Detroit native Cardinal Tobin points to late bishop's motto, 'Be Doers of the Word'; archbishop reads condolences from pope
DETROIT — Bishop Thomas J. Gumbleton challenged people to go out into the world and preach the Gospel through action.
The tireless Detroit auxiliary bishop spent 67 years as a priest and 57 years as a bishop preaching the gospel of peace through Jesus Christ to the poor, the marginalized, the outcast and the forgotten, earning him the gratitude and appreciation of thousands who emulated his episcopal motto: “Be doers of the Word.”
Friends and family of Bishop Gumbleton gathered April 13 at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Detroit for his funeral Mass — one final goodbye, one last sendoff, like the dozens before it when the bishop would travel to places far and wide to stand with those on the world's margins.
Bishop Gumbleton died April 4 at age 94. He was known throughout the world as a Catholic leader in peace and justice movements, combatting racism and prejudice and for frequent trips to war-torn countries.
Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, S.Ss.R., archbishop of Newark, N.J., celebrated the funeral Mass and delivered the homily, with Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron and others bishops of Detroit, past and present, concelebrating.
Cardinal Tobin said God selects people throughout the ages to preach the Gospel in a specific time and in a specific place, calling on the faithful gathered at Bishop Gumbleton’s funeral to discern why God called Bishop Gumbleton to serve the people of God in Detroit.
“In life and liturgy, timing is everything,” said Cardinal Tobin, a Detroit native who knew Bishop Gumbleton from the cardinal's time as pastor of Most Holy Redeemer Parish in southwest Detroit. “We celebrate Bishop Gumbleton’s funeral during the Easter season when we celebrate the triumph of the Lord over sin and death. Indeed, the stone that closed Him in has been rolled away. We stand in faith before an empty tomb, and we draw out each day our own conclusion.
“One might ask themselves this Easter season, why did God raise up Thomas Gumbleton?” Cardinal Tobin continued. “Born out of the rich soil of southwest Detroit, why did He raise him up? How does his life as a disciple, as a priest, as a bishop, encourage us in our pilgrim way?”
Cardinal Tobin reminded the congregation that before Jesus ascended into heaven, he promised the apostles the Holy Spirit would descend upon them to help them guide the way in building the kingdom of God.
Throughout the generations, men and women of the Church have prayed to discern the will of the Holy Spirit in order to better establish God's purposes on earth.
“Succeeding generations of disciples learned how to give witness to the risen Lord, but in the witness in their particular circumstances of their day,” Cardinal Tobin said. “In every epoch, the Spirit lifts up a cloud of witnesses that continue to surround us. They were not idle spectators; they are our sisters and brothers in the community of the saints. They urge us on when we feel like taking our ball and going home. They urge us on, especially when others insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you. We are witnesses to the one who has come back from death and reigns as Lord.”
Nancy Driscoll served as Bishop Gumbleton’s secretary for 19 years, first meeting then-Msgr. Gumbleton when she worked in the receptionist pool in the Archdiocese of Detroit's Chancery in 1966. Driscoll would accompany Bishop Gumbleton to meetings, dictate messages, receive his mail and watch up close how the bishop conducted his episcopal ministry.
“For me personally, I got to learn a lot from watching him up close, which was a real beauty,” Driscoll told Detroit Catholic. “The beatitudes were what he felt he had to do. The spirit of the law was more important than the law itself.”
Driscoll helped arrange Bishop Gumbleton's travel throughout the world, from Central America to Iran, from Nevada to Washington, D.C., preaching a message of peace and nonviolence to the oppressed and the marginalized, calling for the Church to stand in solidarity with the outcast. All the while, Bishop Gumbleton never forgot his pastoral responsibilities back home in Detroit, particularly at St. Leo Parish on the city's northwest side, where he was pastor from 1983 to 2006.
“I always think he had an attitude of, 'There is a lot I have to do; I can’t do everything, but whatever it is in front of me, I have to get to it and do the best I can,'” Driscoll said. “He always wanted to put the best face on it he could, regardless of how he might be feeling, regardless of whether he was tired or angry or disappointed. He didn’t show that very often and not to very many people. He always wanted to put his best foot forward.”
Since Bishop Gumbleton's passing on April 4 — also the anniversary of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s death — his family has received an outpouring of sympathy and support on behalf of the bishop, who garnered a national reputation for his anti-war activism and outreach to communities on the margins of society.
The Gumbleton family, seated at the front of the cathedral for the funeral, were appreciative of the messages of love for Bishop Gumbleton, a beloved brother and uncle.
“He is probably one of the best men I ever met in my life; he was gracious, always caring, looking out for people,” said Bill Gumbleton, Bishop Gumbleton’s nephew. “His mission was to love everybody, to help those on the margins of society. He taught that everyone needs to be loved and to be taken care of.”
Bill Gumbleton said people can best remember Bishop Gumbleton by continuing to advocate for the causes Bishop Gumbleton supported in life. He particularly mentioned Bishop Gumbleton’s mission in Haiti, Kay Lasante ("House of Health" in Haitian Creole), a health clinic and community outreach project in Port au Prince.
“We appreciate the outpouring of love for our uncle,” Bill Gumbleton said. “The people who have talked to us, it is always something so personal they have received from him, the love they received from him. He remembered people from years ago, and they remembered him. The big thing was that everybody had a special story that they remembered our uncle about. Every story was a personal relationship they had with him.”
Before the Mass ended, Archbishop Vigneron addressed those gathered in the cathedral, particularly the Gumbleton family, relaying a message he received from the apostolic nuncio to the United States, Cardinal Christophe Pierre.
