Miami archbishop Thomas Wenski has recently celebrated his silver anniversary as a bishop.
Archbishop Wenski’s 25th Anniversary
In an article from the Florida Catholic, Archbishop. Wenski celebrated his 25th year in bishophood through a Mass.
The celebration was held on Sept. 3 and was attended by his family, close friends, and bishops from other states including Florida, Haiti, Jamaica, and the Bahamas.
Along with the late Bishop Gilberto Fernandez, known as his “twin,” they were ordained as auxiliary bishops of Miami in a trilingual Mass: English, Spanish, and Creole.
They were ordained by then Miami Archbp. John C. Favalora, and he would succeed as the archbishop of Miami.
Archbp. personally requested the date of his ordination for it also marks his parents’ golden wedding anniversary, as reported.
Archbishop’s Reflection
A few weeks before the archbishop’s 25th year anniversary, he was reportedly featured in the archdiocesan podcast, “What the Faith, Miami? y Cuéntame Católico.”
The archbishop compared his experience as a bishop and as a priest, as he spent longer in bishophood than in priesthood.
As stated, as a parish priest, he would witness the changes in the community he served. He will also have the opportunity to know them and their stories.
In return, they will also know who he really is as a God's servant. As a bishop, people in the community may know him, but he does not know many of them. He does not know their stories, as much as he did in the parish.
He also added that one of the huge roles of being a bishop was “a lot of meetings.”
As narrated, being a bishop means that he would be responsible in the universal church, not only for one local parish, unlike priests.
Also, Archbp. Wenski remembered the joy and the difficulties he experienced in bishophood as he looked back on his priesthood.
He also reminded the Miami priest, “Don’t take for granted this growing, vibrant Church. Don’t neglect to see the people who are bleeding away.”
Additionally, the archbishop misses his closeness with the people which loses, when he became a bishop.
The archbishop spent 25 years as a bishop, and 18 years as a priest serving most of those years at Notre Dame d’Haiti Mission in Miami.
About Archbishop Thomas Wenski
Based on the Archdiocese of Miami website, Archbp. Thomas Wenski was born on Oct. 18, 1950, at West Palm Beach in Miami.
Archbp. was known as the first Florida native bishop who was serving the state when he was ordained as a bishop on September 3, 1997.
He was first ordained as a priest on May 15, 1976, for the Archdiocese of Miami, and eventually appointed as a titular bishop of Kearney and auxiliary bishop of Miami, in 1997.
The archbishop became the coadjutor bishop of Orlando on July 1, 2003. He also became the bishop of Orlando on November 13, 2004.
Moreover, he also served as the apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee, from March 2011 to June 2012.
As reported, the archbishop earned his Associate in Arts degree at St. John Vianney Seminary, Miami, and a Bachelor in Arts and Master of Divinity degree at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary, Boynton Beach.
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