Ordination hints of what's to come

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Nearly anything Justin Hoye now faces as a new Catholic priest was present at his recent ordination at the downtown cathedral here.
There was joy, illness, undercurrents of discord and angst, soaring music, well-scripted ritual and the hopes and prayers of the faithful who want success for Hoye, 27, who was ordained with two other men as priests of the Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph.
I wrote a profile of Hoye in 2004 when he was a seminary student, exploring why anyone would choose the priesthood in a church traumatized by the scandal of priests sexually abusing young people and of bishops covering up their sins. So after the service I told Bishop Robert W. Finn that my being there was a way of seeing Justin's story through to its beginning. For that's truly what ordination is, the start of a lifelong commitment to the church.
What will that life look like? No one knows, but you can be sure that Hoye, as the new associate pastor of St. Therese North in Parkville, will experience conditions present at his ordination:
Joy: It was a moment of personal triumph for having completed seminary and other tests to be sure Hoye was a fit candidate. At one point in the service, long applause from those attending washed over the three new priests like a ritual bath.
Illness: A participant in the procession that started the service collapsed in the aisle and was attended to by several people, including Finn. By the time paramedics arrived, the man was feeling well enough to walk out with them. Hoye will minister to sick people -- and face sick social and ecclesial systems -- until his career ends.
Discord and angst: This diocese is in transition -- and a painful one at that. Finn is leading in new directions that some object to. They wish he were gone even as others are thrilled with his authoritative approach. Finn's predecessor, Bishop Raymond J. Boland, also participated in the service. Many in the diocese miss his more collegial approach; others were happy to see him replaced by someone they will bring more discipline. Even at the cathedral itself there's been distress among parishioners at Finn-instituted change.
Loyalty
Hoye now will have to find his own way of being loyal both to the bishop and to the people to whom he ministers, even if those loyalties may at times strike some as in tension.
"I am really convinced," Hoye told me, "that the gospel of Christ is a healing encounter, and I am eager to share that as a priest. I believe reconciliation will play a big role in my ministry, not just sacramentally ... but in how we become grateful for the diversity in the world, the people in our lives, the gifts that God provides for us that we often fail to notice."
Soaring music: The beautiful hymns and choral offerings were a reminder to Hoye that the gospel must be preached in both right- and left-brained ways.
Well-scripted liturgy: The Catholic Church knows how to do ritual and ceremony. And it knows that its demographics are changing in the United States, as the church becomes more diverse, particularly more Hispanic. So some of the Scripture readings in the bulletin were in English, some in Spanish.
The faithful: The face of the church was evident as people attending went forward to receive Communion. They were young and old, well-dressed and a little disheveled, black and white, lay and church professionals. The church is changing, and Hoye will have to welcome and accommodate that change.
But he's ready: "There's energy and newness and optimism that comes just from being this age, and I know that time will temper much of that and that I will mature in a lot of ways. Regardless, I hope gratitude will be a hallmark of my priesthood."
That's wisdom. Gratitude may be the one approach that can move him down the road he has chosen while keeping him whole.
Bill Tammeus is a columnist for The Kansas City Star. Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.