Lightning round: Six quick questions with Bishops Battersby and Fisher

What inspires you as a priest?

Bishop Robert J. Fisher

Bishop Fisher: “It’s really being able to see God working in a person’s life. Whether it’s in the sacrament of reconciliation or anointing someone when they’re ill, whether it’s in teaching or any of the social activities of the parish, seeing God at work in a person’s life and people sharing that experience with me as a priest and with others really, really is inspiring.”

Bishop Battersby: “One of the things I’ve found startling is that people will come up to you years later and will say that a word you said or a gesture you made or a visit that was not very meaningful to you affected them profoundly and actually changed the direction of their lives. That’s startling, and that’s when you know that it’s quite a bit beyond you. It’s the Lord at work through us. People will say, ‘You said this,’ and I’ll think, ‘I never in the world would have said that, but I wish I had.’ But what they heard is what the Holy Spirit needed them to hear.”

What fascinates you about Catholicism?

Bishop Gerard W. Battersby

Bishop Battersby: “I think we should be endlessly fascinated that God Himself became man. That the Word became flesh. That He not only reveals himself as the promised one of Isaiah 35, but He promises that He’ll be with us always. So the Incarnation, the mystery upon which all theological mysteries rest, is endlessly fascinating to me, and I think that’s especially so in the Eucharist, where Jesus fulfills His promises in spades.”

Bishop Fisher: “First and foremost would be the Eucharist. To think about the fact that Jesus himself, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity, is there on the altar every time we celebrate Mass is pretty overwhelming. And the other thing too about our faith that I think about a lot is that this has been handed on to us, and we have a direct line all the way back to Jesus himself through all these many, many generations. There’s something very solid about that that gives me confidence as I become one of those people responsible for passing it on.”

Were you, as Archbishop Vigneron (jokingly) said, a ‘troublemaker’ in the seminary?

Bishop Battersby: “If the archbishop said it, it must be true. He was the rector here at the time, so I’m sure he had his sacred files with the real story in it.”

Bishop Fisher: “I don’t know that we were really ‘troublemakers,’ per se, but we might have gotten into trouble occasionally. I was thinking about it the other day, remembering one time during my first year in the seminary when we were out in one of the hallways and probably making a little too much noise. And I remember then-Fr. Vigneron — he liked to go to bed early — coming out in his pajamas to let us know that he could hear us and to quiet down, so I think that was probably what he meant. At least I hope that’s what he meant!”

Any favorite saints?

Bishop Battersby: “I’ve done my thesis writing on Blessed Columba Marmion, and I found his synthesis of the faith just gripping and inspiring, especially because he takes the reality of the Incarnation so intensely that the sacramentality of life as a Christian becomes something not theoretical or philosophical, but a lived reality. St. Benedict and St. Francis of Assisi also touched my heart, as well as St. Clare of Assisi, St. Therese of Lisieux and St. Theresa of Avila.”

Bishop Fisher: “I think of my namesake, St. Robert Bellarmine. I think of the recently canonized St. Teresa of Calcutta, her work and her faithfully answering the call to minister to the poorest of the poor. I think of St. John Paul, who with great courage stared communism down and tremendously through his leadership brought it to its knees.”

Hobbies outside of church?

Bishop Fisher: “I still love being outdoors. I have a cottage and I love to sit by the lake, to relax, read and work outdoors on different projects. Basically anything outdoors I love to do.”

Bishop Battersby: “I used to be ardent golfer. But I had some hip problems and golf became somewhat of a job for me and I’ve already got a job. I think reading is my passion. When I can, I like to fish, just to wet a line — I don’t really care if there’s any interference from the fish. I just like being out in a boat and swimming.”

Thoughts on evangelization?

Bishop Fisher: “I see our faith as a great gift, and one of the things we as Catholics are learning is to share that gift more readily, to talk about our faith. I think for a long time we’ve kept faith very private, between me and God, but now we’re really encouraged to say, ‘You know, the Lord wants to be in a relationship with you. The same kind of peace that I feel, He wants you to have as well.’ I think that willingness to share this great gift is key to evangelization.”

Bishop Battersby: “There’s a lot of bad news out there, and it’s really clear that we need good news. I was excited that Sacred Heart and the archdiocese was responding to St. John Paul’s call for new methods and a new way of presenting the Gospel. … That gets me excited. It’s about Jesus, and we want to present Him. And if we need to let go of some of our old ways of presentation and embrace new ways, well, then thank God.”