Donato, Flesey Ordained as Auxiliary Bishops for Newark Archdiocese
In concelebration with a Cardinal and 21 Archbishops and Bishops, The Most Reverend John J. Myers, Archbishop of Newark, today ordained The Most Reverend Thomas A. Donato and The Most Reverend John W. Flesey as Auxiliary Bishops of the Archdiocese of Newark. A community of some 400 priests and deacons and almost 1,500 faithful of the Archdiocese were present at this festive and moving multi-lingual liturgy held at 2 p.m. at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark.

The Most Reverend Michael A. Saltarelli, Bishop of Wilmington, and The Most Reverend Arthur J. Serratelli, Bishop of Paterson, were co-ordaining bishops.

In his homily during the ordination liturgy, Archbishop Myers stated: “God formed his Church by sending Jesus, His Word, who in turn sent apostles who chose other men by the laying on of hands. The message we proclaim and the mysteries we celebrate are not of our own creation – they are not of man, but of God. They call us, assist us, and prepare us for eternity.

“This is why we must attend to them and welcome them, for therein is our salvation. And that is why we welcome the bishops and their cooperators, the priests and deacons, who are charged with handing on the divine tradition from generation to generation. The Holy Spirit has blessed us in the selection by Our Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, of Bishops-elect Donato and Flesey, as bishops to share the ministry here in the Archdiocese of Newark.”

Speaking directly of the two priests whom he asked the Pope to name as bishops, Archbishop Myers said, “They are wonderful priests, rich in experience, each with the heart of a pastor. They will care tenderly for people, knowing that mercy and gentleness are properly placed in service of the truth of the Gospel…They know well, as did the Blessed Virgin Mary, that the story is not about them or any one of us, but about God, who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We offer Glory and praise to the Trinity for the goodness that surrounds us.”

The Archbishop also spoke to the selection of August 4 for the ordinations. “We celebrate this liturgy on the Feast of St. John Vianney, the Patron Saint of Parish Priests,” he said. “He found great holiness in doing the ordinary works of a pastor generously and well. He had special love for the Sacrament of Penance and God touched thousands of souls through his priestly ministry…Today we honor all in pastoral ministry, especially our priests. May we all feel called to a deeper commitment to Jesus Christ and the holy way of life to which he invites us.

“I have said,” he continued, “it is not a question of liberal or conservative, going left or right. The direction we seek is deeper – immersing ourselves ever more completely in the Mystery of Jesus. With St. Paul, we must ‘do everything in the Name of the Lord Jesus.’ Then we will be able to put on love ‘that is the bond of perfection’ and we will know ‘compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.’ With Jeremiah we are sent to proclaim whatever God commands us. And we do so without fear, for the Lord God Himself is with us.”

In remarks to the gathered assembly, Bishop Donato spoke of the many people who influenced his decision to respond to the call to serve the Lord Jesus Christ. “Little did I know the road that I would take as I made a response to my second grade teacher, Sr. Jeannette, that I was going to be a priest when I grew up,” he said. “That journey began from seeds of faith planted within me by my mom and dad and my sisters and brothers, united with the neighborhood that was Holy Rosary Parish (in Jersey City).”

Donato also spoke of people such as Thomas Merton, Blessed Pope John XXIII and Dag Hammerskjold, who influenced his development as a pastor. Reflecting specifically on Blessed John XXIII’s comment, “At my window a light will be burning. All may come in, the arms of a friend will always be waiting,” Donato said, “These words have enabled me to move from one parish to another as I responded to the diocesan call to minister to people in the different counties of our Archdiocese. To those of you who share this special day with me, I pray that our friendship may grow stronger and deeper as we minister and embrace the needs of all God's people."

He also shared perspective on his most recent service as Spiritual Director at Immaculate Conception Seminary. “My priestly life took on another meaning,” he said. “I realized that, in helping men in their formation in priestly ministry, I remembered that I am called not to be successful, but rather faithful to the call, no matter what the cost of discipleship.” Addressing the seminarians and faculty of the archdiocesan seminary, he said, “I pray that God may give you the grace of complete surrender so that all you give in response to your priestly call will always bring you to an enriching life with our living God.”

Bishop Flesey spoke of the need to listen for the call of the Lord. Recalling a near-fatal accident shortly after he was ordained as a priest, Flesey said, “As I stared at the tree facing the windshield I realized how lucky I was…Later, as I opened the Liturgy of the Hours and started to pray, a voice inside of me said, ‘Unless you slow down and pray more you will crash and ruin the priesthood that you value infinitely more than that car.’ I think from that moment forward,” he continued, “I really became a priest of prayer.”

He also spoke of a different revelation while on a retreat. “Sometime during the night I visited the tiny chapel on the first floor of the retreat house. Outside there was just the rolling hills, the dark, the stars, the moon, the cows, and the silence. Inside there was room for only two kneelers in the chapel, and of course, the small flame flickering by the tabernacle door. As I sat in the quiet, an insight came clearly to mind almost as if the words were written on the wall. A priest is a man of prayer.

“In the more than 30 years that have passed since those two events,” he said, “I have discovered that prayer changes things not through magic, but through perspective. It reminds us of what we need to be grateful for, and it gives us a confidence in Christ that can diminish our fears for the future.”

“Some people say this is a time of darkness for the Church,” Flesey said, “and especially for bishops and priests. But as Archbishop Fulton Sheen once observed, if you want to get out of the darkness, walk into the light. When we pray, that is just what we do.”

Following the liturgy, the two new bishops met with parishioners from throughout the Archdiocese who had gathered at the Archdiocesan Center across from the Cathedral Basilica to share in the joy of the occasion.

Bishop Donato, who recently was named pastor of St. Henry Parish, Bayonne, will serve the Archdiocese as Regional Bishop for Hudson County. Bishop Flesey, who recently was named pastor of Most Blessed Sacrament Parish, Franklin Lakes, will serve as Regional Bishop of Bergen County.

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