Bishop Robert Deeley Marks Golden Jubilee with Celebration of Mass

Gathered with family, friends ,and colleagues to celebrate the 50th anniversary of his ordination to priesthood, Bishop Robert Deeley reflected on the reassuring presence of Christ in our lives, saying “God is with us. What a powerful message. What a consoling thought.”

The bishop commemorated his golden jubilee with a Mass in the chapel of the Cathedral the Immaculate Conception in Portland, appropriate because he calls the ability to celebrate the Eucharist the most spectacular part of his half century as a priest and bishop.

“The principal place where we are assured today of the presence of Christ with us is, of course, the Eucharist, the very prayer that gathers us this afternoon,” the bishop said. “As Pope Francis reminded us … ‘it is this bread that gives us life.’ In fact, he tells us that the Eucharist is God’s response to the deepest hungers of the human heart, for, in the Eucharist, Christ himself is truly in our midst, to nourish, console, and sustain us on our journey of life.”

Bishop Deeley said the role of the priest is of prime importance for the sacrament since it is he who pronounces the words and follows the gestures of Jesus to change the bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ. In reflecting on the importance of the priesthood, the bishop's recalled his Mass of Thanksgiving 50 years ago and the homily delivered at that Mass by Msgr. John Keilty, one of his mentors.

“Jesus promised that he would be with the Church until the end of the world. He does this through the priesthood. Priests ‘are the human instruments through whom Christ exercises his priesthood in the world. Priests are the prolongation of Christ in time and the extension of Christ in space,’” the bishop said, quoting Msgr. Keilty. “‘God continues to intervene in human history through the priesthood.’”

The bishop said the priesthood has been a gift in his life.

“The love of God is a gift. The ability to serve God and those he loves in the priesthood has been a gift for me. To be a part of the Church and to live this mission together is a gift for all of us. For all of these gifts, let us give thanks to God,” he said.

The bishop said he wanted to gather family, friends, and coworkers together as he marked his 50th anniversary because so many people have played invaluable roles in his life as a priest since the first days of his initial assignment at St. Bartholomew Parish in Needham, Mass. He recalled expecting to ease in slowly, only to learn the pastor was going on vacation the next day and then to get caught off guard again two days later when a drum and bugle corps showed up.

“I had met a few people involved in the parish. I called them. They got the wheels going, and we successfully provided for the needs of the band. It was a great learning experience,” he said.

He said he continued to receive such assistance when he went to serve in the tribunal of the Archdiocese of Boston, then through his time at St. Ann Parish in Quincy, Mass., again through his work with the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith at the Vatican, later when he returned from Rome and was named an auxiliary bishop of the archdiocese, and now through his nine and a half years as Portland’s bishop.

“Today, of course, I am blessed to be part of the family of the Diocese of Portland, and many of those who are my valued coworkers, priests and people alike, in the mission of the diocese, are here with us today. All of these relationships and many others have strengthened my ministry and given me great support,” he said. “You represent all those folks so important to the ministry I have been privileged to do, for which I give thanks today. You are the ones standing beside me now as we work together to bring the joy of the Gospel to those we serve here in Maine.”

The bishop concluded his thoughts with an invitation to prayer. Invoking the intercession of Mary, Mother of God and Mother of the Church, under the title of the Immaculate Conception, he asked all to join in praying that “together we will live the vocations which God, in his goodness, has given each of us as a sign of his abundant love. We pray also that together we might be a people nourished by the very presence of Jesus, the Lord, and formed into the Church, which truly is ‘living the truth in love.’”

From St. Paul in Ephesians, that was the episcopal motto he chose when he was ordained a bishop and words that continue to guide him today.