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Published: May 12, 2010
Archbishop Burke coming to Santa Paula
Head of Vatican’s top court to preside at Thomas Aquinas College’s 2010 commencement
Press release from Thomas Aquinas College
May 11, 2010
SANTA PAULA -- On Saturday, May 15, the Most Reverend Raymond L. Burke will deliver the commencement address at Thomas Aquinas College; he will also serve as principal celebrant and homilist of the Baccalaureate Mass of the Holy Spirit.
 Archbishop Burke, a native of Wisconsin, will travel to the Ventura County campus from Rome where he has served since June 2008 as the prefect of the Catholic Church’s highest court, the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura.
The College’s 75 seniors, having successfully completed a 4-year course of classical studies in mathematics, science, Latin, literature, history, philosophy and theology, will be awarded the degree of Bachelor of Arts in liberal arts. “There is no doubt that ours is a rigorous program,” says Dean Brian Kelly. “These graduates should be very proud of themselves. We certainly are.”
During the commencement ceremony, by resolution of Thomas Aquinas College’s board of governors, Chairman R. James Wensley will award Archbishop Burke the Saint Thomas Aquinas Medallion, the college’s highest honor. Established by the governors in 1975, the award is given in recognition of Archbishop Burke’s “exemplary loyalty and devotion to the Holy Father and the magisterium of the Church” and for his tireless work “to advance the mission of Christ on earth.”
Also to be honored on commencement day are new members of the school’s Order of St. Albert, which was established in 1992 as a means of recognizing benefactors whose generosity has been exceptional. To be inducted into the Order on Saturday are Dr. and Mrs. Henry J. Zeiter of Lodi, California, and Mr. Edward N. Mills of Oak View, California, and his late wife, Dolores.
Explains the college’s new president, Dr. Michael F. McLean, who was installed in office this past February, “On this day when we celebrate the accomplishments of our graduating seniors, it is fitting that we honor, too, these new members of the Order of St. Albert whose magnanimity has contributed so greatly to our graduates’ success.”
The Baccalaureate Mass will begin at 9 a.m. in Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity Chapel. Commencement exercises will be held on the academic quadrangle at 11 a.m.
ABOUT ARCHBHISHOP BURKE:
Raymond Leo Burke was born in Richland Center, Wisconsin, on June 30, 1948, the youngest of the six children of Thomas F. and Marie B. Burke. He attended high school at Holy Cross Seminary in La Crosse, Wisconsin, from 1962 to 1966. He also completed college courses there (1966 -1968) before attending the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., where he studied as a Basselin Scholar (1968 -1971). He undertook his studies for ordination at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome (1971-1975) and was ordained to the priesthood by Pope Paul VI on June 29, 1975, at the Basilica of St. Peter.
Father Burke’s first assignment was as associate rector of the Cathedral of St. Joseph the Workman in La Crosse. In 1980 Father Burke returned to Rome to study Canon Law at the Pontifical Gregorian University. In April 1984, after completing his studies, he was named Moderator of the Curia and Vice Chancellor of the Diocese of La Crosse.
In 1989 Father Burke returned to Rome when Pope John Paul II named him Defender of the Bond of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, the first American to hold this position on the Church’s highest court. After five years in this post, the Holy Father appointed him Bishop of the Diocese of La Crosse. Bishop Burke was ordained to the episcopacy by Pope John Paul II on January 6, 1995, at the Basilica of St. Peter, and was installed in the Diocese of La Crosse on February 22, 1995, the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter.
On December 2, 2003, Bishop Burke was named Archbishop of St. Louis, succeeding Justin Cardinal Rigali, who was appointed Archbishop of Philadelphia in July 2003. Archbishop Burke was installed in St. Louis on January 26, 2004, the fifth anniversary of Pope John Paul II’s historic pastoral visit to the archdiocese. On June 29th, 2004, twenty-nine years after his ordination to the priesthood by Pope Paul VI, he received the pallium as Archbishop of St. Louis from Pope John Paul II.
Archbishop Burke has served as a member of the College of Judges of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, of the Congregation for the Clergy, and of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts. He was appointed Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, the Church’s highest court of appeal, by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, on June 27, 2008.
Posted Wednesday, May 12, 2010 12:14 AM By Central Valley
I can't wait for the video or transcript of this event. Will Cardinal Mahony be in the first pew? This could be a good teaching moment to have all of the California bishops attend to hear a voice from Rome. Would Fresno listen?
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Posted Wednesday, May 12, 2010 8:36 AM By Dr Magalis Aguilera
Archbishop Raymond Leo Burke is a great SERVANT of our Divine Lord Jesus Christ. I expect he will be POPE OF OUR DIVINE Lord's CHURCH. HE will be the SERVANT of the SERVANT for the Glory of the Lord !
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Posted Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:23 AM By cjo
A Bishop who teaches according to the Bible, Tradition and the magisterium. Would that we had more courageous Bishops like Archbishop Burke. God Bless him...
