by Therese Horvat
Special to The Leaven
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — If there were a “how to” manual for bishops, no doubt it would feature chapters on managing crisis communications and responding to man-made and natural disasters. In the past, the manual would less likely reference governing a diocese through a worldwide pandemic.
From his personal and pastoral experience of COVID-19, Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann would be an ideal candidate to write that missing chapter.
A man of profound faith and informed discernment, the archbishop demonstrated strong leadership throughout the rapid development and course of the coronavirus and the vaccines to counter it. He did this amid a sea of uncertainty and a storm of differing opinions. He applied his characteristic leadership strengths to navigate uncharted waters with hope and steadfastness to his ministry as shepherd of the people of northeast Kansas.
“Archbishop Naumann was excellent at keeping the most important things — the mission of the church and doing what was best for children, families and individuals — at the center of discussions and decisions,” said Vince Cascone, superintendent of archdiocesan Catholic schools and division secretary for family and child formation.
Listener, learner, discerner
Dr. Paul Camarata, a member of the COVID Medical Advisory Committee that the archbishop consulted, agreed.
“The great thing about the archbishop,” said Camarata, “was that he realized his job was to be a true successor of the apostles — teaching, governing and sanctifying the faithful.”
Chairman of the department of neurosurgery at the University of Kansas Medical Center and clinical chief of neurosurgery at University of Kansas Hospital, Camarata recalls that the archbishop listened patiently and absorbed the information presented in the committee’s virtual meetings. Prayerful discernment followed to help him make the best decisions he could.
The archbishop turned to a range of experts, including the Medical Advisory Committee and the Archdiocesan Ethics Committee. He listened to people on all sides of the many issues that arose — masks, social distancing, disruption of celebration of the Mass, school closings, the vaccines, etc. From the outset of COVID-19 to its winding down, Archbishop Naumann urged people to follow guidelines issued by the CDC and local and state health departments. His columns in The Leaven encouraged readers to exercise prudence regarding their own health and concern for the common good — all in a spirit of charity.
Deacon Mike Moffitt of St. Paul Parish in Olathe and a member of the ethics committee, said he considers Archbishop Naumann remarkable for his ability to manage multiple responsibilities and challenges with calmness.
He said the archbishop encouraged dialogue among differing opinions in their committee meetings, then took back the input to pray on it.
“Everything he did was thoughtful and prayed over,” said Deacon Moffitt. “He was also a humble person who made you feel comfortable when you talked with him.”
Painful as the decision must have been to their pastoral and sacramental leadership roles, the archbishop and the bishops of Kansas announced cancellation of all public Masses and limitations to the numbers of persons attending baptisms and funerals. These restrictions were in effect from March 17 to May 9, 2020. Throughout this time, the archbishop fostered hope and used the challenges of COVID as a teaching opportunity.
Bearer of hope
Franchiel Nyakatura, educator and member of Our Lady & St. Rose Parish in Kansas City, Kansas, remembers the disbelief she felt when she first heard that Masses were suspended due to COVID.
“I couldn’t believe it,” she recalls. “Nothing could cause this to happen.”
When she tuned into the archbishop’s Sunday Mass broadcast from the Cathedral of St. Peter in Kansas City, Kansas, however, her hope was restored.
“I felt safe and secure in my faith because I saw someone familiar,” she explained. “Seeing Archbishop Naumann standing strong and elevating the host, I knew that everything was going to be okay.”
Leaven production manager Todd Habiger, who helped make possible the daily Masses via the archbishop’s Facebook page from the chapel of his home, agreed that the liturgies were uplifting. Moreover, the “Facebook” Masses introduced the archbishop to his flock in a more personal way.
Serving as director of Savior Pastoral Center and of the archdiocesan digital media center during the pandemic, Tim Chik credits Archbishop Naumann with identifying the need to offer these Masses and his willingness to use technology for this purpose.
In 2020, in addition to the Facebook Live Masses from the archbishop’s residence, the liturgies of Holy Week, Divine Mercy Sunday and the ordination of two priests were livestreamed.
