Ralelgh got its new bishop yesterday:

Diocesan staff spent long hours putting together the installation, which included a 150-member choir, hand bells, a 30-piece orchestra and an organ brought in especially for the occasion. The ceremony lasted nearly three hours.

The installation began with the inspection of the papal mandate signed by Pope Benedict XVI naming Burbidge as bishop of Raleigh. Five diocesan priests known as consultors looked over the parchment and nodded, accepting its authenticity. Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory of Atlanta, who heads the southeastern region that includes Raleigh, then escorted Burbidge to the bishop’s chair — a tall wooden throne — situated in the center of the stage.

Once Burbidge sat down and was given a shepherd’s staff, he formally became the head of the diocese.

The Diocese has done an excellent job in communications on the installation – they have almost everything you’d want to know or see online.

From his homily:

Along with having a grateful heart, staying in the hands of Jesus demands a commitment to grow in holiness. What a perfect example we have in the life of Saint John Vianney, whose feast we celebrate today. With God’s grace, this holy and humble man, though challenged intellectually, transformed the village and people he was sent to serve. No wonder he is the patron of parish priests! He constantly reminded those entrusted to his care of the basic spiritual practices that lead us closer to our Lord Jesus. He summarized these practices in this Easter homily:

"Let us break the bonds of sin, let us live in God, let us promise anew fidelity to Jesus Christ, and let us stand firmly in the faith. Then, one day we shall arise gloriously; we shall be transformed, and we shall possess the kingdom that has been prepared for us from the beginning of time."

Like the people Saint John Vianney served, we are called to ongoing conversion and transformation. My brothers and sisters in Christ, may we use this day to renew our commitment to build upon the great foundations that have been established in this diocese and rededicate ourselves to responding to the challenges Saint John Vianney preached to his people. With God’s grace:

Let us break the bonds of sin: St. John Vianney went through the streets, preaching the need for people to turn away from sin and to celebrate God’s forgiveness in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Imagine the ongoing transformation that would take place in our diocese and in our lives if we abandoned those patterns of living that are not of God and sought his pardon with the conviction that no sin or failure is greater than His love and mercy.

Let us live in God especially in prayer and the Eucharist. Saint John Vianney could never understand his parishioners when they told him they were too busy to pray and would ask what could be more important than being and living with God. It is the same message conveyed by Pope John Paul II in his Letter on the Eucharist. He said:

"Christians must be distinguished more than ever by the art of prayer," and then stated, "How can we not feel a renewed need to spend time in spiritual conversation, in silent adoration, in heartfelt love before Christ in the Most Blessed Sacrament."

Imagine the ongoing transformation that would take place in our diocese and in our lives if we allowed time each day to be quiet in the Lord’s presence and discovered a renewed reverence and deeper appreciation for the Eucharist as the source and summit of our lives.

Let us promise fidelity anew to Jesus Christ and stand firmly in our faith. Like many other new bishops, I have been asked, "What is your mission?" and "What are your goals?" The answer is the same for any bishop and for any follower of Christ: the clear and unequivocal proclamation of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom which He has gained for us by his suffering, death and Resurrection.

Imagine the ongoing transformation that would take place in this diocese and in our lives if we were renewed in our commitment to proclaim Jesus with clarity, compassion, conviction and with a strong fidelity to our holy Catholic faith, to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to the teachings of the Church rooted in this Gospel, especially those found in the documents of the Second Vatican Council and the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

We who have been called to stay in the hands of Jesus are also asked to give our hands to Him. This past year I celebrated a Mass during which some who gathered received the Sacrament of Anointing. Most of the people were cancer victims. As I was greeting the people entering the church, one young woman told me of her condition and that there was little hope for recovery. Certainly, I assured her of my prayers and asked if there was anything else I could do. She obviously noticed my sense of helplessness and said, "It is okay, just give me Jesus."

Just as in the days of the disciples and the era in which Saint John Vianney lived, there are so many people in our world who, in spoken words and in the silence of their hearts, are saying to us, "Just give me Jesus. Give me Jesus."