A Special Supplement to the Catholic Star Herald September 27, 2019 Bishop Dennis J. Sullivan Celebrating the 15th Anniversary of Bishop Sullivan’s Episcopal Ordination S2 Catholic Star Herald Bishop Dennis J. Sullivan September 27, 2019 Becoming a bishop in New York, 2004 n June 28, 2004, in Washington, Archbishop O Gabriel Montalvo, apostolic nuncio announced that Pope John Paul II had appointed two new auxiliary bishops for the Archdiocese of New York. They were Msgr. Gerald T. Walsh, pastor of Saint Elizabeth Parish in New York City, and Msgr. Dennis J. Sullivan, pastor of Saint John and Paul Parish in the New York City sub- urb of Larchmont, N.Y. Bishop-designate Sullivan’s words at the time were a clear indication of his personal vision and how it would shape his episcopal ministry years later when he became Camden’s eighth ordinary. “All I have known and loved for my 33 years as a priest is parish work,” Bishop-designate Sullivan said in a June 28 statement. “I am a parish priest — at heart a pastor. I pray that the Lord continue to strengthen me for this new pastoral service.” Bishop-designate Sullivan, 59 at the time, was born March 17, 1945, in New York City. He went to Iona College and earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Saint Joseph’s Photos by Chris Sheridan, courtesy of Catholic New York Seminary in Yonkers, N.Y. He was Bishop Dennis Sullivan and Bishop Gerald T. Walsh are ordained auxiliary bishops of New York in Saint Patrick’s ordained to the priesthood in 1971. Cathedral on Sept. 21, 2004. Afterward, he went on a mission expe- rience in the Dominican Republic. They also heard the call of Christ, He received his first pastorate in answered it and remained faithful to it 1982 at Saint Teresa Parish in New throughout years of service as priests, York City, where he stayed until he he said. Now they have heard a call was assigned as pastor of Saint John “from the Lord and Pope John Paul II” and Paul Parish. He was named a mon- to serve as bishops and to carry out the signor in 1999. mission of the apostles, “repeating all Bishop-designate Sullivan, along that has been revealed, completely, with Bishop-designate Walsh, was accurately,” he added. ordained a bishop in Saint Patrick’s Like Saint Matthew, Bishops Walsh Cathedral, New York, on Sept. 21, and Sullivan responded to Christ and 2004. The two men received standing “left all things,” the cardinal said. ovations before and after the rite of They chose to forgo secular careers ordination. and families of their own to ”embrace Cardinal Edward M. Egan of New a wider family, the mystical body of York ordained them and was the cele- Jesus Christ.” brant and homilist at a Mass before a He said that he was asking the new congregation of about 2,200 including bishops also to leave behind any con- family, friends and parishioners of the cerns about their worthiness, hesitation new bishops. about saying yes, or fears they might Cardinal Egan welcomed the congre- Bishop Sullivan gives his remarks in both English and Spanish. As a pastor have. gation on “this very happy day when whose parish included Asian immigrants, he also offered a greeting in Chinese. Like Cardinal Egan, Bishop Sullivan the Lord gives us two new successors would reference Saint Matthew years to the apostles.” later when Pope Benedict XVI sent Each of the new bishops spoke to Teresa’s included Asian immigrants, Tax collectors were shunned by the him to Camden. He referred specifical- the people just before the Mass con- also offered a greeting in Chinese. Jews, the cardinal explained, because ly to Caravaggio’s painting “The cluded. Bishop Sullivan expressed his In his homily Cardinal Egan noted they collected money from their own Calling of Saint Matthew,” which fea- “fidelity and gratitude” to the pope, that the ordination took place on the people for the despised Romans and tures a humbled apostle who finds promised full cooperation with feast of Saint Matthew the Apostle, because they were considered to be rit- himself literally and figuratively in the Cardinal Egan’s ministry, and told his and said a more fitting day could not ually impure, so the people were light of Christ. fellow bishops, '”I am humbly among have been chosen, particularly because shocked when Matthew was called, but At the 2013 installation Mass, you as one of you.”' of the way Saint Matthew was called. he rose and followed Christ. Bishop Joseph Galante presented Underscoring the varied cultures that According to the Gospel, Christ was “It was all very uncomplicated, Bishop Sullivan with a reproduction of make up the archdiocese and their own walking beside the Sea of Galilee immediate, free of drama,” the cardi- the painting as a gift. linguistic fluency, both bishops spoke when he saw Matthew — a Jewish tax nal said, and he compared Matthew’s in English and Spanish. Bishop collector known as Levi — and said to response to that of Bishops Walsh and Contributing to this story was Sullivan, whose parishioners at Saint him, “Follow me.” Sullivan. Catholic News Service. September 27, 2019 Bishop Dennis J. Sullivan Catholic Star Herald S3 S4 Catholic Star Herald Bishop Dennis J. Sullivan September 27, 2019 HAPPY ANNIVERSARY BISHOP SULLIVVAAN! THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGEMENT! #$ '! #$ '! #0%' # $23$'!