Bishop Robert J. Fisher elevates the Eucharist during “24 Hours for the Lord” last year at the National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica in Royal Oak. (Photos by Mike Stechschulte | The Michigan Catholic) Everybody but Fr. Ryan Adams, who started to fret over the “harmless” jokes he played on Fr. Fisher, the basilica’s rector and pastor.
Bishop Gerard W. Battersby gives a homily with Bible in hand at St. Mary of Redford Parish in Detroit. “I thought about the dumb jokes I played on him, putting caution tape around his office, just things we do to have fun,” Fr. Adams said. “I began thinking, ‘I just made fun of the next bishop; this is how I get sent to Guam or the Cayman Islands.’”
Jokes aside, Fr. Adams and the rest of the staff at Shrine were thrilled that Fr. Fisher, along with Fr. Gerard Battersby, were to be named the next auxiliary bishops of the Archdiocese of Detroit.
“Besides worrying about all the stupid jokes, I thought, this man is going to be wonderful as a bishop,” Fr. Adams said. “He has the gift of being an administrator, but also has the unique gift of practicing pastoral charity.”
The announcement has been met with great approval from clergy and others across the archdiocese. And the men and woman who’ve worked with the two men can easily explain why people are so excited about their promotions.
“I felt very blessed in being able to work with Bishop Battersby,” said Msgr. Todd Lajiness, rector of Sacred Heart Major Seminary, where Bishop Battersby serves as vice rector. “Bishop Battersby has a tremendous wisdom and wit and has this great virtue.”
As rector, Msgr. Lajiness often worked with Bishop Battersby in the formation process for the next generation of priests.
“A primary part of the vice rector position is to be a coordinator for all the formation and evaluations for the men in the seminary,” Msgr. Lajiness said. “There is a lot of organization that goes into that, the practical day-to-day organization. But there’s also the spiritual side of the evaluations, working with men going through their discernment.”
Bishop Battersby served as pastor of St. Christopher Parish in Detroit and later as pastor of St. Mary of Redford Parish while he was serving as vice rector.
“He’s been immersed in the training of priests and what it’s like to be a pastor, the challenges pastors face,” Msgr. Lajiness said. “He not only encourages men to grow in holiness, but he shows what contemporary ministry looks like.”
Royal Oak Shrine High School principal James Mio said it’s a great blessing for the archdiocese to have an auxiliary bishop with experience as the pastor of a school, where Mio says Bishop Fisher practiced day-to-day management skills in caring for the parish community.
“Bishop Fisher is a great advocate for the schools; he wants our schools at Shrine to be a success,” Mio said. “I find him very patient when I have a concern or a question. He’s able to be calm and cool. He also is great at listening, great at hearing people’s requests and needs of the community, and that’s a fantastic skill for a bishop to have.”
Fr. Adams adds that being the pastor of Shrine, one of the largest parishes in the archdiocese, is a natural proving ground for a potential bishop, given the size and diversity of the parish community.
“During my first year at Shrine, I learned so many things as a newly ordained priest, sometimes going too far in my zeal,” Fr. Adams said. “Bishop Fisher knows how to be forthright, how to be direct. You know what he thinks, and you know how he feels. He can be firm, but in a way that’s gentle, that doesn’t leave you discouraged.”
Fr. Richard Cassidy, weekend associate at St. Mary of Redford Parish, worked with Bishop Battersby both at the northwest Detroit parish and at the seminary. Fr. Cassidy said Bishop Battersby’s patience and willingness to work with so many different people in the parish will serve him well as a bishop.
"He’s very sensitive to the needs of a good worship space and good rectory meeting space,” Fr. Cassidy said. “He was reaching out constantly to each person in the congregation; he really felt this parish was a key parish, which really needs to have a spiritual grounding if it was going to survive.”
The people who ministered next to Bishops Battersby and Fisher are excited that “one of their own” are entering the episcopal ranks after seeing personally the passion and commitment they have brought to their assignments.
“I’m excited one of our own is going to be a minster to the universal Church,” Fr. Adams said. “People should know he has a very pastoral care of people and where they are coming from.”
Mio said he’s a little sad to see Bishop Fisher eventually depart from Shrine, but noted that schools across the archdiocese are gaining a great ally.
“Every day, I thank Bishop Fisher for all he has done in his ministry with the school,” Mio said. “He’s just an honest and open guy. We’re going to hate to lose him, but we’re excited about Msgr. Robert McClory coming to Shrine. It’s exciting to know we have a former pastor that’ll be downtown, it’s like we got an in. He’s a great guy who has a great sense of humor, and we know he’ll do wonders for the archdiocese.”
Related stories
For more stories about the ordination and background of the Archdiocese of Detroit's new auxiliary bishops, Bishop Robert Fisher and Bishop Gerard Battersby, check out The Michigan Catholic's special section.
