Bishop Mark O'Connell displays the papal mandate to the congregation at his installation Mass as the 11th Bishop of Albany, New York, on Dec. 5. Pilot photo/courtesy Patrick Dodson
CLIFTON PARK, N.Y. -- Saying that "I am happy when I know I am exactly where God wants me," Bishop Mark O'Connell was officially installed as the 11th Bishop of Albany at St. Edward the Confessor Church in Clifton Park, New York, on Dec. 5.
Bishop O'Connell was co-consecrated by Cardinal Christophe Pierre, who read the Apostolic Mandate from Pope Leo XIV appointing Bishop O'Connell as Bishop of Albany, and Cardinal Timothy Dolan, who seated Bishop O'Connell in his cathedra (Bishop's chair) and handed him his crozier.
After Cardinal Pierre read the mandate just after 2 p.m., Bishop O'Connell then showed it to all present, and with a smile beaming across his face, applause rang out. He then made his way out of the main octagonal sanctuary to the overflow seating and was greeted with more thunderous cheers.
"I wanted to be your bishop more than I can say, I just didn't know your name," said Bishop O'Connell, who was first known as a happy priest and then a happy bishop. "With all my heart I believe the Holy Spirit has led me to this moment and to you. When I look back over my life, I can see how everything has prepared me to serve you, to walk with you, and to love you. You may have noticed I cannot stop smiling today. It was the same at each of my three ordinations. I smile when I am happy, and I am happy when I know I am exactly where God wants me."
Bishop O'Connell succeeds Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger, who was installed in 2014 and led the Diocese of Albany through a tumultuous time, which included the hundreds of abuse cases filed under the Child Victims Act and its bankruptcy in 2023.
While it was frigid outside, nearly 1,000 people packed the church, which included three cardinals, 31 bishops, over 200 priests and deacons, and the faithful of the diocese in the worship space and the overflow section outside of the main doors.
Even before the installation, Bishop O'Connell, who likes to be called Bishop Mark, mingled freely with those in attendance, chatting and hugging the faithful before he was vested. As the start of the Mass was delayed by the sheer number of people trying to get into St. Edward's, there was Bishop Mark again in the main sanctuary talking with religious sisters, chatting with the large contingent from the Archdiocese of Boston and taking photos. And after the Mass, there was a large, heated tent set up, so anyone could meet Bishop O'Connell for a quick chat and photo.
Bishop O'Connell used his motto "Invenimus Messiam" ("We have found the Messiah") as one of the lynchpins of his homily, asking the faithful to find their calling -- to make their mark as it were -- in bringing Jesus to all we meet.
"For too long, we divided the People of God into those who teach and those who learn. Vatican II and the recent call to synodality have reminded us that every one of us is both learner and teacher," he said. "So I call every person in these pews and connected by every means of communication: discover your own unique calling in God's Kingdom and, like St. Andrew, have the courage to proclaim your Messiah to all."
He asked of priests: "Do not be afraid to ask me the hard, unspoken questions like Jude Thaddeus. Do not be afraid to show emotion or to step deeper into intimacy with God. Keep preaching Jesus Christ until your last breath, as Andrew did."
He asked of deacons: "Never take sides, but stand as a bridge -- representing me to the people and the people to me. I need you, and our parishes need your stability as priests come and go."
He asked of consecrated religious: Pray for me, yes, but above all pray for God's people. As St. Francis indicated to his brothers, preach always -- use words when necessary."
He asked of lay leaders: "Do not see your responsibilities as a burden but as a calling. Refuse to join the chorus of negativity. Renew yourselves in prayer and stewardship. Together we will face an uncertain financial future, rebuild what has been damaged, take the punches, get back up, and hand on a living faith to a new generation."
He asked of volunteers: "Love your neighbor first and then serve at the altar. Those who serve as Eucharistic ministers and lectors ... Let your ministry at the altar naturally flow from this service."
He asked of those called to priesthood or consecrated life: "Is God speaking to your heart right now through my poor words? That restless sense that 'something is missing,' that mysterious yet persistent call you keep pushing away -- open your heart and explore it."
