Fellow bishops, relatives, friends, priests and diocesan staff reacted to the news of Bishop J. Peter Sartain’s papal appointment to the Diocese of Joliet, Ill., with surprise and sadness, but also with excitement for what lies ahead for the former shepherd of the Diocese of Little Rock.
Bishop Emeritus Andrew J. McDonald, who now lives in Palatine, Ill., spoke of Bishop Sartain’s gifts in a statement, released May 16. Bishop Sartain became head of the Little Rock diocese after Bishop McDonald retired.
“Bishop Sartain is a prayerful, humble shepherd. He has knowledge and wisdom far beyond his age,” said Bishop McDonald, chaplain of St. Joseph’s Home for the Elderly in Palatine, which is 45 miles north of Joliet. “Bishop Sartain has accepted the will of our Holy Father. … I commend this new ministry of Bishop Peter Sartain to Mary, mother of priests and bishops.”
Bishop J. Terry Steib, SVD, of the Diocese of Memphis, also spoke of Bishop Sartain’s strengths in a statement released May 18. Then-Father Sartain served as vicar general under Bishop Steib until he was assigned to Arkansas in 2000.
“I know that Bishop Sartain will bring his amazing talents and nurturing pastoral touch to the people of Joliet and serve them with the same compassion, concern and faithfulness that he has shown throughout the years of his priesthood and episcopacy,” Bishop Steib said. “I cannot help noting, though, that I will certainly miss him as ’our neighbor’ to the west.”
Abbot Jerome Kodell, OSB, of Subiaco Abbey said the news of Bishop Sartain’s departure came as “a shock to all of us.”
“We thought he was going to be here. We had grown to love him in a short time,” he said in a phone interview with Arkansas Catholic. “He was an excellent bishop. We have to look to the future, but it’s difficult to let go.”
Abbot Jerome met Bishop Sartain when the bishop went to Subiaco for a high school retreat in the late 1960s. At the time, Jean Rockenhaus, Bishop Sartain’s aunt, was Coury House’s secretary and she introduced her nephew to Abbot Jerome, then a teacher at Subiaco Academy.
“He is a very fine speaker, and writer and liturgist. … I think he’ll do very well up there,” he said of the bishop. “He reached out to all. He was, very important for me, a man of prayer … I thought that was one of the reasons he was able to reach out and be effective.”
Rockenhaus, a member of St. Benedict Church in Subiaco, said she is “very disappointed” to lose her nephew to another diocese, but her sister, Camille Fahel, who lives in Peoria, Ill., is very excited. Peoria is about 130 miles southwest of Joliet.
“We’d just like to keep him forever and ever,” Rockenhaus said. “He’s just a good all-around person, a wonderful nephew of course, and a great bishop, but Joliet’s gain is our loss. We do wish him well.”
Dr. Robert Kraus, a member of St. Louis Parish in Memphis, said he is thrilled for Bishop Sartain, his close friend of 18 years.
“I think it’s a wonderful, wonderful appointment,” Kraus said of the much larger diocese located 40 miles southwest of downtown Chicago.
“I feel so happy for him, but also feel quite sad for the people of the Diocese of Arkansas because it’s such a great loss. … The people of Joliet don’t know what they’re getting. They’re getting a gem, he’s a wonderful man,” Kraus said.
Jan Brass, the bishop’s secretary for the past two years, said, “I will miss him terribly — he has been an inspiration to me and has made a deep impact on my spiritual life … He is such a holy man, and I am always in awe of his faith, his gentleness, and his total commitment to God and the people he serves.”
“I thank God for the opportunity to be a part of his ministry. Even though we are losing a great shepherd, I give thanks to God that the Diocese of Joliet will share in the gifts of his ministry,” she said.
Msgr. David LeSieur, pastor of Our Lady of the Holy Souls in Little Rock, first met Bishop Sartain when they were studying for the priesthood at St. Meinrad Seminary.
“I know he’s well qualified to handle a diocese of the size of Joliet,” Msgr. LeSieur said. “He has certainly in his six years here done good things for our diocese. … I’ll miss him, but also I understand that the Church needs him up there too.”
In July Msgr. LeSieur will become pastor at St. Vincent de Paul Church in Rogers after leading Holy Souls for 12 years.
In response to the dual transition facing many in the diocese, he said, “The Lord’s in charge of his Church and we trust that, and we know that we who are ordained to work in the Church, know that moving is part of life and we love the flock wherever we go, and I know that Bishop Sartain will love his flock up in Joliet as much as he loved us down here.”
Vernell Bowen, superintendent of Catholic Schools, said, “Bishop Sartain has been a wonderful spiritual leader for our diocese.”
“I always knew that I could take any school issue to him and he would prayerfully discern before making a decision,” she said.
Catholic Charities of Arkansas director Sheila Gomez said she and her staff will miss Bishop Sartain “profoundly.”
“’Of you my heart has spoken’ is Bishop Sartain’s motto and in living this motto, he has included the people that Catholic Charities serves: the poor, the vulnerable and the marginalized,” she said. “He is an inspirational pastoral leader, friend and active supporter of Catholic Charities. … We pray for his continued courage in answering our Lord’s call to serve. Of him our hearts will speak with joy, gratitude and love.”
Click here for information on Bishop Sartain’s farewell Mass June 20.
