By Paula Day

Themes of trust, hope, sorrow, admiration, love, were woven into a prayer service honoring Archbishop Eugene A. Marino July 24 at Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Decatur.

Approximately 60 people attended the service planned by seminarian Frank Forts, a seminarian for the archdiocese. The pastor, Father Richard Wise, assisted by Deacons Alfred Mitchell and Jerry Lett, conducted the service.

Words of the opening hymn, "We've come this far by faith, leaning on the Lord, trusting in His word, he's never failed me yet," sounded a hopeful note for many in the congregation saddened by the resignation of Archbishop Marino as their chief pastor.

Enlarging on the Gospel parable about the banquet guest who took the last seat and was invited to "Come up higher" by his host, Father Wise pointed out that God had called such special chosen ones as Abraham, Moses, the prophets, and St. Peter to "Come up higher." This calling had meant acceptance of the cross.

"The cross will come," Father Wise said. "Trials will be many. We're not to run and hide from the vicissitudes of this life. We are to embrace the cross."

Father Wise pointed out that Archbishop Marino could have held back from his people and avoided the stress of service.

"It may seem to some that the archbishop's ministry here ended in failure," the priest said. "It would appear this humble man has suffered the ultimate in the loss of his bishopric. But in fact, God has said to him, 'Come up higher.'

"Our faith is not based on status, on wealth, on prosperity," the priest continued, "but on the cross, the glory that comes from humility."

But when "sadness and confusion and despair and a lack of clarity and direction" have caused "the diocese to be in kind of a quagmire, God sends to us yet another bishop, Bishop Lyke." Some years ago Father Wise had met the young Franciscan priest in Cleveland at a conference for black Catholics. He was impressed then by his enthusiasm and air of confidence.

"It is not a case of a black bishop is a black bishop is a black bishop," the priest remarked, paraphrasing Gertrude Stein. "Archbishop Marino's background in pastoral Biloxi, MS, prepared him to see the goodness of those in confusion. In his goodness, he saw goodness in all."

On the other hand for Bishop Lyke, growing up on the southside of Chicago, survival meant realistically sizing up those around him. There he "learned to accept the foibles of humanity and to forgive."

"We pray for the man who left us, but we do not grieve much longer because we trust in the providence of God. We wait in hope. We prepare, with prayer and fasting and works of mercy and seeking after justice ... We hope in a future that has yet to bear fruit," Father Wise concluded.

In their reflections during the prayer service, parishioners Janie Tinsley and Deacon Alfred Mitchell remembered Archbishop Marino's personal touch. He was "at home with little old ladies" as well as with her 22-year-old son, Mrs. Tinsley recalled. Deacon Mitchell remembered the "special tap on my head" when Archbishop Marino blessed him before the deacon proclaimed the Gospel and the "very big hug" from the archbishop at the vesper service before the installation Mass.

Mrs. Tinsley repeated her mother's saying, "You can tell the character of a man when you look at the people he wears." Deacon Mitchell concluded, "The archbishop wore all of us very well."

Sacred Heart parishioners Ed and Ella Sheppard attended the prayer service. Afterward Mrs. Sheppard explained, "He meant a lot to people. I felt a real loss at his illness, his leaving. I had a real need to come."

"The archbishop was such a special person," commented George Collins from St. Jude the Apostle parish in Sandy Springs. "I felt his real love for everybody and I just feel like we ought to give some of it back.

"Probably he was trying to work too hard for us. That's why he's in the shape he's in. I feel we should be doing more diocesan-wide to pray for him so we can give back to him a little bit of what he gave to us."

"As a black Catholic who grew up in Atlanta and in a black parish," explained Hilliard Lee of St. Paul of the Cross, "I felt a need to be a part of a celebration for someone I admire. He brought so much to us that it was my way of saying 'thank you' to a faithful servant for his service to us. 'Thank you.'"