'Take a deep breath' and rise to the call of Christ, Cincinnati's new archbishop urges faithful

(OSV News) -- The new shepherd of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati April 3 tied a story of learning to swim as a boy, "attempting to float but sinking like a rock," to embracing the journey into the "deep water" of faith.

Archbishop Robert G. Casey recalled that boyhood challenge in the homily during his installation Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter in Chains, succeeding Archbishop Dennis M. Schnurr, 76.

Led by a contingent of Knights of Columbus, more than 30 bishops and about 250 priests, deacons and seminarians processed into the cathedral for the two-hour liturgy, with Archbishop Casey as the principal celebrant and Archbishop Schnurr, Cardinal Blase J. Cupich of Chicago and Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the U.S., as concelebrants.

A congregation of about 1,000 filled the cathedral and included family and friends of the new archbishop, as well as civic, interfaith and ecumenical leaders, local college presidents, men and women religious, representatives of ministries of the archdiocese, Knights and Dames of the Holy Sepulchre, Knights and Ladies of Peter Claver and members of the Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great.

Attendees also included more than 350 parishioners representing the 199 parishes of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.

In his homily, the future archbishop recalled that he was 10 and his younger brother was 8 when their parents decided it would be a good idea for them to take swimming lessons at the local high school.

While he struggled to even float in the shallow end, "there in the deep end of the pool was my younger brother. Having already advanced through all the levels of training, he was now leaping off the high dive to the thunderous applause of every man, woman and child in that pool," the archbishop recalled. "Would I ever get there? Could I find my way and learn to swim, not only to float but to swim confidently into those deep waters?"

"I finally did find my way to that deep end of the pool, and I believe this is the challenge of our discipleship -- how do we go from being rocks that sink to living stones rising to our call?" he asked.

"Our journey in these days of Lent is another attempt for us to learn to swim," he continued.

"Through our prayer, our fasting and our abstinence, we unburden ourselves from that which weighs us down, and we follow Christ into deep water, journeying from sin to grace from death to resurrection. We seek to arrive at Easter renewed, rising up with Christ so that we may boldly proclaim the Good News and build up the kingdom of God. This was the journey of St. Peter, in whose cathedral basilica we gather today."

In declaring that Peter would be the rock upon which he would build the church, Jesus had total confidence that Peter "would have the strength and the stamina, the resolution, the resolve to bear the weight of the church," Archbishop Casey said.

"Yet we know Peter's story. We know how he sank like a stone and could not walk on water. We know how he denied Jesus three times rather than face the fear of the cross," he continued. "We know how he would find himself imprisoned and in chains. How did St. Peter find his way from being a rock that sinks to becoming a living stone rising to his call? St. Peter learned how to breathe. The journey into deep water would no longer scare him. With a deep breath, he could face his fears, center himself in Christ, take in the strength of the Spirit."

"With a deep breath, we too can find the way forward," he said.

As he has embraced "the call of Christ in my life," beginning with his ordination to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Chicago 31 years ago, in 1994, "I've had to learn to breathe deep, not chained by my fears and uncertainties but centering myself in Christ, taking in the strength of the Spirit, the spirit of Pentecost first shared with Peter and the others so long ago that is now shared with me and all of us in baptism."

Archbishop Casey, who had been a Chicago auxiliary bishop since 2018 when he was appointed to Cincinnati Feb. 12, said he is "humbled and grateful" as he answers the call of Pope Francis "to serve as shepherd of this local church in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati."

"I find myself encouraged on this day, excited for the journey ahead, knowing that together we will find the way to be unburdened by the chains that bind us. We will find ourselves centered in Christ and sustained by the Spirit," he said, urging the faithful to "take a deep breath."

"Together may we confidently make our way into deep water, discovering together how Christ can and will transform us -- transform us from rocks that sink to living stones rising to our call."