Bishop-elect Joseph Williams remembers the day he received the call from the apostolic nuncio to the U.S. about his appointment as auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. “He told me he had great news,” he said. “And as we see, even in the Scriptures before great news, there is that temptation to be a little bit afraid. And I had some of that fear come into my heart.”
But the bishop-elect happened to be in front of an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, and he heard the same words she did from the angel: “Be not afraid.”
Bishop-elect Joseph Williams
“And so, I think I had some peace,” he said.
Bishop-elect Williams said he would pray about it, and after “a pregnant pause,” he asked the nuncio about the protocol. The nuncio chuckled and said, “mostly protocol is, you say yes, and then you pray about it,” the bishop-elect recalled. “He said I could speak with the archbishop, of course, and my spiritual director, and I did both of those things.”
The days since have been a whirlwind, he said during a recent interview with “Practicing Catholic” radio show host Patrick Conley. They have included six public Masses in the first few days following the Dec. 10 announcement “and a lot of just an outpouring of love and support. I do thank God for that because I need that support.”
Bishop-elect Williams said even through the public announcement, he feels in some ways he has done very little to prepare for his new role, or to try to be a bishop. “To be very honest, I had a sense that I need to be a good shepherd of souls, to feed my sheep and to be a fisher of men. That’s where I put my emphasis since I was a young priest.”
When one doesn’t try for something, he said, one gets a sense that someone else has been working, “and that sense for me is the Blessed Mother.” Later in the day after the nuncio’s call, he said he clearly heard “I choose you,” and Bishop-elect Williams thought “she must have because I didn’t see this coming and I didn’t angle for it.” Feeling Mary’s involvement certainly is “a great peace,” he said.
Bishop-elect Williams said he has talked recently with Bishop Andrew Cozzens of Crookston, who was an auxiliary bishop in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis until Dec. 6. “I’m counting on him for many practical details,” he said, including “how to dress like a bishop.” He said Bishop Cozzens walked before him in this, and “really ennobled the office of auxiliary bishop here.”
To listen to the full episode, in which Bishop-elect Williams describes the areas of ministry he is most passionate about, his thoughts on the Archdiocesan Synod and how he responded to Conley’s question about how the faithful can best pray for him, tune in to this episode, which airs at 9 p.m. Dec. 17, 1 p.m. Dec. 18 and 2 p.m. Dec. 19 on Relevant Radio 1330 AM.
Produced by Relevant Radio and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, the latest show also includes interviews with Father Paul Hedman, who provides his thoughts on making a good confession this Advent, and why it’s so important as practicing Catholics, and Alicia LaCroix, who provides insights on the importance of hospitality this holiday season and tips on how to do it well.
Listen to all of the interviews after they have aired at
Recent Comments