'A priest's priest'

Our Holy Father, Pope Francis, and our Papal Nuncio, Archbishop Christophe Pierre, have presented the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux with a beautiful gift just in time for Holy Week. Your new Bishop, Mario Dorsonville, will arrive in time to walk with you in preparation for Easter. I know your Easter will be especially meaningful this year with your new bishop.

I am so happy for you all to have such a wonderful bishop. My family and I have known Bishop Dorsonville for nearly 20 years. He has been with us to celebrate our happiest times and he has accompanied us through times of sorrow. I am sad to see him move, but I am also overjoyed to know he will be with you to share in your highest and lowest moments. Bishop Dorsonville is a good shepherd, and he is always close to his people.
I first met the bishop when he was a priest in Washington, D.C. I was a board member of a social service agency of the Archdiocese of Washington called El Centro Católico Hispano. We were conducting interviews to hire an executive director. I had a long wish list of qualifications – almost like a Mary Poppins list. I told my friends it was an aspirational list, but I was sure the archdiocese didn’t have any priest that could fulfill each requirement. We gathered in the interview room and Father Dorsonville walked in. As soon as I saw him, I knew he would be the perfect fit for the assignment. My prayers were answered when Father Dorsonville accepted the position.

Father Dorsonville immediately brought warmth and professionalism to the Centro. He quickly assembled volunteers from the Order of Malta to paint the complete interior of the main location of the Centro. His first goal was to reorganize and beautify the Centro’s Chapel. Attendance at daily Mass at the Centro increased straight away. Father Dorsonville’s office was on the top floor, but he spent the majority of those early days in the clinics and social service offices greeting patients and getting to know the Centro staff. His joyful demeanor was infectious. Father Dorsonville spread joy throughout the three locations of the Centro and even to the government officials who regulated it. Father Dorsonville came to be loved and respected by the Centro’s staff and clients.

The Centro Católico Hispano of Washington had always been a special place, welcoming all for care without regard to need, creed or origin. It was founded in 1967 to care for and help immigrants and refugees beginning their lives anew in Washington, D.C., and its Maryland suburbs. Over the years, six priests who headed the Centro became bishops, and two of them are now cardinals. It was therefore no surprise that Father Dorsonville was appointed bishop 10 years after he took on leadership of the Centro.

Father Dorsonville drew volunteers of all ages to the Centro Católico. Over the years all of our children volunteered under Father Dorsonville’s watch at the Centro. The older ones would go to the food banks to collect groceries for Wednesday distribution and the younger ones would pack the individual bags. They learned from Father Dorsonville the importance of hands-on service to those in need, and through his example they also developed a love of the Spanish language and Latin American culture.

Bishop Dorsonville is a natural born teacher, and a demanding one. He teaches his volunteers not only the task at hand but also the life lessons of being careful, thoughtful, working with purpose, the importance of being responsible and being on time.

The bishop has a special love for the priesthood. He is a priest’s priest. He enjoyed his work at our archdiocese’s newest seminary, spending time with the seminarians and serving as a spiritual director for them. I know he is responsible for a number of priestly vocations and is proud to be the spiritual godfather of many young priests.

Bishop Dorsonville’ s mom came to be my friend. Doña Leonor, as she was known in Washington, was an elegant, kind and faithful woman. She shared her great devotion to Saint Ann with me. Doña Leonor counseled me to ask this wonderful saint for favors for our five children. She told me, “Michele, you know it will be difficult for Jesus to say no to his dear grandmother. Pray to Saint Ann when your children need jobs, spouses or when they face difficult times. She will help you.” To this day, I always think of Doña Leonor when I ask for the intercession of St. Ann. I add an extra prayer for her soul and for the wonderful son she raised.

The word that comes to mind in describing Bishop Dorsonville is “joy.” His smile and warmth are infectious. He has made friends across the Archdiocese of Washington from every walk of life. I have no doubt that he will do the same in the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux.

We will miss Bishop Dorsonville. But it helps to know how much he is looking forward to getting to know you all. I know that the bishop will miss his many friends and admirers in the Archdiocese of Washington. I don’t think he will miss the traffic and cold weather.
I keep you all in prayer as you prepare to welcome your new bishop in time for Easter.

(Michele Burke Bowe is the Sovereign Order of Malta Ambassador to the State of Palestine.)