Whoever wants to rank first among you must serve the needs of all'
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — For two days, Archbishop George Niederauer, the eighth Archbishop of San Francisco, carefully set the tone of his upcoming tenure. Throughout his first prayer service in the presence of the clergy of San Francisco, a luncheon with his brother bishops of the United States, his installation Mass and reception, and an invitation-only dinner for family and friends, he spoke of service.
Archbishop Niederauer pledged his service to the clergy and people of the San Francisco Archdiocese and the city at large. He praised the service of the clergy, the religious, and the lay women and men of the Diocese of Salt Lake City, where his tenure as eighth bishop ended with his appointment to San Francisco, and he called the clergy, religious, and people of the his new archdiocese to service to the church and to each other.
The priests of the Archdiocese of San Francisco, its deacons and their wives gathered Feb. 14 in Mission Dolores Basilica for what was for most of them, their first liturgy with their new archbishop, the yet-to-be-installed Archbishop George Niederauer. The prayer service, a memorial for Saint Cyril, monk, and Saint Methodius, bishop, began at 4 p.m. Archbishop Niederauer was greeted at the basilica by two of his predecessors in San Francisco, Archbishop Emeritus Joseph Quinn and Archbishop Emeritus William Levada, the new archbishop’s long-time friend and classmate, now the head Vatican Prefect for the Doctrine of the Faith. The archdiocese’s two auxiliary bishops, Bishops Ignatius Wang and John C. Wester, who for the past six months, served as apostolic administrator of the archdiocese, greeted their new archbishop with smiles and handshakes.
When Archbishop Niederauer stepped into the basilica sanctuary wearing a white cope, he received hearty applause, the first of many ovations he would receive in his new home diocese.
From the Diocese of Salt Lake City, Msgr. Michael J. Winterer, pastor of Christ the King Parish, Cedar City, and Dominican Father Peter Rogers, pastor of St. Catherine of Siena Newman Center at the University of Utah, also participated in the liturgy.
The choir of Mission Dolores Basilica, under the direction of Jerome Lenk, director of music and liturgy, sang Lenk’s own composition of the "Prayer of St. Francis," the words of which are attributed to St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of the archdiocese.
The bilingual liturgy included psalms, canticles, and a reading from St. Paul’s second letter to the Church in Corinth.
"Here, the servants gather," Archbishop Niederauer said in his homily, "and tomorrow, the servants will gather with those who are served – in truth, we are all called to serve."
The Catholic clergy, he said, are ministers of service, ordered by the sacraments, especially the Sacrament of Holy Orders, "we neither deserve nor earn this honor."
Archbishop Niederauer urged the clergy to remain undaunted by the smaller number of priests, loneliness, or discouragement. Quoting Father Robert Barron of the Archdiocese of Chicago, he reminded them: "Your life is not about you. Proceed with caution… everything must be for the glory of God."
The light of Christ shines out of the darkness, he said, adding that although they are all earthen vessels, the light of Christ is more important than their earthenness.
Archbishop Niederauer promised to be father, brother, friend, and close collaborator to the priests, deacons and their wives.
"I cannot promise to be a perfect servant-leader, but together we can do better... I ask you to pray for me as I will pray for you. Call out for assistance. We must depend on one another. Be humble. Be loving. Know that what we say, we say for Christ; what we do, we do for Christ. We are called to meet whatever needs we find in the context of prayer and of a good shepherd in the midst of his flock."
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