The archbishop read, “Informed by the death of the former auxiliary bishop, Thomas J. Gumbleton, His Holiness, Pope Francis, has asked me to convey his heartfelt condolences to you, to the clergy, the religious and the lay faithful of the archdiocese. Recalling the late bishop's many years of priestly and episcopal ministry to the church of Detroit, marked by his commitment to peace and service to those most in need, His Holiness commends his soul to the merciful love of Jesus, the Good Shepherd. To all present at the Mass of Christian Burial and who mourn Bishop Gumbleton's loss in the hope of the resurrection, the Holy Father cordially imparts his blessing as a pledge of consolation and peace in the Lord."
"In the Holy Father’s name it is signed by his secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin. This is to you, the family, especially addressed,” Archbishop Vigneron added.
Archbishop Vigneron passed along his own condolences to the Gumbleton family, assuring them that all throughout the diocese, Masses are being offered for the repose of Bishop Gumbleton’s soul.
“Not only in the Body and Blood of Christ, but we offer through every good work, every work of justice and peace that Bishop Gumbleton made part of his life,” Archbishop Vigneron said. “We know through the offering of Jesus, these are the acceptable sacrifices. You have our condolences and our tribute for your uncle, your brother, Bishop Gumbleton. Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord.”
Cardinal Tobin recalled his time as pastor of Most Holy Redeemer Parish in southwest Detroit from 1984-90, when he witnessed how Bishop Gumbleton would humbly conduct himself in ministry and prayer, always with a rosary or his breviary by his side, rooted in prayer and the need to stay close to those to whom he ministered.
“Tom would say, ‘Don’t die for everything. Figure out what is important and die for that,’” Cardinal Tobin said. “Remember his motto, ‘Be Doers of the Word.’ From that phrase, don’t be idle listeners. Don’t just hear things. It’s not a spectator sport; it’s not a fast-food restaurant where we place our order and drive off. Faith is a relationship. It’s listening, and in listening to each other, we try to decide what is important.”
The funeral Mass was attended by people from all over the country and world who admired Bishop Gumbleton’s commitment to peace and justice.
Johnny Zokovitch, executive director of Pax Christi USA, of which Bishop Gumbleton was the founding bishop-president in 1972, said the organization would not exist today if it wasn’t for Bishop Gumbleton's leadership and witness.
“Tom was always about walking the walk, not just talking the talk,” Zokovitch told Detroit Catholic. “In peace work, in justice work, there are a lot of words, a lot of statements. For Pax Christi USA, the way we try to honor Tom is by living out the Gospel message of peace and justice that Jesus preached.”
Zokovitch said what made Bishop Gumbleton stand out was his presence with people, his radical accompaniment with those on the margins who experienced pain and suffering, and his courage to speak out for what he felt was right.
“That is what Tom did in the world, constantly challenging the powers that be to exercise that power on behalf of people who needed healing, who were struggling for liberation or who were trying to overcome the great challenge of violence in the world,” Zokovitch said.
The funeral Mass included a Gospel-choir setting under the direction of Keir Ward and the Bishop Thomas Gumbleton Chorale, fitting for all the years of Bishop Gumbleton’s service in the city of Detroit and to the Black Catholic community.
Stephen Singleton, a parishioner at various Detroit urban parishes throughout the years, said Bishop Gumbleton was a stalwart ally of the Black Catholic community, speaking on behalf of the interests of Detroit’s inner-city parishes and insisting the Church maintain a strong presence in the city.
“He was determined to make a difference in our society, especially in the community of Detroit,” Singleton said. “St. Leo was his heart and soul. The love and effort he put in to make everybody accountable in the community, the meetings and going out and evangelizing — the main thing was evangelizing, getting people to know the community that he loved.”
Singleton said Bishop Gumbleton had a reputation for speaking out against violence, on police issues and on community issues, pushing the Church to immerse itself in the concerns of communities of color and to involve people of color in leadership decisions to make the Church a more complete Body of Christ.
“The love he had for me, looking different from him, the love had for the community and wanting to make the world a better place, not only for people of color, but for all people, all the minorities, all the underprivileged, all the disabled, all warriors and people coming back from the war — he was there, trying to make a difference,” Singleton said.
Those who knew Bishop Gumbleton best said the best way to honor his legacy is to keep reaching out, going to the fringes and bringing Christ's love and compassion to every corner of society.
“I would like people to remember him as a man who really, really loved the Lord,” Driscoll said. “He felt you couldn’t just say it, but had to show it, not just on Sunday, but any day, with anybody, regardless if they looked like us, smelled liked us or acted like us. He had faults, he had failings. He was funny, but couldn’t tell a joke, and was often the butt of a joke. He couldn’t carry a tune in a paper bag. He was a very human being and didn’t let being a bishop stop him from being a human being and a regular guy. That is what people loved about him, what I loved about him.”
The Gumbleton family served as lectors during the funeral Mass, drawing upon readings from Micah and from Matthew's Gospel, but it was from Paul’s second letter to Timothy that Cardinal Tobin drew inspiration for his final point.
“Tom Gumbleton learned to listen all his life, to speak truth with humility and courage, and he taught us how to die,” Cardinal Tobin said. “What a great gift we have in Tom Gumbleton. We can count ourselves lucky to hear him say, ‘Do not be discouraged.' Continue to listen to the word of God and to the Holy Spirit that operate in each other. Continue to recognize the darkness, the threats that discourage us. And keep a rosary in your hand, as he did.
“That final night in the hospital, all he asked for was his breviary and his rosary,” Cardinal Tobin continued. “And he did so because he knew Mary was his mother, certainly. But he knew the lyrics to her song, he could sing them by heart. Where Mary praises God, in choosing the little ones to confound the powerful, choosing the lowly to raise them up for succeeding generations, in her name and in His name, all are blessed. That is the witness of Tom Gumbleton.”
Copy Permalink
