Bishop Leonard Blair presided over the Confirmation ceremony at St. Peter’s Church on Sunday afternoon. Blair is slated to become the new archbishop of Hartford, Connecticut. He will succeed Archbishop Henry Mansell.
Father Gregory Hite with St. Peter’s Church stated, “We are always grateful when the diocesan bishop is able to be with us. Attending to the pastoral needs of every parish in the diocese can be a bit of a challenge, to say the least. But for the past two years, Bishop Blair has celebrated the Sacrament of Confirmation with us. The entire parish is always happy to welcome him.”
The sacrament of Confirmation builds on the sacraments of Baptism, Penance, and Holy Communion, completing the process of initiation into the Catholic community. Confirmation, a sacrament of initiation, establishes young adults as full-fledged members of the faith.
Looking toward the young faces of those wanting to be confirmed, Bishop Blair stated, “My dear friends, the Christian life and the demands that flow from the sacraments cannot be taken lightly…The church recognizes your desire to be sealed in the gift of the Holy Spirit and we thank God for the good work that He has begun in all of you.”
Blair ushered the 34 candidates to the front of the church, praying for each them to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Richland Correctional Institution Catholic Chaplain and deacon at St. Peter’s Church, Terry Philpott, became acquainted with Bishop Blair six years ago. Philpott explained that the Richland Correctional Institution inmates wrote a letter addressed to Bishop Blair, asking him if he would host a Mass service at the institution. And since that initial request, Bishop Blair has visited the institution yearly to preside over Mass services.
Philpott described, “Once he’d arrive, he would do one of three things: he’d say the Rosary with the inmates, just sit and talk with them, or he would hear confessions prior to the start of Mass. Then we’d have Mass and when that’s over, the inmates all got to shake his hand.”
“For the inmates, they’re so, so touched to think a man of his stature would take the time to drive four hours and say Mass with them,” added Philpott. “He gives great homilies and is always so kind to the guys.”
According to the Catholic News Agency, Bishop Blair was ordained as a priest in 1976 and later appointed by Bl. Pope John Paul II to lead the diocese of Toledo, Ohio. He held the position for the last 10 years until his Oct. 29 appointment to Hartford.
Previous assignments of the bishop include his positions as ecumenical officer for the Archdiocese of Detroit, dean of studies and assistant professor of Theology at the Sacred Heart Major Seminary College, and service in the Papal Secretariat of State Office in Vatican City.
Blair will be officially installed as the new archbishop of Hartford on Dec. 16.
One becomes an archbishop through the appointment by the pope. An archbishop is an overseer of a number of dioceses over his jurisdiction. While the bishop in a diocese is autonomous, an archbishop usually represents a ‘province’ to Rome. For example, in Ohio, there are six dioceses: Toledo, Youngstown, Steubenville, Columbus, Cleveland, and the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.
Moreover, an archdiocese is almost always larger in area, contains a greater number of parishes, and has a larger Catholic population. In the case of the Archdiocese of Hartford, according to Vatican statistics, there are 718,000 Catholics, 393 priests, 289 permanent deacons, and 818 in religious orders (priests, sisters, brothers). The Archdiocese of Hartford comprises three dioceses: Hartford, Bridgeport, and Norwich.”
“I am grateful for Bishop Blair’s leadership over the past 10 years. He is a gracious man, a fine preacher, and has always been very kind to me. Being a bishop is not an easy task, as 1Timothy reminds us. My prayers accompany him as he undertakes his ministry to the Catholic Church of Hartford,” stated Father Hite.
“Being a bishop is not an easy task, as 1Timothy reminds us. My prayers accompany him as he undertakes his ministry to the Catholic Church of Hartford,” stated Father Hite.