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Posted Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:27 AM By bud
Archbishop Burke has and is proving himself to be an example for every other bishop in the US. With "tongue in cheek" I like his new appointment, he can be the "fox in the hen house" of California.
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Posted Wednesday, May 12, 2010 11:42 AM By Lawrence Rosano
Although Archbishop Burke never consented to do so, nevertheless, the U. S. Catholic Conference of Bishops collectively consented in 2007 to pay for Roman Catholic Employees' group health insurance coverage for contraception, which also includes abortifacients, as well, which cause many more times surgical abortion than is reported. Consequently, the Roman Catholic Church is engaged in another scandal, defined as: praying for life, but, at the same time, paying for death. Yet, to the contrary, no one is raising a warning to the Church to stop this sleeping scandal in the Church! But, perhaps, let us pray that Archbishop Raymond Burke instills in the graduating class not toalways assume that the Church is always going the right way, but, in response, be prepared - with the Christian education they received from St. Thomas Aquinas College -to "educate the ignorant", for example, here, the U. S. Catholic Conference of Bishops, when - as of now - first, they lose site of the meaning of the gospel, and secondly, to refuse to be educated by those who know that their doing so is legally, unconstitutional, as well, as I have futilely attempted to do to my Bishop.
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Posted Wednesday, May 12, 2010 12:01 PM By Pat.
He will, indeed, pray for his brother Bishops, et.al. He has kept the lofty and great truth of our Church in union with all the saints and angels...His good heart and convictions will rise above the possible disingenuous greetings from those who have chosen the world above Truth.
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Posted Wednesday, May 12, 2010 1:09 PM By Rose
Archbishop Burke is a holy hero, what a wonderful man! I remember watching him speak after a few different U.S. Bishop's Conferences, so outraged that his brother bishops had fallen short on various issues, but expressing that in a humble manner that only someone who is very close to God is able to do. God raises up holy people in tough times, and no less now. Thank God for his leadership and fidelity in The Church.
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Posted Wednesday, May 12, 2010 1:13 PM By WOODY GUIDRY
Your Eminence, Cardinal Burke, welcome home to the land of your birth! Your being here will certainly illuminate the minds and hearts of true Catholics and draw our confused brothers closer to Our God.
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Posted Wednesday, May 12, 2010 3:33 PM By NUTUNE
Woody Guidry, I hope you will not be offended if I corect your salutation to Archbishop Burke. First, he is not a cardinal of the Church, a mistake in his rank. Have to give you credit, though; IF he were to be a cardinal then "eminence" matches his rank. However, since he is a bishop, he is accurately addressed as "excellency". Whatever we call him, he is a strong leader to turn the flock away from the wolves which beset us.
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Posted Wednesday, May 12, 2010 3:39 PM By Maryanne Leonard
What a great honor for our beloved Thomas Aquinas College, and truly deserved. This is the sort of unforgettable experience that cannot be had by studying even the greatest works online, although again, it is wonderful that it is now possible to study the Great Books online in a Catholic educational context. Still, send your kids to this wonderful college if you can, as it is an experience they will never be able to replicate any other way.
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Posted Wednesday, May 12, 2010 4:43 PM By John F. Maguire
In reply to Lawrence Rosana: Holy Church is one thing, her personnel, whether clerical or lay, another. You would have Archbishop Burke instill in the graduating class of Thomas Aquinas College the disposition "not always to assume that the CHURCH is always going the right way" (emphasis mine) when -- I hope -- what you meant was that you would have Archbishop Burke instill in TAC's graduating class the disposition "not always to assume" that the PERSONNEL of the Church is always going the right way. What is errant in the ways of her personnel is NOT imputable to Holy Church herself.
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Posted Wednesday, May 12, 2010 5:00 PM By Abeca Christian
God Bless Archbishop Burke. I appreciate His faithfulness!
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Posted Wednesday, May 12, 2010 5:55 PM By Jim
You can tell alot about the character of a college by the type of speakers that they schedule for their commencement ceremonies. Real Catholic colleges get speakers like Bishop Burke. The pretend Catholic colleges get pro-abortion politians.
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Posted Wednesday, May 12, 2010 7:39 PM By WOODY GUIDRY
NUTUNE-You indeed are a "new tune"; you are able to set the record straight (you correction of me is right, incidentally) and I thank you for the trouble you took to correct me-- and do it politely! Your name "NUTUNE" is one I don't remember seeing in California Catholic Daily-you may not have observed the "tone" of some comments. I think the comments here sometimes are well intentioned-just thoughtless. To me there doesn't seem to be ANY value in the remarks of people who profess to belong to a loving Church and, yet put into print personal, unkind criticism of others who write in. I think ARCHBISHOP Burke provided the true posture of those who really LOVE Jesus when he kindly and sincerely lectured his fellow bishops on their "abandoning ship", so to speak in the face of abortion among other things. Thanks again NUTUNE!