And of those wounded by the church: "I know you. I have walked with many of you as priest, canon lawyer, and bishop. ... Let me gently show you Jesus who loves you with an everlasting love. His light is never overcome by darkness, and he is your Messiah as truly as he is mine."
This joyous day, which dawned crystal clear and cold, started at the Desmond Hotel in Albany with brunch. Bishop O'Connell was joined by the cardinals, other bishops and priests, as well as his family, which included his brothers, Thomas and John, and sister, Mary Margaret. The 12-mile chartered bus ride to St. Edward's was slightly delayed by traffic, but once inside, the church was a din of activity. Priests and bishops were milling about, talking with the faithful. Volunteers -- including students from Catholic Central School, Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons School and La Salle Institute -- guided those in attendance to their seats and handed out programs.
Everyone was waiting for Bishop Mark to arrive, when a door opened, heads turned, but it wasn't him. As the clock ticked toward 1 p.m., there was applause, and there he was, smiling and talking, shaking hands. Finally, he was led off to get vested. The Mass, which was supposed to start at 1:30 p.m., was delayed until before 2 p.m. The procession began with honored guests, civic leaders and members from the interfaith community as trumpets blared. Father James J. Kane, the diocesan director of the Commission for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, walked with the Right Reverend Jeremiah D. Williamson, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Albany, and behind him was Rabbi Greg Weitzman of Congregation Beth Emeth in Albany.
Deacons and priests of the Diocese of Albany and the Archdiocese of Boston followed, two by two, as they entered the church they dipped their fingers in the circular baptismal font. The Knights of Columbus Honor guard, the Knights and Dames of Malta, the Ancient Order of Hibernians led in the principal priest concelebrants, who were followed by the visiting bishops, Bishop O'Connell, Bishop Scharfenberger, Cardinal Seán O'Malley, Cardinal Pierre, and Cardinal Dolan.
As soon as the procession ended in the church, Cardinal Dolan, after thanking Bishop Scharfenberger for his 11 years of service to the diocese, said: "I would ask his eminence, Christophe Cardinal Pierre, the apostolic nuncio to the United States to read the very Apostolic Letter appointing Bishop Mark O'Connell as the 11th Bishop of Albany."
Before he read the letter, which was written in Latin but was read in English, Cardinal Pierre also thanked Bishop Scharfenberger for his shepherding of the diocese, which elicited applause from the attendees.
"You begin this mission while we are still receiving the graces of the Jubilee Year of Hope," Cardinal Pierre then told Bishop O'Connell. "As Pope Francis reminded us at the start of the year, quoting St. Paul, hope does not disappoint. You know this from your experience as a priest and as a bishop. ... ... Bishop Mark continue to trust in the gifts of patience, hope and love that come from the death and resurrection of Christ. As your episcopal motto says, 'We have found the Messiah.' This is the most important part of your motto."
Before he continued, Cardinal Pierre wondered why there was a beaver on Bishop Mark's crest, saying "I have seen beavers destroying everything but I have also seen beavers building a lot." He then read the English translation of the letter, appointing a smiling Bishop O'Connell as the 11th Bishop of Albany. As the applause rang out for nearly a minute as Bishop O'Connell held high the mandate for all to see, it was hard not to feel, like he would say later in his homily, that he was right where God wanted him to be.
As Bishop O'Connell neared the end of his homily, he talked about his first day in seminary in 1986, when he wept when he heard the hymn "Here I Am, Lord."
"Here I am, Lord," he said, repeating the last stanza. "Is it I, Lord? I have heard you calling in the night. I will go, Lord, if you lead me. I will hold your people in my heart."
And those were the words that he ended his homily and which he began his time as shepherd of the Diocese of Albany.
"You are the people God has entrusted to me to love and to serve, come what may. There is no hierarchy when we dip our fingers in the same baptismal water," he said. "The People of God includes those who have left us and those that peek in the door. We are one Body, gathered around one Eucharistic table, each of us called to a uniquely personal relationship with Christ.
"I am so lucky to be your new bishop. I will go where my Messiah leads me, and I will hold you forever in my heart."
MIKE MATVEY IS EDITOR OF THE EVANGELIST, THE DIOCESAN NEWSPAPER OF THE DIOCESE OF ALBANY.