Bishop of Helena in 1884
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The Roman Catholic The Diocese of Helena Joyfully Welcomes Diocese of Helena Bishop Austin Anthony Vetter! NEWSLETTER -SPECIAL EDITION- December 2019 Bishop’s Coat of Arms........Page 3 Serving Those in Need......Page 8 CSSM Adoptions................Page 14 In This Papal Decree......................Page 4 Women’s Conference.......Page 9 Resurrection Parish Solar...Page 15 Letter from Bp. Thomas.....Page 5 MT Catholic Conference...Pages 10-11 Students at NCYC...............Page 16 Issue Letter from Bp. Kagan........Page 6 Junior High Rally................Page 12 Vetter’s Fiat Places Him as 11th Bishop of the Diocese Dan Bartleson Director, Communications Services “This is indeed a joyous day for the local church here in the Diocese of Helena!” exclaimed Archbishop Alex- ander Sample in his homily during the Mass of ordination and installation of Bishop-Elect Austin Anthony Vetter. The greater Church was present as Bishop-Elect Vetter makes the oath of fidelity before Archbishop Sample (seated), Bishop. Ka- well with two cardinals, four archbish- gan (left of Abp. Sample), Bishop Chechio (right of Abp. Sample), and all gathered. ops, and over 15 bishops filling the sanctuary of the crowded Cathedral of Bismarck, N.D., and Bishop Chec- hands upon his head signifying their of St. Helena on Nov. 20th. cio, Bishop of Metuchen, N.J., co- unity and conferring upon him the of- ordaining. Abp. Sample, asserted the fice of bishop in the line of Apostolic Before Sample’s homily, the Apostolic significance of the rarely-witnessed Succession. He received the ring, cro- Nuncio (papal ambassador) to the Rite of Ordination of a Bishop by quot- sier, and miter of his office and then United States, Archbishop Christophe ing Vatican II’s Dogmatic Constitution took the cathedra (the bishop’s seat) Pierre exhorted the bishop-elect to, on the Church; “The Order of Bishops as Bishop of the Diocese of Helena to “Go with haste into the mountains.” succeeds the College of Apostles in sustained applause. The same words, from St. Luke’s Gos- teaching authority and pastoral rule; pel, were spoken to Bishop Jean-Bap- indeed, in the order of bishops, the At the close of Mass, Bishop Vetter tiste Brondel as he was commissioned apostolic body continues to perdure… addressed those gathered proclaim- as the first Bishop of Helena in 1884. The Episcopal College, gathered under ing, “Jesus Christ is risen from the The Nuncio then read Pope Francis’ the one head, the Roman Pontiff, dead!” He thanked Almighty God, letter appointing Vetter as shepherd the successor of Peter, expresses the Pope Francis, his brother bishops and of the Church in Western Montana. unity, diversity, and universality of the Msgr. Kevin O’Neil, Rector of the Ca- flock of Christ.” thedral, who has served as Diocesan Archbishop Sample, as Metropolitan Administrator for the past 19 months. of the Ecclesial Province of Portland, After Bishop-Elect Vetter made the ordained and installed Bishop-Elect oath of fidelity, each bishop, archbish- Vetter with Bishop Kagan, Bishop op and cardinal prayerfully laid their Continued Inside: Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena, P.O. Box 1729 Helena, MT 59624 1 Phone: (406) 442-5820 Fax: (406) 442- 5191 Website: www.diocesehelena.org Continued From Page 1: He thanked his parents, Loretta and the late August Vetter, for Diocesan Priest. fostering his faith. He thanked his 11 siblings, 46 nieces and nephews, and 51 great-nieces and nephews, saying, “I count Father Vetter has held it a blessing to be in a big family.” various roles in the Diocese of Bismarck, He pledged to walk in faith including serving on with the young people the Presbyteral Council, of the diocese and to the Priest Personnel Board, priests and deacons of the Vicar for the Perma- diocese, he said, “I look nent Diaconate, Master Fr. Vetter baptizing his niece. forward to helping to build of Ceremonies to the upon the good and inspiring Bishop, and Director of Continuing Education of the Clergy. ministry already taking place here. Let us be strong wit- He served as Director of Spiritual Formation at the Pontifi- nesses of our hope in Jesus cal North American College in Rome, Italy, from July 2012 Christ.” Speaking to the through June 2018. He most recently served as Rector of the faithful, he said, “As the new Cathedral of the Holy Spirit and as a Vice-Chairman of the shepherd of this beautiful Board of Directors of Light of Christ Catholic Schools in Bis- diocese, I look forward to marck, North Dakota. getting to know you better in the coming days as we Just two months before his ordination and installation, then- strive to deepen our friend- Father Vetter ship with the living God dismissed calls Abp. Sample lays hands on Bishop Vetter. through prayer and service from a Washing- to his Church.” In closing ton D.C. number and keeping with his chosen episcopal motto, Bishop Vetter as a