Catholic Diocese of Belleville prepares for new bishop as Braxton says farewell
The Rev. Michael G. McGovern will become the Catholic Diocese of Belleville’s ninth bishop in 132 years next week, but the historic transition won’t be as festive as usual due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The diocese will maintain social distancing by inviting fewer than 300 people to attend the Mass of ordination and installation on July 22 at the Cathedral of St. Peter, which can hold 1,400. That includes two representatives from each parish, about 25 bishops, 20 priests and 10 of McGovern’s friends and family members from the Chicago area.
“We are asking people to wear masks, sanitize their hands,” McGovern said in a recent interview. “There are special instructions for everyone, from Cardinal Cupich all the way through the church. (That’s) how we’re handling things because I do not want this ordination to become the occasion where someone becomes ill.”
Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, archbishop of Chicago, will serve as principal consecrator. Co-consecrators will be Bishop George J. Rassas, auxiliary bishop emeritus of Chicago, and outgoing Belleville Bishop Edward K. Braxton.
Most people will have to watch the installation on EWTN (Eternal Word Television Network), a international Catholic network. It will be live-streamed at www.ewtn.com and broadcast live on cable TV, beginning at 2 p.m. July 22. People can check with their cable providers to determine TV channels in their regions.
“It saddens me that we can’t have a packed church,” McGovern said. “But (friends from) St. Mary’s parish, they said to me, ‘Whether in person or not, we’re with you in spirit,’ which I appreciated.”
McGovern, 56, was referring to the Church of St. Mary in Lake Forest, a Chicago suburb, where he served as pastor from 2004 to 2016. Since that time, he’s been pastor at St. Raphael the Archangel Catholic Church in Old Mill Creek, near the Wisconsin border.
McGovern said some of his family members, including a brother with diabetes, are choosing not to attend the installation because of the coronavirus, which can cause more serious illness in older people and those with underlying health conditions.
Braxton publishes farewell letter
McGovern will replace Braxton, 76, who is retiring after 50 years as a priest, 25 years as a bishop and 15 years in Belleville. Braxton published a farewell letter in The Messenger diocesan newspaper on July 9.
Braxton expressed admiration for St. Thomas More, who was beheaded by King Henry VIII in 1535 for refusing to acknowledge him as head of the Church of England and who stated at his trial on charges of treason, “I do none harm. I say none harm. I think none harm. If that be not enough to keep a man alive, then in good faith, I long not to live.”
“If I have ever said, done, or thought anything that harmed you in any way or that made your ministry more difficult, I want you to know how deeply I regret it,” Braxton wrote. “This was never my intention. I ask your forgiveness. My intent has been never to say an unkind word to you or about you, no matter what.
“And, if you have ever said, done or thought anything that harmed me in any way or that has made my ministry more difficult, I am sure you also deeply regret it, since it was never your intention. You certainly have my forgiveness. Hopefully, you have never said an unkind word to me or about me, no matter what.”
Braxton described his memories of the diocese as “happy ones,” thanked parishioners for their commitment and support and promised to pray for them in the future. He didn’t indicate what he plans to do in retirement.
Pope Francis announced McGovern’s appointment on April 3. The bishop-elect said he called his seven siblings on April 2 to tell them the news, noting it was a good thing it wasn’t April Fool’s Day because one brother in particular wouldn’t have believed him.
“It’s going to be different,” McGovern said. “I can’t necessarily be with them on Christmas afternoon now. I may not be there on Easter Sunday. Normally, I can get to the south side (of Chicago) by 3 in the afternoon and have supper with many of them. But they understand. We’ll find a way to get together.”
The coronavirus has affected nearly every step of planning for the transition in Belleville diocese leadership. In early April, McGovern couldn’t drive down to visit church leaders or hold a news conference because of Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s stay-at-home order. It also took a while to firm up an installation date.
McGovern will meet with priests and deacons at 4 p.m. July 20 at St. Mary Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Mount Vernon and 7 p.m. Monday at the Cathedral of St. Peter in Belleville. He will meet with civic, ecumenical and interfaith leaders from the community at 7 p.m. Tuesday at St. Teresa Catholic Church in Belleville.
McGovern plans to return to St. Raphael in late August to confirm 25 eighth-graders, celebrate Mass, thank his former parishioners and say goodbye in person. He couldn’t do that earlier because church services were being held online due to COVID-19.
“Last year, we packed them in (on Easter Sunday),” he said. “This year, I was by myself. I probably would have had 900 people at the 11 o’clock Mass but for the virus. But we live in the time that we live in, and certainly we want to keep people safe.”
This story was originally published July 15, 2020 at 5:01 AM.