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Posted Wednesday, May 12, 2010 8:31 PM By Rick DeLano
NUTUNE: Ummmmm, at the risk of falling into quibbling pedantry, I think we address ARCHbishops as "Your Grace", technically.
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Posted Wednesday, May 12, 2010 9:06 PM By JLS
More of Maguire's jealous divide and scatter to the winds theology.
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Posted Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:56 PM By Maryanne Leonard
Why do we have to resort to this kind of insulting remark? I see no reason for it. I hope that by not tolerating such personal attacks on one another, the level of conversation on this forum will be raised to a level worthy of Catholics. John F. Maguire, your point is well taken. In fact, had I been clear on the point that "what is errant in the ways of her personnel is NOT imputable to Holy Church herself" when I was a teenager, I would not have concluded that shocking treatment from a priest was tantamount to being treated horribly by the Church itself. As a teenager, I saw no difference between the priest and the Church, but an adult Catholic of discernment should be clear on that point, never brought home more clearly than in recent years.
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Posted Wednesday, May 12, 2010 10:57 PM By NUTUNE
Rick Delano, aw, take the risk-I've read some of your comments and you face the dilemma of "d-' if you do; "d" if you don't! Only experience with a particular person can tell us if they will accept correction or not. Asked if they would rather be right or wrong, most would opt for RIGHT. Ask if they would like to be corrected-well, that may be another story. I personally try to hold to the old maxim-if I err, let it be on the side of caution- in this case I erred on the side of careless. My plea for mercy on this particular issue is that I have never met an Archbishop, but have done a little hob-nobbing with plain old ordinary bishops. And, hey I WAS RIGHT when I caught the mistake in rank! So, depending on the scoring rules I am either even-one up, one down-or 50 percent wrong. I AM right when I observe that there are people "out there" who know accuracy is important! Appreciate your comment!
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Posted Thursday, May 13, 2010 6:37 AM By JLS
Sometimes the way a bishop's title is pronounced makes it difficult for a bishop to recognize that he's being called ... such as when it sounds like a "silent scream", one manifestation of the voice of God.
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Posted Thursday, May 13, 2010 5:46 PM By John F. Maguire
Thank you very much, Maryanne Leonard, for reporting your realization, especially in the context of wickedness, how important the distinction is between Holy Church, on the one hand, and her personnel, on the other. ~ A probative discussion of this crucial distinction can be found in Jacques Maritain's book _On the Church of Christ: The Person of the Church and Her Personnel_, translated by Joseph W. Evans (Notre Dame and London: University of Notre Dame Press, 1973).
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Posted Thursday, May 13, 2010 9:15 PM By br
Rick DeLano: In recent times, archbishops and bishops are normally addressed as "archbishop" or "bishop", and they are comfortable with that title. The term "Your Excellency"/"His Excellency" is dated, overly formal and seldom used.
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Posted Monday, May 17, 2010 8:24 AM By Peter
Br: in Europe and the rest of the world the traditional address is quite common.
As you mention, 'bishop' and 'archbishop' are in fact titles, and not forms of address - as 'your excellency' is. (cf. the form of address 'Mr. President', which differs from the title.)
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Posted Monday, May 17, 2010 9:33 AM By Rick DeLano
br: How remarkable. Do you have a psychic connection to the bishops? I, as a mere Catholic, am unable to telepathically discern what does and doesn't them "comfortable". Therefore I will, until granted this Gnosis, continue in my hidebound ways.
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Posted Monday, May 17, 2010 12:06 PM By NUTUNE
Titles change when you address Orthodox, Ukranian, Enlish, etc. clergy. I have found all of them are comfortable if you merely extend your hand while holding a five-dollar bill.
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Posted Monday, May 17, 2010 7:13 PM By br
Rick DeLano: It has been my privilege to work for/be acquainted with three archbishops, four bishops and one auxiliary bishop. The accepted form of address is "Archbishop" or "Bishop". Never had I heard of any of these bishops objecting to the use of these titles. When addressing an envelope, a nice touch is "Most Reverend" John Smith and then using "Dear Archbishop/Bishop Smith in the salutation. I can only speak for the Latin Rite. I am unfamiliar with episcopal titles in other rites.
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Posted Monday, May 17, 2010 10:09 PM By Rick DeLano
Dear br: Ah. I see that your gnosis is not telepathic, but instead experiential/anecdotal. I hope you will understand if I choose to decline initiation into these new titles by means of your anonymous internet postings. I will, hidebound though it may be,, continue to refer to our Bishops as "Your Excellency", to our Archbishops as "Your Grace", to our Cardinals as "Your Eminence", and, should the occasion ever arise (quite unlikely!) to the Vicar of Christ on Earth as "Your Holiness". Thanks just the same.
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Posted Monday, May 17, 2010 10:24 PM By JLS
I prefer the title, "Your Beattitudes".
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