|
Most
Reverend Peter L. Gerety, D.D., of Portland,
Maine was appointed the Third Archbishop of Newark on April 2, 1974 and
installed on June 28, 1974. Gerety's seminary studies were completed at
St. Sulpice Seminary in France and he was ordained at Notre Dame in Paris
in 1939. During his ascent to the episcopacy his work reflected a cultural
unity which was well before its time. He ministered to people of many
races and cultures and tried to instill in everyone a spirit of unity.
After
his installation in Newark, he continued his crusade to include all
peoples into the one Church built by God. In 1974, he made it clear
that he would not ignore anyone when he said, "The inner city problems
are enormous, but so, too, are those of the folks in the suburbs...The
Body of the Archdiocese of Newark is a totality, and a narrow focus
will end in disaster." It was also in this spirit of unity that he began
a Ministry to Divorced Catholics because he realized that, "If Christ,
Our Lord is interested in suffering people, I think this ministry is
of great importance in carrying out the mission of the church."
He
tackled the large Archdiocesan debt which had saddled the Newark Church
for many years. In 1975 he began the Archbishop's Annual Appeal, which
continues today. This fund drive made it possible to finance the many
projects and offices of the See of Newark.
Gerety
created the Office of Pastoral Renewal in an effort to help Parishes
establish councils. This office began writing a column for The Advocate
called, "Parish Life." The success of these ventures brought about the
Renew Program which focused on spirituality in both parish and individual's
lives. Gerety also embraced the Charismatic and Ecumenical Movements.
This was done to increase both spirituality and unity, and the effort
succeeded in a resurgence of both.
Archbishop
Gerety opened the Cathedral's doors to the Episcopal Church when John
Shelby Spong was consecrated Coadjutor Bishop for the Episcopal Diocese
of Newark in the Cathedral sanctuary. There was no Episcopal church
big enough to handle the expected crowd, so the Archbishop invited them
to use the Cathedral. This historic event took place on June 12, 1976.
In
1976, Gerety sent a letter to protest the Democratic Party Platform
on Abortion at the Democratic National Convention to candidate Jimmy
Carter. Gerety made no secret of his feelings on the issue when he defined
it as, "the bloody horror of the callous elimination of hundreds of
thousands of God's most defenseless little ones, our own flesh and blood."
One
of the Archbishop's statements which best sums up his term in office
was, "Respect for human life must extend to the unborn, racial minorities,
the unemployed, aliens, the aging and dying, the rights of women." His
vision was truly of an all-encompassing Church. Archbishop Gerety retired
on June 1, 1986.
History
and Archives Home
|