telemarketer asked for the intercession of Mary, Mother of the Church, seeking money. before exclaiming, “Fiat, Fiat, Fiat.” When Bishop Kagan of Bis- Road to Episcopal Ordination marck reached out, and kindly Bishop Vetter was born the youngest of 12 children in Linton, encouraged North Dakota, on Sept. 13th, 1967. He attended North Dakota him to respond, State University and Cardinal Muench Seminary in Fargo, Seminarian Austin Vetter introducing his parents to Pope he finally con- North Dakota. After receiving his Bachelor of Arts Degree John Paul II in Rome in 1992. nected with the in Philosophy, he studied at the Pontifical North American Apostolic Nuncio, College and the University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome, Archbishop Christophe Pierre. Abp. Pierre explained that he Italy. He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Bismarck was calling to ask for much more than money before extend- by Bishop John F. Kinney at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in ing Pope Francis’ request that Fr. Vetter become bishop of Bismarck, North Dakota, on Jun. 29th, 1993. Helena. After a moment of silence, he replied, “In faith, yes.” Upon the Oct. 8th announcement of his appointment, Bishop Vetter held a press conference in Helena before returning to Bismarck to prepare for service to Christ and the Church as the 11th Bishop of the Diocese of Helena. Watch the full video of the Mass of Ordination and Installa- tion at www.diocesehelena.org. August and Loretta Vetter and Family. Bishop Vetter is pictured in the back row, first on the left (age 13). His first assignment as a priest was as Parochial Vicar at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit. He was a religion instructor at St. Mary’s Central High School in Bismarck from 1994 to 1999. He then served as pastor of St. Martin’s in Center, North Da- kota; St. Patrick’s in Dickinson, North Dakota; and St. Leo the Great in Minot, North Dakota. From 2004 to 2007, he was an adjunct faculty member for the Institute for Priestly Formation at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, where he taught The Spirituality of the Bishop Vetter bestows his first episcopal blessing upon the congregation. 2 This Newsletter provided in part by the generous donors to the Annual Catholic Appeal. Description of the Coat of Arms of The Most Reverend Austin A. Vetter In accordance with the Roman Catholic Church’s heraldic tradition, the Coat of Arms of a Bishop is normally composed of: • a shield with its charges (symbols) representing family, geographic, religious and historical meanings and/or referring to the name of the Bishop; • a golden processional cross, with one traversal bar, to represent the rank of the Bishop, “impaled” (vertically) behind the shield; • a green hat (galero) with 12 (six on each side) attached tassels, graded 1; 2; 3; from top to bottom; • a banderole (banner) with the motto, printed generally in black, located beneath the shield. Here was chosen a gothic shaped shield, frequently used in Roman Catholic Church heraldry and a processional bottony cross with five red stones to represent the Five Wounds of Our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Motto “F I A T” (Lk 1:38) For his episcopal motto, Bishop Vetter has chosen just this one word, taken directly from the Angelus Prayer found in the Gos- pel of St. Luke, when Mary says her “Yes,” thus beginning the mystery of the Incarnation. By this choice, Bishop Vetter wants to express that in his entire priestly life, and especially now, he is called to assume the fullness of the priesthood with the episco- pate. He places his pastoral service in total trust and obedience to the will of God, as did the Blessed Mother. Blazonry (heraldic description) of the Coat of Arms of Bishop Vetter “Arms impaled. Dexter: chevronny of eight Argent and Vert, a latin cross enfiling an open crown Or. Sinister: Azure, a chevron- wise gemel between a garb Or in dexter chief, a crescent Argent in sinister chief and a wavy barrulet of the last in base” Interpretation In the right side of the shield (in heraldry, right and left are ex- spring of water welling up to eternal life” (John 4:14) and the Mis- changed from the observer point of view since it is customary to souri River which begins in Montana and flows through Bismarck, consider the right and the left side from the perspective of the North Dakota; and a “gemel in chevronwise,” one of them recall- soldier who, in ancient times, held his own shield), we find rep- ing the rafter holding the roof of the church which is set upon the resented the Coat of Arms of the Diocese of Helena: a field of foundation of the apostles with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone alternatingsilver (Argent) and green (Vert) chevrons, a figure best (having the meaning of protection) and the second representing described as an inverted “V”, to heraldically portray the mountain the Rocky Mountains of Montana.