Fr. Roger J. Landry
The Pilot
Special Edition for the 50th Anniversary of the Priestly Ordination of Cardinal Sean O’Malley
October 5, 2020
Celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of priestly ordination of the one who called, formed and ordained me as a priest is an occasion of particular joy and thanksgiving.
It’s made more so by the fact that, even though he has spent 36 years of his priesthood as a bishop and as many years as a cardinal as he did as Padre Seán, his vocation as a Capuchin Franciscan priest is at the core of his human and Christian identity.
He loves his priesthood — and the greater responsibilities that God and the Church have entrusted to him over the course of his priesthood have only made him appreciate it more and live it more.
He loved his time as Bishop of St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands where, because of its small size, he was able easily to hear confessions in various parishes and to run the Diocese almost like the pastor of a big parish. When the Church entrusted him with much bigger Dioceses, those priestly instincts remained.
His priestly heart continues to beat with fervor beneath his pectoral cross.
I am blessed to be numbered among his many fiercely loyal friends. He and I have shared too many pizzas and gelatos in Fall River, Washington, Boston, Lisbon and Rome. He’s honored me on occasion by asking for my help on certain projects. Once he requested my assistance at 11 pm to chainsaw a 6,000-word speech he had prepared down to 500 words. Little did I know that it would be fitting preparation for chopping down this article!
Along the years, I have observed him as a priest, from near and far, with admiration and, when possible, emulation. He is a man of many Christian and priestly virtues. I’d like to mention a dozen.
Humble —When the poor he was serving as a young priest were in rundown tenements, until he could remedy it, he, poor and simple, got a room there himself and slept on the floor amid the crawling cockroaches. Few would know he is a triple valedictorian or knows ten languages. I’ve been with him in Fatima as he has quietly slipped into the throngs to pray as one more member of the faithful. He’s “Cardinal Sean,” not “Your Eminence,” through and through.
Joyful — He is witty, a man of many jokes — always clean! — with a boisterous, contagious laugh that children readily compare to Santa. His joy brims.
Compassionate — He has a restless heart for the poor and the suffering. I’ve seen him weep recounting the sufferings of clergy sex abuse victims. He founded ministries for those battling AIDS. He’s put everything on the line to defend those enduring injustice from corrupt officials. He’s been to every single March for Life since the first, out of love for our littlest and most endangered brothers and sisters and their struggling moms and dads.
Trustworthy — His episcopal motto is Mary’s words in Cana, “Do whatever he tells you,” and he says “fiat” to whatever Jesus asks through the Church. He said yes to the difficult episcopal assignments in Fall River, Palm Beach and Boston. He’s said yes to the Vatican when they’ve sent him to help reform seminaries in Latin America, throughout the US, and Ireland. He said yes when John Paul II named him a bishop, Benedict XVI a cardinal, and Francis one of his top advisors.
Missionary — During seminary, he thought he would spend his priesthood as a missionary to Papua New Guinea. This evangelical dimension characterizes his whole life. He is a man of words and the Word. His integration of Scripture, stories, headlines, and ordinary life make his epic homilies hit head, heart and habits.
Wise — To me, he’s a lot like St. Francis de Sales, even in appearance. He’s a voracious reader. He learns from everyone, above all from God. He gives advice fit to the situation and to the inquirer.
Generous — With youthful energy, he says yes to invitations. In Fall River, he would accept several major commitments on the same day, always somehow trying to make them all work. He is prodigal with time, advice, and help.
Kind — He accepts others, understands their limitations, strives to find the good, makes people feel appreciated, and gives them second chances. He even corrects gently. Once in 1994, when I was driving him to visit a sick friend in a DC hospital, he asked with a grin, “Roger, are you aiming to hit every pothole?”
Peaceful — Like his spiritual father St. Francis of Assisi, he is a man of peace who seeks reconciliation and healing. He also exudes the serenity that flows from knowing the Prince of Peace is always with us.
Fraternal — He brings people together. He initiates phone calls to check in. He loves getting together not only with his brother, sister and large Irish clan, but with brother priests, his brother Capuchins, sister Franciscans, and brothers and sisters in Christ. He relates well to those of every class, the poor and rich, the weak and the powerful.
Guileless — He is the exact opposite of a religious hypocrite or a wily politician. He refuses to descend into the fallen behavior of some clergymen, even when he’s suffered for it.
Faithful — He is a man who, far from crowds, devoutly prays his breviary, adores Jesus in the Eucharist, lives as he has vowed, and practices what he preaches. Meeting him you know you’ve met a disciple of Jesus, a son of Mary, and a son of Francis.
This litany might seem a little hagiographical.
That’s, first, because I can’t help it and, second, because the sandal fits.
