Illinois Catholics welcome new Peoria bishop today

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By Ruby Nancy / QUAD-CITY TIMES | Tuesday, April 9, 2002 11:23 PM CDT | () comments

When the Rev. Daniel Jenky is installed today as bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Peoria, he will begin his job as spiritual leader for thousands of Catholics in the central and west-central area of Illinois, including the Illinois Quad-Cities.

The 2 p.m. ceremonial Mass will include apostolic readings, or proclamations, from the pope and the Vatican, as well as various symbolic greetings from lay members who represent the many ethnic populations in the diocese, including the Latino and Filipino communities.

While the church's recent sex abuse scandals have, at the national level and in some eastern parts of the country, overshadowed the religious teachings, liturgy and social justice activism of the church, Jenky said his focus will not be on scandal.

"It's been rather relentless on the TV, and people have felt depressed about what they have seen and read," he said. "Abusers have to be gotten rid of. Institutions have to be alert to it, unfortunately. You must deal with it. You can't hide from it or pretend it isn't there.

"I'm coming to Peoria to preach the word of God, to celebrate the sacraments and try to serve the Catholic Church. I'm filled with hope and enthusiasm. I know I have a lot to learn, but I am looking forward to all of it. I'm pretty excited."

Jenky moves into the position vacated last year by Bishop John Myers, nationally recognized as a strong conservative, who was promoted to archbishop of the Newark, N.J.-based diocese that is the seventh-largest in the country.

Tom Cassady, the parish council president at St. Matthew Cathedral, where Jenky has served as pastor and auxiliary bishop for the Fort Wayne-South Bend (Ind.) Diocese, said Jenky is really more traditional than conservative.

"We're considered the most conservative parish in our diocese, but he isn't coming from a closed environment. He's spent years at the University of Notre Dame, and there are a fair number of people at the university who are very liberal in their faith. Things are very traditionally done (at St. Matthew). There's a lot of Latin and a lot of incense, and he has brought Latin back into the school as well as the Mass. I don't think Bishop Jenky will be hard to work with at all.

"He's very clear in his direction and about what he wants to do. He's very reverent, very passionate about religion, but he doesn't have an air about him. He is very approachable."

Jenky spent his undergraduate days and most of his working life at the University of Notre Dame. During that 20-plus years, he did everything from teach a course on prayer and serve as chaplain of a championship football team to working as the rector of the main university church. The Illinois native, who hails originally from Chicago, leaves a position as auxiliary bishop in Fort Wayne-South Bend, where he has concurrently served as pastor of St. Matthew.

The installation ceremony, a ticketed, invitation-only Mass, will be held at St. Mary's Cathedral in Peoria. Giant TV screens have been set up in a gymnasium two blocks south of the cathedral where members of the public can see the Mass via a live remote telecast, and a public reception will be held in the gym after the installation Mass.

Bishop William Franklin and Monsignor Drake Shafer from the Diocese of Davenport will attend Jenky's installation on behalf of the Iowa Quad-Cities. Franklin said he wants to offer a warm welcome to the new bishop personally and on behalf of the Davenport Diocese.

"It is the spirit of two families working together which produces growth and friendship of the many parishes," he said in an e-mail. "God has blessed you with some wonderful people and they are grateful for God's gift of you."

The city desk can be contacted at (563) 383-2245 or newsroom@qctimes.com.