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Retired San Francisco Auxiliary Bishop William J. Justice lays hands on and prays for his now brother prelate at the ordination Mass June 5. (Photos by Debra Greenblat/Catholic San Francisco)
June 6, 2018
Christina Gray
The episcopal ordination of Bishop Robert F. Christian, OP, as the Archdiocese of San Francisco’s 18th auxiliary bishop on June 5 emphasized service over honor and achievement.
Priests and deacons numbering almost 300 including some 100 Dominicans and more than 20 bishops joined with family, friends, women and men religious and the local interfaith community at St. Mary’s Cathedral for the ordination of a fourth-generation native son of San Francisco.
Before being appointed bishop by Pope Francis in March, Bishop Christian, a Dominican priest for 42 years, was most recently master of students for the Dominican Western Province at St. Albert’s Priory in Oakland.
“Father Robert, your diligence in teaching the faith of the Apostles through instruction and formation of future church leaders will serve you well in your new episcopal ministry among us,” said Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone in his homily. “We give thanks to God and to Pope Francis for electing you to this office which you will exercise as a good shepherd, seeking the good of your people and not worldly gain or honor.”
Noting that the day was Election Day in San Francisco, the archbishop said that in the Bible, election is the action of God, a call to service. “To be God’s elect entails a form of existence different from that of the rest of the people,” he said, but not for the purpose of making oneself out to be better than others. “Separation from, is also a separation for.”
Bishop Christian is the first Dominican bishop to serve in San Francisco since Archbishop Joseph Sadoc Alemany, also a Dominican, became the first archbishop of San Francisco in 1850. Archbishop Cordileone thanked the Order of Preachers for what he called the “exemplary leadership and tireless pastoral care” it has provided since then to the people of the Archdiocese of San Francisco and beyond.
“As we know, this goes back to our very first archbishop whose chalice we use for this Mass today, and it continues up to the present time,” he said. The archbishop praised the missionary sacrifice of Archbishop Alemany who, “after the manner of the good shepherd, gave himself completely and at great personal cost” to initiating what has evolved into the local church’s institutional legacy.
The archbishop also borrowed words used by Pope Francis in his episcopal ordination of two bishops in Rome in 2016 to describe the true role of a bishop:
“Indeed, ‘episcopacy’ is the name of a service, not of an honor,” the pope said. “Therefore, a bishop must strive to serve rather than to rule, according to the Master’s commandment: ‘whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all.’”
Joining the archbishop on the altar were Santa Fe Archbishop John C. Wester and Oakland Bishop Michael C. Barber, SJ. Also present were Cardinal Roger Mahony, retired archbishop of Los Angeles, and apostolic nuncio to the United States Archbishop Christophe Pierre.
The rites were accompanied by a choir of 40 voices, and an ensemble of timpani, horns and organ under the direction of cathedral music director Christoph Tietze. Cathedral cantor Ash Walker led the hymns printed for attendees in a keepsake worship guide that also presented and explained Bishop Christian’s episcopal coat of arms and motto.
The eight-pointed Dominican cross with “IHS” (Jesus’ name in Greek) in the center represents his membership in the Dominican Province of the Most Holy Name of Jesus. The impaled arms of Jesus crossed with those of St. Francis represent San Francisco. Bishop Christian’s motto in Latin comes directly from the Our Father and means “Hallowed be thy name.”
The oldest of seven children born to Robert and Gloria Christian, Bishop Christian’s ordination Mass fully embraced his large family, who he credited for shaping many of his better “human qualities.”
Readers included the bishop’s cousin, Dominican Sister Marie Sagues and Notre Dame Sister Sharon McMillan, a classmate of Bishop Christian’s at Santa Clara University. Insignia bearers included nephews Robert F. Christian III, Thomas Christian, cousin Polly Mendes and John Christian, one of Bishop Christian’s five brothers. The remaining four — Joseph, Michael, James and Thomas — were gift bearers. A cousin from the redwood hills of Marin County, where the Christian family summered as a family, is making a redwood crosier for him as an ordination gift.
“Now that we are halfway through the ceremony,” Bishop Christian joked in remarks at well past the two-hour mark: “I want to thank all who have made it possible for me to view being a bishop not as an achievement, not something I did, a la Frank Sinatra, ‘doing it my way,’ but something that is really a gift.”
“I am ultimately someone who was given a sacramental character by Christ, enabling me to join a college that keeps the church in right doctrine, preaches that doctrine handed down from the Apostles even when it seems to engender indifference or hostility,” he said. “And which promotes the pursuit of happiness by promoting the pursuit of holiness.”
At a reception after the ordination Mass Dominican Father Reginald Wolford said he flew from the Dominican Order’s Central Province to attend the ordination.
“Bishop Christian was a professor of mine in Rome,” he said, teaching what he called “one of the best courses in ecclesiology” he took in his 10 years there.
Sister Mary Kellady, a diocesan sister at St. Anselm in San Anselmo, said she appreciated how “well rounded” the new bishop is and believes his appointment comes at just the right time.
“You never know what you want until you get it,” she said. “I think he is a gift to us when we need it most.”
In the reception line with family and local well-wishers was Antonio Autorino from Trieste, Italy, who crossed the Atlantic to see his old friend become a bishop.
“I believe he will be an excellent bishop for San Francisco,” said Autorino.
The fifth graders of St. Brigid School on Franklin Street walked the 11 city blocks from their school to St. Mary’s as a group with their teachers to witness the ordination of a bishop. While waiting in line to meet him and get their photos taken with him, they eagerly shared their impressions.
“He’s really nice and he made everyone laugh in his speech,” said Suri Severaid, while Ryan Garcia said he’s going to do “amazing things.”
“I just think he’s going to do a very good job,” said Danni Kahn.
Dominican transitional deacon Pius Youn, who will be ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Christian June 22 and here preparing to incense concelebrant priests and the assembly at the ordination Mass June 5, chanted the day’s Gospel.
The new bishop’s family including, from left, sister-in-law Mary Christian, his brothers John Christian, Joe Christian and Jim Christian, and niece Catharine Tolson, prayed and had ministerial roles in the ordination Mass June 5.
Deacons hold the Book of the Gospels over the head of Bishop Robert F. Christian, OP, at his episcopal ordination Mass June 5. Carrying the Gospel forward is a major work of the bishop. Fifth graders from St. Brigid School, pictured here with principal, Immaculate Conception Sister Angeles Marin and Bishop Robert F. Christian, walked to Mass from the nearby school.
Fifth graders from St. Brigid School, pictured here with principal, Immaculate Conception Sister Angeles Marin and Bishop Robert F. Christian, walked to Mass from the nearby school.
Bishop Robert F. Christian, OP, gathered with Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone and attending prelates on the steps of St. Mary’s Cathedral following Bishop Christian’s ordination Mass June 5. Bishop Christian is the 18th auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of San Francisco. See Page 6 for story and more photos. (Photo by Michael Collopy)