The Bishop Writes

(From the Feb. 4, 1999 edition of the Inland Register)

Bishop Lawrence Welsh, the fourth bishop of Spokane, died in the early afternoon on Wednesday, Jan. 13, in St. Paul, Minn.

It had been a long, tough year and illness since the resection of his lower colon in January 1998. He contracted peritonitis, had three surgeries since the first one, and during these few months experienced lung cancer along with treatments of chemotherapy. I talked to him regularly and last August had the chance to visit him for an hour or so where he stayed with the Little Sisters of the Poor in St. Paul. His frequent comment to me during the telephone conversations and the personal visit was “I’m taking one day at a time.” He lived that spirit well.

Five others and I represented our diocese at the funeral in the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul. Archbishop Harry Flynn of the Archdiocese presided and was the homilist. Archbishop John Roach, the retired archbishop of the Archdiocese of Minneapolis-St. Paul, gave a personal reflection at the end of Eucharist before the final commendation. Both archbishops spoke frankly, powerfully, and beautifully about Bishop Welsh’s life.

The cathedral, which seats about 3,000, was almost full, and the celebration of the funeral Mass was truly a joyful celebration of faith and gratitude to God. The next day, at Bishop Welsh’s request, he was buried next to his father in Rock Springs, Wy., where he grew up.

During the years while he was here in Spokane, I had a lot of contact with him. When he left in 1989, the events were painful and devastating. He entered a tough treatment program, living in the same room with five other men for five months. Everyone knew one another on a first-name basis, and there were no perks. Gradually, with Archbishop’s Roach’s support and affirmation, he worked his way back into episcopal ministry as auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Minneapolis and Saint Paul.

He became well known in the Twin Cities area for his workshops on healing, especially for professionals. His easy way of meeting people became again a hallmark of his episcopal ministry. His knowledge of Spanish became very useful for the fairly large Hispanic population of the area. He gave some priests retreats around the country and was scheduled to lead the bishops of the Southwest in their retreat this January. In addition, I was with him for two years as a member of the ad hoc Committee on Bishops’ Life and Ministry. His insights and experience were most helpful in the committee’s work.

At Archbishop Brunett’s installation in Seattle in December 1997, it was apparent he had lost a tremendous amount of weight. A few weeks later, he had the first surgery and never really recovered. The Little Sisters of the Poor took marvelous care of him. Little did I realize last summer that that visit would be the last time I would see him alive in this world.

I’ve often asked myself if I would have had the same courage to respond to life’s situations as courageously as he did.

For obvious reasons, a bishop is a very public figure. A public devastation is even more painful and difficult to cope with. He picked up the pieces of his life with a lot of help and support, and he started over. The experience of his human and faith journey became for him a tool he skillfully used in his ministry to help and support others. I’m sure he became for many people a source of inspiration and encouragement.

Now he has died, and his witness stands as one who profoundly believed in God’s unconditional love and who well recognized that brokenness can be a step to new life and the need for dependence upon God and others. St. Paul in his writings also had a remarkable insight into that experience in his own life.

We too must recognize our own failings and weakness, and yet, God calls us to wholeness and a recognition in the final analysis that we are totally dependent upon God. This poverty of spirit opens us to God’s healing power and love — no matter what. This attitude can only make us healthier persons. By recognizing this truth, society at large would be much healthier as well.

On behalf of all of us, I extend to the Welsh family in Rock Springs our heartfelt sympathy, but also our thanks to God for the gift of the life and ministry of Bishop Lawrence Welsh. As I passed through the airport at Minneapolis the other night, I felt the urge to call Bishop Welsh, as I so often did when I passed through that city in my travels.. I will have to delete his name and phone number in my organizer and now realize that the call will be made through prayer.

We will celebrate a memorial Mass for him in the Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes on Monday, Feb. 15, at noon.

May God bless him with eternal rest and peace.

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