Chik, now of St. Louis, said that “this allowed the archbishop — as spiritual pastor of the archdiocese — to teach the Gospel to the faithful, to shepherd them during this difficult time and to provide spiritual nourishment.”
“Technology was not the first language of the archbishop,” said Chik. But broadcasting the celebration of the Mass opened his eyes to the potential of technology in both worship and evangelization. The livestreamed Masses Archbishop Naumann offered for more than three months typically drew 2,000 viewers and sometimes more than 7,000.
Teacher, advocate
Required to lead on many different fronts, Archbishop Naumann used several opportunities during the pandemic to teach and to advocate, always from a faith perspective. He shared the knowledge gleaned from consultations with experts and from his own research. He explained the rationale behind his decisions. He modeled leadership by following the best practices espoused by public health officials — wearing a mask; limiting participation in major liturgical observances such as the May 2020 ordination; and being vaccinated.
He often identified spiritual silver linings behind the challenges COVID presented. Early on, Archbishop Naumann invited people to think of the pandemic as a moment to “get off the treadmill of our overscheduled lives and to focus our undivided attention on those we love the most.”
He viewed the imposed isolation as an opportunity for people to open their hearts to God, to become more prayerful and to deepen their appreciation for privileges taken for granted, such as the Eucharist. He suggested that the pandemic presented an opportunity for Catholics to evangelize as witnesses of hope and joy.
In communications with civic officials, Archbishop Naumann emphasized the importance of Catholics being able to attend Mass. He had the foresight to recognize that the economically disadvantaged would be the hardest hit by COVID, and he stressed the responsibility to assist those who suffered negative impacts.
Likewise, he anticipated mental health concerns that could stem from isolation and economic pressures. In the spirit of his messages, archdiocesan offices and ministries responded to widespread and diverse needs. This included a group of priests who volunteered to be trained to serve as COVID-19 chaplains in hospitals that did not have priest chaplains and to hear confessions and anoint the sick in designated regions of the archdiocese.
Delegator, giver of thanks
Through individual conversations and meetings of the Administrative Team, leaders across all areas of the archdiocese remained attuned to the archbishop’s sense of the mission of the church. Cascone says that as he did throughout his time in office, Archbishop Naumann trusted those he had hired to make decisions.
The archbishop also provided tremendous support and gave credit where credit was due. Cascone believes it was a source of joy and pride for the archbishop that archdiocesan schools reopened for the entire 2020-21 academic year.
“He repeatedly said how proud and grateful he was of our teachers,” Cascone said.
The archbishop often expressed gratitude to the ministries and roles that helped sustain the faith life and services of the church across the many months of the pandemic. These included priests and lay leaders in parish communities, front-line health professionals, social service staff, youth ministers, catechists, educators and more. He readily acknowledged gratitude for the funding for parishes, schools and ministries received from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. He said that these resources allowed ministries to proceed in the absence of weekly parish collections and permitted the church to honor its mission.
Steadfast leader, incredible ‘father’
From his eight years as a seminarian and from his unique perspective of being ordained during the pandemic, Father Anthony Mersmann values the archbishop as “an incredible spiritual father and shepherd.” This relationship and bond were fully realized and crystallized during the May 23, 2020, ordination Mass.
“At the powerful moment of ordination, I experienced that my priesthood was anchored in the archbishop’s priesthood,” Father Mersmann said.
Now serving as associate pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Shawnee and chaplain of Bishop Miege High School in Roeland Park, Father Mersmann explained that he always felt at home and comfortable in his interactions and exchanges with Archbishop Naumann. He describes him as having a good sense of humor and as being a good conversationalist. He also was a calm and peaceful presence. The archbishop, he said, was consistent, grounded and steadfast.
“In a culture of sound bites and as someone who discerns really well, the archbishop delivered truth in a grounded way,” Father Mersmann said, elaborating that he didn’t resort to statements with shock value. Nor did he back down from addressing controversial issues even in the face of criticism.
Nyakatura agreed.
“He stood firm in teaching what he believed to be the truth in the church,” she said. “He valued and promoted the dignity of all persons.”
