Cathedral Basilica of Saint Augustine welcomes 11th bishop since 1870

Bishop Erik T. Pohlmeier officially took possession of his cathedral church, the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine, Sunday morning, pledging to “stand in the breach” calling on the power of God to protect the flock, and asking them to respond to God with all their hearts.

Pohlmeier, 51, formerly pastor of Christ the King Parish in Little Rock, Arkansas, was ordained as a bishop on Friday and installed that same day as the 11th bishop of the Diocese of St. Augustine. He has been a priest for 24 years. Archbishop Thomas Wenski of the Archdiocese of Miami led the ceremony, which took place at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Jacksonville, the largest church in the diocese.

Pohlmeier succeeds Bishop Felipe J. Estevez who led the diocese for 11 years.

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The Diocese was founded March 11, 1870, with Agustin Verot appointed the first bishop.

Sunday’s 11 a.m. Mass at the cathedral began with Pohlmeier raising a mallet and knocking three times on the front door, a sound that resonated through the packed church. The Rev. John Tetlow, rector/pastor of the Cathedral Parish, opened the door and the procession of priests and deacons led Pohlmeier to the sanctuary.

“What a wonderful moment this is,” Tetlow said in his welcome to Pohlmeier during the Mass. “On behalf of the city of St. Augustine, the community of the first parish in the United States, we welcome you with great joy.”

Tetlow acknowledged the deep roots of faith in St. Augustine at Mission Nombre de Dios, where the city and the parish were founded on Sept. 8. 1565. He told Pohlmeier the parish looks forward “to you leading us more deeply into the sacred mysteries (of the faith).”

Honoring tradition

Pohlmeier, in his homily, spoke of the “wonderful historic reality” of being in St. Augustine where the faith was brought to these shores in 1565.

He shared the newness of being a bishop, saying there are “literally multiple hats and that I have to know when to put them on and how to keep them on … and where are the best coffee shops around … so many things I am learning” as a bishop.

“Why does all this matter? Do I really need all these different kind of clothes that I have to wear? Why are there more rules about certain things?”

He said they matter because it reminds Catholics that “we are part of a bigger, more global community even beyond Our Lord coming to these shores.”

He spoke of the symbol of the crozier, the shepherd’s staff that bishops carry, symbolic of leading the flock.

“At times I will need that staff to fend off the enemy to protect the flock. At other times, I will use it to rein in the sheep.”

He called his becoming a bishop “an unbelievable honor.”

A practical learning for him is how to carry the crozier in one hand and raising his right hand in blessing the people as he walks down the aisle in procession.

As he closed his remarks, he said, “Be sure of this: Your life, your needs, will be raised to God by your shepherd.”

Later at a reception, he described the day as “grace-filled,” and said he was “ready to get to work.”

The Most Rev. Thomas S. Willis, pastor of St. Mark the Evangelist Mission in northwest St. Johns County, is director of liturgy for the diocese of St. Augustine.

He said the ritual of taking possession of the cathedral happens when a bishop is installed in a church or somewhere other than the cathedral church. Different reasons exist for the decision to hold the ceremony elsewhere.

In this case, the cathedral seats just under 1,000 whereas St. Joseph’s capacity is 2,000-plus, the largest church in the diocese. It allowed for the larger crowd of priests, church dignitaries from Florida, Arkansas and Washington, and Catholics invited to represent their parishes from throughout northeast Florida.

A family in faith

A diocesan spokeswoman estimated Sunday’s crowd at 850. Among those attending were Pohlmeier’s numerous family members, led by his parents, Sharon and Tom, of Paris, Arkansas.

Sharon Pohlmeier said she never expected her son to be a bishop. When he became a priest, she said, she was not completely surprised because he is always so open to what God wants him to do. “I think he will be a great bishop.”

Tom Pohlmeier is a permanent deacon at his parish, St. Joseph in Paris, Arkansas. He participated in the Mass.

“I was just overwhelmed by all of it. When he knocked on the door, I said, ‘This is the final thing. This is it.’”

Tom became a deacon after his son was ordained. “He had a lot of influence on me. We are proud and sentimental … he is still our son. We know he will do a good job as bishop.”

His brother, Jason, also is a deacon and participated in Sunday’s Mass.

Rev. Mark Stengel, OSB, is a member of Subiaco Abbey in Subiaco, Arkansas, and Pohlmeier’s second cousin. The Pohlmeiers live 5 miles from the Abbey.

“I played with my cousin on their farm as a boy,” he said.

Over the years, they have stayed close. He is excited for him in his new role and believes the people in the Diocese will respond well to his leadership.

Parishioners are pleased

Debbie Walker, an usher at the Mass Sunday, said Pohlmeier’s homily was “absolutely so light- infusing. I feel like I know this bishop, like he has been my best friend forever. I just want to sit and talk to him. He is funny, smart, good-looking, totally amazing.”

Patty Mark, a member of the cathedral choir, said she first heard the news from friends in Little Rock where he was their pastor.

“They were sad to lose him but were happy for St. Augustine. I knew it was a good choice,” she said. “I was impressed by his candor, humility, sense of humor and enthusiasm for St. Augustine and the Diocese.”

Cheryl Kavanaugh, a lector and volunteer in Cathedral Parish, said Pohlmeier gave her a “sense of trust, energy and motivation. I feel we have a true shepherd. He instilled in us the idea that we need to do more, not just come to church on Sunday, but to reach out every day and help others.”

St. Augustine is the mother diocese of the seven in Florida, according to spokeswoman Kathleen Bagg. It has a Catholic population of more than 153,000 in 17 counties in northeast and north central Florida. The Diocese of Little Rock has approximately 154,000 Catholics in Arkansas’ 75 counties.

This article originally appeared on St. Augustine Record: St. Augustine cathedral welcomes 11th bishop since 1870