Bishop's Statements

Interview with Coadjutor Bishop Patrick J. McGrath
May 1999

By Shannon Cozzo

As I sat down with Coadjutor Bishop Patrick J. McGrath in his office, I couldn’t help but notice his friendly grin and excited words as he spoke of his ministry. For almost the next hour, I listened as the enthusiastic bishop shared his hopes and observations of the youth.

First, I’d like to give a little background information about Bishop McGrath.

A coadjutor bishop is one who is appointed by the pope to work with a particular bishop until the time of the present bishop’s retirement. This way, the diocese always has a bishop; there is no vacancy of the position.

Bishop McGrath has known Bishop DuMaine all 29 years of his priesthood, and was designated by the pope to come to San Jose last year from the Archdiocese of San Francisco. For eight years, Bishop McGrath was the representative of the bishops for the youth, and here is where we start …

Bishop McGrath’s motto is, “Together in Christ,” one that has been clearly reflected in his life and ministry as a priest.

His first comment about the youth was that he was “impressed,” noting the differences in the pressures and world problems that burden young people. His next comment was that the youth are not “the Church of tomorrow,” but are “the Church of today.” “The youth of today have a certain depth of faith, they are committed to the Catholic Church and the service of others,” he said.

But the bishop also feels that the youth need to focus.

“They need to give more time to reflect. The youth today are so busy, they often don’t hear how God is speaking through everyday life.”

It is only when we hear God that we can respond to God’s call, and many religious (including seminarian Brendan McGuire of St. Mary’s, Los Gatos) agree that reflection and prayer are necessary in a spiritual life.

Bishop McGrath quoted former president George Bush, who called the youth “points of light” which the bishop believes is an accurate definition. “If you light one candle, it is better than sitting in the dark,” he said.

The bishop wants to hear from the youth and wants to work together to address the needs of the youth. “Learning goes two ways; the youth are serious about life, and we learn from them as they learn from us,” he commented.

Silent reflection comes up again in our discussion, as we talk about the Mass. The bishop wants the youth to evolve liturgically, for example, not just have a “youth Mass,” but have youth lectors, Eucharistic ministers, and singers during all the Masses.

One of the most important things, Bishop McGrath mentions, is that the youth be allowed to “worship at their own pace, in a way that speaks to them.”

When we spoke of the letter from the bishops addressed to the youth, Bishop McGrath shared that the bishops from all around the nation meet in reflection and concern, considering, “are we, as a Church, reaching out to the youth? We want to make God relevant, to become a part of their lives.”

One point that the bishop addressed was the pressures youth—in particular Catholics—face. He shared an experience of World Youth Day in Denver, where a group of teens from the Bay Area said that it was “nice to meet other Catholics.” In school, it is sometimes difficult to stand up and say, “This is what I believe in …” and be accepted for that.

The bishop said that the Church’s message is still new, Christ is still “the way, the truth and the light,” and nothing short of that. The “candle” of faith continues to be passed down, even through the violence we experience today.

Some of this violence he refers to as the “hidden violence,” that of war, and behavior that is now acceptable.

He ended the discussion on this note: “there are so many teens who serve others silently.” There are no trumpets or top news stories explaining the work of these people, they do it silently to follow the call of God to love each other and to work “together in Christ.”