en el día de hoy.

I must say that my appointment to succeed Archbishop Sheehan as shepherd of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe is most humbling but I have complete trust in God’s loving providence and in the Holy Spirt, at work in this local Church. While there is much in my heart today that I would like to say, I realize I cannot say everything now. I do want, however, to express the deep-felt gratitude I have in my heart today. I am grateful to God for his loving providence in our Church and in my life, and to my mother, late father and family who have nourished me in the Catholic faith. I am also grateful to our Holy Father, Francis, for his care and concern for this local Church of Santa Fe and for his trust in me, unworthy as I am. In thanking the pope, I also express my gratitude to Archbishop Viganó, our Apostolic Nuncio in Washington, DC, for his graciousness and support. My gratitude extends quickly to Archbishop Sheehan for his kindness, warmth and hospitality. These gifts from him are not just recent but have been shown to me ever since I have known him. Thank you, Archbishop, for welcoming me in your name and in the name of all in the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. I am grateful for your support and I look forward to a deepening of our fraternal bonds. In addition, I am grateful to all those who are working so hard on my upcoming installation. Although I have yet to meet you I thank you in advance.

Les estoy sumamente agradecido a ellos y a los muchos otros que estan apoyándome en estos momentos.

If you will permit me, I also want to express profound gratitude for my sisters and brothers in the Diocese of Salt Lake City. For the past eight years I have been privileged to be shepherd of that dynamic, growing and grace-filled community of believers. I have been blessed to call Salt Lake City home and the priests, deacons and their wives, religious and lay faithful there will always have a special place in my heart and in my prayers. As I come to you today, my weaknesses are my own but my strengths are the result of the love and support I received from God’s holy people in Utah and from those with whom I served in San Francisco as auxiliary bishop.

Realmente me siento muy bendecido.

I have a real fondness for St. Francis of Assisi and I cannot help but notice a certain Franciscan connection as I begin my pilgrimage to the southwest. In 1776, the great Franciscan missionaries, Fathers Escalante and Dominguez, travelled from Santa Fe to Utah, seeking a route to California. I have travelled from California to Utah and am in route to Santa Fe! There are other connections with St. Francis of Assisi as well, too many to mention, but including that I was born and raised in the city of St. Francis; my Confirmation name is Francis; I have been sent to you by Pope Francis and the cathedral basilica, the mother church of this Archdiocese, is named for St. Francis. Little wonder then, that the prayer of St. Francis has been with me these past few days since I received the news about my appointment. In addition, I have always found Assisi a holy and inspirational place. Indeed, I would call it enchanting. And now, I have come to another “enchanted” place called New Mexico. Actually, years ago, while visiting the Land of Enchantment with my dear friend, Fr. Gene Konkel, and, a few years back while here for the 400th anniversary of Catholicism in Santa Fe, I got a glimpse of the beauty of this state. The dictionary states that to enchant is to attract or delight. I was certainly attracted and delighted by New Mexico with its Sangre de Cristo Mountains, austere mesas, sandstone canyons; its art, music and especially its southwest cuisine. But even more, I suspect that the real attraction and delight of this state, and of this Archdiocese, is the people. With this in mind, I am looking forward to many years of enchantment as I get to know you better.

Este es un bellisimo paisaje que refleja la belleza de su creador y de su pueblo.

In particular, I am attracted to the rich diversity of people in this archdiocese, starting with the Navajo, Apache and Ute cultures. Since the earliest days, there have been countless settlers from Spain particularly, but from all over Europe and other parts of the world. I also note the large number of Latino cultures that enrich the Archdiocese with their diverse traditions.

Todos nosotros, al igual que nuestras hermanas y hermanos, somos creados a imagen y semejanza de dios. Reflejamos esa imagen hermosamente cuando nos reunimos todos como una familia y, dañamos esa imagen cuando permitimos que el prejuicio y el egoísmo nos divida.

I am encouraged by what I have already heard on numerous occasions about the dedication and selflessness of our priests and deacons, along with the significant presence of religious men and women in consecrated life. Coupled with our lay ecclesial leaders, I know that I will be strongly supported in my ministry and that you will help me to fulfill my call to holiness as I journey with you toward the Kingdom of Christ, living the first installments of that Kingdom even now. I also look forward to collaborating with leaders of other faiths as well as those in the civic and business communities as we work together to strengthen the common good. Again, I thank you for your warm, kind and generous welcome and I humbly ask for your prayers during this time of transition and in the years ahead. During the celebration of the Cuarto Centennial, Archbishop Sheehan called for a “quiet time of thanksgiving to God who has prospered the work of our hands.” The Archbishop reminded us that we are comforted by “knowing that a loving God, who has guided us safely this far, is not about to abandon us as we face the future.” That is certainly my prayer now as I prepare to take up this new ministry in your midst. I love Mexican sayings and one of my favorites is, “Tell me who you run with and I’ll tell you who you are.” I give thanks to God and to his loving providence that I soon will be running with you, and in the running, we will know one another, abiding together in the heart of Christ. May God bless all of you and the people of this great archdiocese.

Me gustan mucho los dichos Mexicanos y uno de mis favoritos es: “Dime con quién andas y te diré quién eres”. Le doy gracias a dios y a su divina providencia que muy pronto “andaré” con ustedes, y en ese “andar” juntos nos iremos conociendo, comprometidos y fieles bajo el corazón de cristo. Dios los bendiga a todos ustedes y a toda la gente de esta gran archidiócesis.