Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde will celebrate his 40^th anniversary in the priesthood on Dec. 18. HERALD Editor Michael F. Flach sat down with the bishop earlier this week and asked him to reflect on that important milestone.

As you near the 40th anniversary of your ordination to the priesthood (Dec. 18), did you ever imagine that you would also be nearing your 20th anniversary as a bishop?

No, I never imagined that. I just wanted to be a priest. I wanted to be a priest since age 8. I felt that is what God was calling me to and that’s all I ever imagined myself to be. In fact, I was involved in some personnel and Tribunal work in the Diocese of Norwich and I was thinking, "Once I finish all of these things, then I look forward to being pastor of a parish in Norwich." There were several parishes that were very nice and I thought, "maybe I’ll go to one of those." But God had other plans.

You’ve achieved numerous milestones in your religious life. Is there one moment that stands out above the others?

In some ways that is difficult to answer. There are many moments. I really think the moment I treasure the most is the moment of being ordained a priest. There is something very unique and special about that. It’s the wonder of God’s choice. As you go through seminary there are many other people who begin with you and, for whatever reason, they discern to leave. I would look at some of them and think, "I don’t know why they are leaving. They are so gifted. They have so many talents. How come I am still here?"

And yet, in the end, it comes down to God’s choice. There’s that mystery of the call. To be ordained a priest is the most significant moment. To be chosen a bishop was a great surprise, but I couldn’t be a bishop if I weren’t a priest.

You were ordained just 10 days following the close of Vatican II. How has that milestone in Church history shaped your priesthood?

Certainly it is a significant milestone. Our late Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, often referred to it as the most significant event in the 20th century. At its roots, the Council was a call to return to holiness, a holiness that would be reflected in how people worshipped, how people practiced their faith and shared their faith, how people interacted in the real world, working with God’s grace to prepare this world for God’s transformation.

I always saw the Council as this fundamental, radical call to holiness. I felt that the Council Fathers tried very much to take the timeless message of the Gospel and adapt it to contemporary society without losing any of the fullness and integrity of the truth, any of its dynamism and power -- trying to have contemporary men and women understand it in ways that were very helpful to them.

The Council was a great moment. For us who were ordained at that time it became a launching pad to further what are the true goals of the Council. Over the years, many people have spoken about what the Council means. That’s why we need to refocus on it, as our late Holy Father enabled us to do and our current Holy Father as well.

As you know, I studied in Rome. It was a great privilege for me to be sent to Rome. Our class went to Rome the year the Council opened. In fact, in those years the custom was that all of us would gather in New York and go over as a class. We were all together and got to know each over during that eight-day trip on the ship. On the ship with us were numerous bishops and archbishops who were going over for the Council. We went over at the end of September. Our class lived through the Council years. Each of the years we were there the Council would meet in the fall. I remember being at the opening of the Council. Somehow I ended up being just feet away from where the procession of bishops was heading up the steps of St. Peter’s Basilica. I remember seeing Archbishop Henry O’Brien of Hartford and Bishop Hines and later, Pope John XXIII.

During those four fall semesters, the U.S. bishops would meet at the North American College in Rome every Monday and some of the speakers they had would also address us later. They were just marvelous years. The fourth session of the Council was on Dec. 8, 1965. The bishops came over for dinner that evening. I remember asking my own bishop, Bishop Hines, if he would consecrate my chalice and he did that. Ten days later I was ordained a priest. It was a very significant time in all our lives, not just mine.

What are some of the most significant changes you’ve witnessed in the Church (liturgy, role of the laity, etc.) as a result of Vatican II?

What I witnessed is the search for the true and authentic meaning of the Council. The liturgy, if we use it as it was intended, has built into moments for reflective silence, moments for us to go to the Lord in that quiet time, as well as us to be bonded together as a community, celebrating our faith. The constant challenge is not only to implement the exterior signs of renewal (like liturgy, for example), but actually to have all of us understand what really is the foundational basis to the Council and that is interior renewal.

In terms of the laity, the Council reminded us that everyone has a mission in the Church. We have that mission out of baptism. The laity have a very definite role as collaborators in the mission of the Church. Another dimension of the Council that needs to be recalled is that we remain a hierarchical Church. There are different roles of service. We collaborate, but we do so in an ordered way. The leaders of the Church are the successors of the Apostles. The priests are the closest collaborators of the bishops. All of us are under the leadership of Peter’s successor, the pope.

I think that a thorough grounding in ecclesiology, that theology of Church, is still needed. In the initial enthusiasm after the Council, which was to be expected, a number of people began to think in ways that weren’t as rooted in the authentic meaning of the Council. I don’t think it was bad will. We need to keep bringing people back to the authentic spirit. There’s a lot of work left for us to do. I’m deeply pleased for the participation of the laity in the mission of the Church because they are in the world. They bring their gifts, talents and holiness for the transformation of the world. Nonetheless, we always need more ordained priests. At every confirmation, I always speak about vocations. I’m clear about saying that above all we need more priests. Why do we need more priests? Because we can’t have the Church without the Eucharist and we can’t have the Eucharist without ordained priests. It’s important for us to have a clear understanding of what the Church is.

If there is anything you could change about your life, what would it be?

If I could change anything, I guess it would be how to manage my schedule in a way that I could get a couple of more things done, not only in terms of work, although I bemoan the fact that there are not enough hours in the day to do all the things that I would like to do, but also to have the schedule that would enable me to make sure I would get sufficient exercise. I have to admit that I’m not the best about that, but should be because we have to preserve our bodies. They are God’s temple. I want to be much holier than I am now. The call to holiness is ever deeper and I just wish I could respond more than I do.

What aspect of the priesthood do you cherish the most?

I cherish bringing to the people the Lord’s Word, and above all, the Lord Himself. Celebrating the Eucharist and giving Communion are the most cherished moments. When anyone comes forward, often the thought crosses my mind that I could not give this person any more precious gift than the Lord Himself. What a gift to give to people. How marvelous the Lord chooses to come to us and how wondrous He uses human beings like priests to give to His people Jesus Himself, truly present, body, blood, soul and divinity. That’s the greatest gift. I do cherish that.

Is there anything else that you’d like to share with our readers regarding this milestone?

Many people have heard me say at confirmations that I know a lot more about being a priest 40 years later than I did on Dec. 18, 1965, just the way married people know more about being married later than they did the day they walked up the aisle. Knowing everything I know about being a priest for 40 years, I’d be a priest all over again in a heartbeat because it is a life of true fulfillment. It’s been wonderful. I always wish I could be a better priest than I am. I thank God for His call and I stand in awe of that. I ask God’s people to pray for me that I might always be a priest after the heart of Christ.