Homily His Grace Archbishop Patrick Pinder at the Episcopal Ordination of Rev. Fr. Kendrick Forbes

Homily by His Grace Archbishop Patrick C. Pinder, S.T.D., C.M.G., K.C.*H.S.

at the Episcopal Ordination of Rev. Fr. Kendrick J. Forbes, J.C.L.

in the Cathedral of Our Lady of Fair Haven

Roseau, Dominica

on the Feast of St. James, Apostle

Thursday, July 25, 2024

Readings:

Jeremiah 1:1-9

[Psalm 126]

II Corinthians 4:7-15

Matthew 20:20-28

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

We are gathered, this afternoon, for a most joyful celebration.  After a long wait, the Diocese of Roseau, is receiving its new Bishop.   The gift of this new Bishop comes in the person of Kendrick John Forbes.  This servant of the Gospel, this son of the Church, has distinguished himself as a priest of the Archdiocese of Nassau over the past 22 years.  He has demonstrated excellence as a Pastor, Judicial Vicar and Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Nassau.  Over the years, his character and his competence drew many to respect, to admire, and to love him.

President Burton, Prime Minister Skerrit, many of us have travelled a great distance to be with you on this occasion.  We wish to assure you and the people of Dominica that in your new Bishop you are receiving not our second best, but our VERY best.

I believe that this is the opening of a wonderful chapter in the story of the Diocese of Roseau.

As we open our hearts to the words of Sacred Scripture proclaimed for us, we hear first from the Prophet Jeremiah.  The Prophets are among the most fascinating characters in the Bible.  The vocation of the Prophet, as God’s messenger, is to speak the truth.  And to speak the truth wherever, whenever and to whomever the truth needs to be told.

The career of the biblical Prophet usually begins with a dramatic event, a call! The call of Jeremiah is what is described for us today.

“The Word of the Lord came to me:

Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you,

Before you were born, I dedicated you,

A Prophet to the nation I appointed you.” (Jeremiah 1:4-5)

This is not just a call.   It is also a sending forth.   Vocation and Mission are interrelated here.

This is a fitting consideration for what we are engaged in here today.  A man is being called to the ministry of Bishop and at the same time he is being sent to serve away from home in a new place where he will have to get to know new people and new customs.  He must stand among a community new to him and make their joys his joys and their sorrows his sorrows too.  Their aspirations and hopes will be his as well!  

In our Catholic tradition this is not unknown.  Indeed, our experience in The Bahamas was such that we needed the gift of leadership from outside.  It came in the person of Archbishop Lawrence A. Burke, S.J. of Jamaica.  “He was good for us. His leadership was a grace and a blessing for us.  In many ways, he left us much better off than he met us.  For that we can only be grateful and thankful.  His presence and his leadership offered us a lesson in the benefits of regional co-operation.”

Being called and sent, Vocation and Mission, is a clear message from the Prophet Jeremiah and a fitting one for this occasion.

Then, also we hear some words from St. Paul.  He is perhaps the most consequential missionary of our faith.  Like St. James, whose Feast is today, Paul was a martyr.  His words come to us from the Second Letter to the Corinthians.  He employs the image of earthen vessels.  He says,

“We hold this treasure in earthen vessels ...” (II Corinthians 4:7)

The treasure is our precious faith and the mission to proclaim it.  The instruments God uses are fragile, fallible, human beings.    Anything placed in human hands will end up bearing the effects of human handling.  Yet, for Paul the negative, the bad, the evil is not the end of the story.  He says:

“We are afflicted in every way but not constrained; perplexed, but not driven to despair, persecuted but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our body.” (II Corinthians 4:8-10)

The negative will not be the end of the story for all lead to Christ.

In our Gospel today, Matthew has Jesus using the occasion of a request for prominence and prestige and privilege in his Kingdom, to challenge our notion of privilege and entitlement.  Jesus says:

“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and the great ones make their authority over them felt.  But it shall not be so among you.  Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant.” Then he concluded: “... the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:25-28)

These insights from Sacred Scripture provide the background as we come to focus on the nature, duties and responsibilities of the Office and Ministry of Bishop.  

Our understanding of the Episcopacy is elaborated best in two documents.   They are the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church (Lumen Gentium – L.G.) and the Decree on the Bishop’s Pastoral Office in the Church (Christus Domus – C.D.), both from the Second Vatican Council.  

We are assured that the Office of Bishop is described according to the threefold designations of Priestly, Prophetic and Pastoral.   As Priest the Bishop leads the Church in celebrating the faith.   As Prophet he leads in teaching the faith.    The designation Pastor refers to his responsibility to administer the material resources of the Church.  All this is gathered into the image of the Shepherd.

We note that among the principal tasks of a bishop, the preaching of the gospel is pre-eminent. (L.G. 25, C.D. 12)

The man before us to be ordained Bishop is a gifted preacher.  One of his former parishioners told me that he and his family always found Fr. Forbes’ homilies inspirational.  Indeed, they were better Christians because of it.  That is pretty high praise.  No doubt this local church will be enriched by the preaching of your new Bishop.