#!+*%! # !$## %!,.*!#$&#!(## #!%#.$$%!0 !##*%)$%$*%#$#*%'## #**%! !#$*#$"+0 #$)##-*%! !#*$1$0 !+ %$! !#/ $0# $!+/$0# 0 September 27, 2019 Bishop Dennis J. Sullivan Catholic Star Herald S5 A bishop driven by his love of pastoral work By Carl Peters CAMDEN — During a conversation that lasted more than an hour, and ranged from the beauty of William Butler Yeats’ poetry to the vitriolic rhetoric now common on social media and in political debate, Bishop Dennis Sullivan often circled back to a favorite topic: his love of the priest- hood. The bishop recently celebrated the 15th anniversary of his episcopal ordi- nation and agreed to sit down for a rare interview in his office on the fifth floor of the chancery on Sept. 24. The office view looks east toward the Philadelphia skyline, but for almost seven years the bishop’s attention has been pointed in another direction, on the Catholic parishes, schools and min- istries in the six counties of South Jersey. Yet his time as a bishop was even longer in New York, where he was an auxiliary serving both Cardinal Edward Egan and Cardinal Timothy Dolan. While he has remained a fan of New York sports teams — his answer Bishop Dennis Sullivan poses for a photo after celebrating Mass at Wildwood Catholic High School on Sept. 23. “I love to the question of whether he has going to schools to visit,” he says. become a Philadelphia fan was an emphatic and simple “No! N-O” — the bishop, a native of the Bronx, feels ministry was strong in Camden City more than at home in South Jersey. when he came to New Jersey, but he “I love it here. It’s been wonderful. “We have to get the message learned the diocese had to extend that South Jersey will always be part of my work when he traveled the diocese and future,” he said. “I’m very much a realized how extensive the Hispanic Camden priest. They are my brothers.” out about the joy of the population is in other areas, such as The bishop’s recurring emphasis on Bridgeton and Vineland. the priesthood seems to have less to do priesthood, the joy of Again emphasizing the need to con- with the distinction between ordained nect with people, not just communicate men and the laity than the interaction with them, he said the ability of minis- between them. For the bishop, who is serving people.” ters to speak Spanish should be only the chief administrator of the diocese part of the church’s response. Also as well as its spiritual leader — whose important is understanding Latino cul- schedule is jammed with paperwork “As a bishop, I don’t often have And another student at a different tures and respecting the differences and meetings — the church’s work is, opportunities like that.” school who scored a perfect 800 on his among them, he said. above all, personal. “I love confirmations. They’re won- math SAT. “I love to go to schools to As a New York pastor, Bishop Bishop Sullivan came to Camden derful,” he continued. “But I don’t visit,” the bishop said. Sullivan ministered in diverse parishes. from the sprawling New York know the names of the children and I Catholic schools have been one of When he got the phone call informing Archdiocese where, as vicar general, don’t know their families. As a pastor, the bishop’s main priorities during his him that Pope John Paul II was nam- he had to make difficult decisions, I knew something about every student time in Camden. “I wish we didn’t ing him a bishop, he was shocked. “I including the closure of parishes. But about to be confirmed. As a bishop, have to charge a penny for Catholic said to the nuncio, ‘You must have the in his first appearance in Camden, you are not present to the people in education,” he said, noting that he wrong Sullivan.’ There were many after being appointed the successor to that way.” understands tuition costs are simply Sullivans in New York.” Bishop Joseph Galante, he said he And yet, he tries to be present as prohibitive for some families. He said he found it hard to leave would lead the diocese as a pastor, and much as possible, putting in long work “We know what we’re doing, and parish life, but “your life changes and he still talks like one.