By Archbishop Thomas Wenski - The Archdiocese of Miami
Archbishop Thomas Wenski delivered this homily Oct. 2, during the Mass installing Father James Fetscher as pastor of St. Sebastian Parish in Fort Lauderdale.The Apostles said to Jesus: �Lord, increase our faith.� I come to St. Sebastian�s today to present to you and to install as your new pastor, Father Jim Fetscher. He is, let me assure you, a man of deep faith and a faithful servant of the one who came among us as one who serves, our Lord Jesus Christ.
In the installation ceremony of a pastor, he is asked to make once again a public profession of his faith and to pledge to lead the people of God entrusted to him to a greater knowledge of and love for Jesus Christ. I can assure you that he will work as hard at being a good pastor here at St. Sebastian as he did in his many years at St. Louis Parish in Pinecrest, in South Miami-Dade County. I know that because I have known Father Fetscher for longer than I have been a priest � in fact, in the seminary he was one of my teachers and tried to diligently teach me music appreciation� but I am ashamed to admit his efforts were in vain. I trust that you will be better parishioners than I was a student and allow him to teach you to grow and to love your Catholic faith.
In the second reading, St. Paul speaks to his prot�g�, Timothy, and this reading is a great meditation for Father Fetscher and for other priests assuming new pastoral responsibilities. There are a few of them here in the Archdiocese � as you might have heard.
�Stir into flame�, St. Paul tells Timothy, �the gift of God you have received through the imposition of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather of power and love and self-control. So do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord��
Father Fetscher is entrusted with the �care of your souls� what in Latin is called the �cura animarum�. He is to carry out his duties �not with a spirit of cowardice, but rather of power and love and self control�
This care of souls is a three fold task: first, he must teach you faithfully what the Church believes and teaches. He doesn�t speak in his own name but in the name of Christ; second, he must lead you, like the Good Shepherd, to safe pastures. In this, a pastor is God�s answer to the anguished cries expressed in our first reading. �I cry for help but you do not listen! I cry out to you, �Violence!� but you do not intervene.� A pastor is God�s answer precisely because he is, through priestly ordination, a co-worker with Christ in his work of salvation; and third, he must bring you to greater holiness. In the confessional, in the Eucharist, in the anointings at Baptism, Confirmation and in the care of the sick, Father Fetscher will strengthen you in the grace that will have you grow in holiness before the Lord.
Father Fetscher will serve you well � as Msgr. McDonnell and Father Quinn served you well. And he will do so not by calling attention to himself but by calling attention to the Lord; he will do so not by seeking his own interests but by putting first God�s will and his people�s good and well being; he will do so not by trying to please everyone � for one who tries to do that usually ends up pleasing no one, rather he will do so by trying to please the Lord in all things.
To paraphrase, the great Saint Augustine, �with you he is a Christian, a Catholic; for you he is a leader, a pastor of souls.� I ask you to pray for him, to give him your support, your love � and, since I am your new archbishop I ask the same for me � prayers, support and love.
Both of us must make the rule of our lives those words of Paul to Timothy in today�s second reading:
�Take as your norm the sound words that you heard from me,
in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Guard this rich trust with the help of the Holy Spirit that dwells within us.�
After all is said and done, we aspire to nothing more than to be able to stand before the Lord one day and say, having done what was demanded of us: �We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.�
Father Fetscher, welcome to St. Sebastian�s!
