Bishop Donald DeGrood of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, accepts his crosier from Father Tom Margevicius at the bishop’s Feb. 16 Mass at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul celebrating his ordination as a bishop three days earlier. DAVE HRBACEK | THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Just what happened when Father Donald DeGrood was ordained a bishop on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2020, at the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Sioux Falls, South Dakota?

Visibly, Archbishop Hebda and a dozen other bishops extended their hands over him, prayed a long prayer, poured sacred chrism oil over his head, put a ring on his finger, a miter on his head, and a crosier in his hand. After this, Bishop DeGrood took his seat in the “cathedra,” the bishop’s throne in the cathedral.

Spiritually, the Second Vatican Council teaches that the bishop received “the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders, that fullness which is called the high priesthood, the acme (summa) of the sacred ministry.” What does that mean?

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “Catholic doctrine teaches that the degrees of priestly participation (episcopate and presbyterate) and the degree of service (diaconate) are all three conferred by a sacramental act called ‘ordination,’ that is, by the sacrament of Holy Orders.” When a deacon is ordained, the Church empowers him to do things the non-ordained do not do. Priests are ordained to do what deacons cannot do: preside at Mass, confession and anointing. And bishops can do what priests can, and more yet: ordain men, consecrate chrism and perform numerous tasks specially entrusted to them. This has been continuing ever since biblical times.

While on Earth, Jesus chose Apostles. After Pentecost, they spread the Gospel around the world, picking other men to succeed them. These men then ordained their successors, and this pattern continues today. Bishop DeGrood takes his place in that line of bishops who “in virtue of the unbroken succession going back to the beginning, are regarded as transmitters of the apostolic line,” as Vatican II says. That’s what it means to call our Church “apostolic.”

Bishop DeGrood was ordained by Archbishop Hebda, who was ordained by Archbishop Vigneron, who was ordained by Cardinal Maida, who was ordained by Archbishop Laghi … There’s even a website tracing the lineage all the way back to the 1600s, catholic-hierarchy.org.

Our English word “bishop” comes from the Greek “episcopos,” which means elder or overseer. It gives us our word “episcopal.” The word shows up in various New Testament passages (Acts 20:28; 1 Tm 3:2), though his administrative role in the early Church was still being developed. By the time of St. Ignatius of Antioch (110 AD) the three offices were well-established: bishop, priest and deacon.

But it would be a mistake to reduce the bishop’s role to administration. Pope St. John Paul II taught that most important was the bishop’s care for the Church in the name of the Trinity: “Every Bishop in his ministry is committed to keeping watch over the whole flock with love, for he has been placed in their midst by the Spirit to govern the Church of God: in the name of the Father, whose image he represents; in the name of Jesus Christ his Son, by whom he has been established as teacher, priest and shepherd; in the name of the Holy Spirit, who gives life to the Church and by his power strengthens us in our human weakness.”

As a symbol of his keeping watch over the flock, a bishop carries a crosier, which comes from the same root word as “cross.” It is also sometimes called a staff, modeled after the long stick a shepherd uses to keep his sheep together. Bishop DeGrood designed his crosier using both symbols: it has the traditional shepherd hook shape, and in the curve of the hook is a crucifix, which recalls that he cares for the flock in the name of Jesus the Good Shepherd, who laid down his life for the sheep on the cross.

At the ordination in Sioux Falls, Archbishop Hebda processed in carrying his own crosier and took a seat in the cathedra in the sanctuary. But after Bishop DeGrood was ordained, Archbishop Hebda stepped down and Bishop DeGrood, carrying his own crosier, took his place in the cathedra and assumed leadership from that point forward.

May Christ the Good Shepherd give Bishop DeGrood the grace he needs as he begins his role as chief shepherd of the Catholic Church in Sioux Falls.

Father Margevicius is director of worship for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.