The Prophetic Office of the Bishop commits him to pursue his ministry as a witness of Christ to all people, calling them to the faith and strengthening them in living the faith. (C.D. 12)

He is to expound the mystery of Christ in its entirety.  He is to show that the material things of life and human institutions can also be directed to the salvation of humanity and contribute substantially to building up the body of Christ. (C.D. 12)

The Bishop is entrusted with expounding the Church’s teaching on the inestimable value of the human person and the family while reminding us of the importance of work and leisure, art and technology. (C.D. 12)

The Bishop is to present the Doctrine of the Church in a manner suited to the needs of the times with special attention to the most pressing difficulties and problems which weigh people down. (C.D. 13)

Those marginalized by poverty and lack of opportunity are to be of special concern to the bishop (C.D. 13) for they are the first clients of the Gospel.  

Indeed, the Decree on the Pastoral Office of the bishop points out that the Bishop is to give himself wholeheartedly to those who have wandered from the path of truth or who know nothing of the Gospel of Christ, and his saving mercy.

In the Bishop, the solicitude of the Church for everyone, believers or not, is to be clearly evident.   Someone may be outside the Church, but no one is beyond the Shepherd’s care and concern.

The Decree invites the Bishop to use all the various means of communication available at present to present the message of the Gospel, whether in preaching or in Catechetical instruction, especially to youth and young adults.

To be sure, the Bishop is to be zealous in promoting the holy living of the clergy, religious and laity according to each one’s particular vocation.  In this regard he is to lead by the example of holiness, charity, humility and simplicity of his own life.” (C.D. 15)

It is emphasized that the Bishop is to hold his priests in special regard.  He is to treat them as sons and friends, listening to them in an atmosphere of mutual trust.  Always looking after their spiritual, intellectual and material wellbeing. (C.D. 16, P. O. 7) At the same time he is to foster vocations to the priesthood and religious life. (C.D. 15)

Within the Rite of Ordination for a Bishop, there are some words addressed to the Bishop which contain all the essential points which need to be made.  It says:

“And now, dear brothers, who have been chosen by the Lord, ….

The title of Bishop is one of service, not of honor, and therefore a Bishop should strive to benefit others rather than lord it over them, … Preach the word in season and out of season; reprove with all patience and sound teaching, ….”

“In the Church entrusted to you, be a faithful steward, … and guardian of the mysteries of Christ.   As one chosen by the Father to rule over his family, be mindful always of the Good Shepherd, who knows his sheep and is known by them and who did not hesitate to lay down his life for them.  … .”

“With the Charity of a father and brother, love all whom God places in your care, especially the priests and deacons, your co-workers in the ministry of Christ, but also the poor and the weak, immigrants and strangers.”

“Exhort the faithful to work with you … do not refuse to listen willingly to them.”

“Never relax your concern for those not yet gathered into the one fold of Christ; they too are entrusted to you in the Lord.”

“Never forget that you are joined to the College of Bishops in the Catholic Church made one by the bond of Charity, and therefore you should have a constant concern for all the Churches and gladly come to the support of Churches in need …” (Ordination of a Bishop #39)

The Ordination of a Bishop is not a common occurrence in the life of a Diocese.  It does not happen every week or every year or even every decade. It is a Liturgy with some unique symbols. It is a Liturgical Moment where ritual speaks more loudly than words ever could.

We will witness the Bishop-elect prostrate himself.  It symbolizes his unworthiness for the office and thus his dependence upon God and the supportive prayers of the Church.  Here the Litany of the Saints is sung.

The laying on of hands and the Prayer of Ordination symbolize the acceptance of the newly ordained Bishop into the College of Bishops.

The Book of the Gospels, open and held over the head of the new Bishop, symbolizes his principal task of proclaiming the Gospel and living by the Gospel.  The Prayer of Ordination dates back to the 4th Century.

The new Bishop will then receive the symbols of his Office.  First, the Book of the Gospels, then the Ring.  

The Ring signifies the Bishop’s union with his diocese and his lifetime commitment as a servant of the Lord.  This image is Nuptial, really.  The Ring is a sign of the Bishop’s role as the “Spiritual Spouse” of his Diocese.   He is married to his diocese!  In this case, as his Bishop up to now, this leaves me in the peculiar position of a “Spiritual Father” giving his son in marriage.  He has taken a wife! Her name is Roseau!

Then, there is the Mitre placed on his head.  Its shape evokes the wings of the Holy Spirit.

The Crozier or Pastoral Staff is the symbol of the Bishop as the Chief Shepherd, protector and guide of the Church’s flock.

The most ancient symbol of the Office of Bishop is his chair.  It is properly called a Cathedra and from it comes the word Cathedral which is the Bishop’s Church.  The Cathedra is the pre-eminent symbol of the Bishop’s teaching authority.

Above the Cathedra is found the Bishop’s Coat of Arms and Motto.  In this case his motto is in Latin “Mane Nobiscum Domine” that is “Remain with us Lord.”  It comes from the Emmaus Story in the Gospel of Luke. (Luke 24:29)

The Obligations and Expectations of the Office of Bishop are more than any one person can bear alone.   So, to you the faithful of the Diocese of Roseau, I say embrace your new Bishop.  Affirm him! Co-operate with him! Pray for him! Support him!

In time, I am certain that you will come to admire him and to love him as so many of his parishioners have in the parishes where he served these past 22 years.

If I may borrow an idea from one of the greatest Bishops of our tradition, Augustine of Hippo (354-430) – Bishop Forbes is with you a Christian and will be for you a Bishop.   By your support, co-operation, affirmation, kind words and gestures and in so many other ways, with God’s Grace, may he be with you a good Christian and become for you a very good Bishop.  

Amen!