Detroit — Bishop Emeritus Walter Hurley of Grand Rapids shared fond memories of Cardinal Edmund C. Szoka in his homily at a Monday evening Vespers service Aug. 25 at the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament.

“He was a mentor to us all. We may not have wanted a mentor, but he would tell us what to do,” said the bishop, who served as judicial vicar of the archdiocesan Metropolitan Tribunal and moderator of the curia during Cardinal Szoka’s time as archbishop of Detroit.

Bishop Hurley recalled how Cardinal Szoka would always say, in discussing a project, that he “wanted to do this first class.”
“By that he meant that he wanted it done in the best way and to the best of our ability,” he continued. And if the cardinal never hesitated to offer personal admonitions, that was so “that we would be the very best that we could be.”

Bishop Hurley expressed confidence that Cardinal Szoka’s many accomplishments would now be fully appreciated by quoting the ancient Greek dramatist, Sophocles, who said, “One must wait until the evening to see how splendid the day has been.”

Nevertheless, he continued, the most important thing about Cardinal Szoka was not his accomplishments, but his faith. “He heard the Word of God, and he believed in the One who sent Him,” the bishop said.

“I don’t think Cardinal Szoka would mind being extoled for his accomplishments — he was always quick to point them out to you, if you failed to recognize them — but more than anything, he would want our prayers,” Bishop Hurley added.

Among those joining Archbishop Allen Vigneron and Bishop Hurley for the Vespers service at the cathedral were Bishop Francis Kalabat, the new bishop of the Chaldean Eparchy of St. Thomas, and Cardinal Roger Mahony, retired archbishop of Los Angeles, both of whom shared reflections with The Michigan Catholic.

“In a time when the local Church needed a rock solid man of faith to lead it, Cardinal Szoka was that man,” said Bishop Kalabat, whose Southfield-based eparchy is the diocese for Chaldean Catholics in the eastern half of the United States.

Besides all Cardinal Szoka did for the Archdiocese of Detroit and his work at the Vatican, he was also a great help to the Eastern-rite Chaldean Catholics of southeast Michigan, the bishop continued: “He’s been a profound gift for all Catholics.”

Bishop Kalabat, a graduate of Sacred Heart Major Seminary, said he first met Cardinal Szoka in the early 1990s when the then Vatican official would meet with seminarians on his visits to Detroit.

“When we had the privilege of seeing him from time to time, we were in awe of him. He had this aura about him,” the bishop said.

“And I have seen him from time to time over the years, most recently when he attended my episcopal ordination June 14, even though he was barely strong enough to do so.”

Cardinal Mahony said he had known Cardinal Szoka even before his time as archbishop of Detroit, when he was bishop of Gaylord. But he said he came to know him much better after he was called to Rome to serve as president of the Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See.

As one of the cardinals who sat on the council concerned with that department, Cardinal Mahony said he came to appreciate not only what Cardinal Szoka was able to accomplish in solving the immediate deficit crisis – but also the value of the many recommendations he was unable to get approved by curial officials.

“I don’t think it was because of ill will, but they just didn’t understand the importance of good lay leadership in the financial affairs of the Church,” Cardinal Mahony continued.

“But Cardinal Szoka’s insights then and his vision of what is needed to be done is all being implemented today by Pope Francis,” he added.

Msgr. James Robinson, SSE, rector emeritus of the cathedral, a long-time friend and colleague of Cardinal Szoka, also shared his thoughts.

“I find it just astounding the way he is being portrayed in the news media, with the whole focus on the closing of parishes in 1987,” the monsignor said. “Cardinal Szoka bit the bullet, and led.”

He also pointed to two other major accomplishments from the cardinal’s time as archbishop that too often go unmentioned.

“Sacred Heart Major Seminary is a magnificent testament to his leadership,” Msgr. Robinson said, noting that the transformation of what had been a high school and college seminary into a revamped college and graduate school seminary came at a time when other dioceses were closing seminaries.

He also pointed to the complete revamping of the Metropolitan Tribunal, which is responsible for handling annulment cases. Not only was the tribunal computerized to improve efficiency, but fees were abolished.

The greatest injustice, Msgr. Robinson said, is in not recognizing the “truly pastoral and caring person” he knew Cd. Szoka to be.