When Bishop Designate, the Very Reverend Godfrey Mullen, arrived at St. Theresa’s Catholic Church in Salem over the weekend, he received a standing ovation.
The speaking engagement was already planned before Mullen’s appointment to the Bishop of the Southern Illinois diocese was announced on Friday.
Mullen went to Salem Grade Schools before St. Theresa’s Catholic Grade School opened in time for him to attend sixth grade. He later graduated from Salem Community High School before going to the seminary and then entering the Monastery in Indiana. Mullen has spent the last ten months as Diocesan Administrator.
In an interview with WJBD/WSIQ, Mullen said he had never set a goal to become Bishop.
“I have been blessed to love every assignment I’ve been given, Mullen said. “While there are certain people who I think are very ambitious in the church, and in some ways I think that’s kind of how they’re made… My way of looking at is has always been that I like what I’m doing, and I’m not looking for what the next thing is. When I became administrator, there were a lot of people who kept telling me that I was going to be the bishop, and it was just my goal to keep my vision on what I was called to do each day.”
Mullen says he would continue to work on a Pastoral Plan unveiled two years ago with platforms to provide programs for youth, promote Catholic education, revitalize the parishes, and develop more priests.
“I don’t want us to focus on whether our parishes are going to stay open or closed, I want us to focus on how we build the kingdom of God. How do we become better saints in the world today? One of the first steps will be to help people identify the gifts that they have, both as individuals and as communities.”
Mullen feels his background is perfect for his role.
“In a way, I am a home boy. On the other hand, I’ve been away for a long time, so in my mind it’s a good mix of both, but it was a surprise.”
It was a surprise Mullen could not talk to anyone about after he was informed that he would become the next Bishop. He said he was only allowed to talk to one Bishop, with violation leading to excommunication. Mullen says the City of Salem remains important to him and says it will be represented in his coat of arms.
“When my coat of arms is finished, there will be an olive branch, and that comes from the Hebrew ‘shalom,’ which is the root of where ‘Salem’ comes from, and it means ‘peace.’ That olive branch will be the symbol of Salem in my coat of arms.”
Mullen invited everyone in the community to his installation as Bishop in Belleville on May first. As Bishop, he oversees 99 parishes across the Southern third of the state.
Mullen speaks to visitors at St. Theresa’s Catholic Church. Photo by Bruce Kropp.
