Working Cheerfully on the Seemingly Impossible

by Carole Anne Scott

As Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Boston and Moderator of the Curia, Rev. Richard M. Erikson certainly has his work cut out for him. His dual position places him as the chief administrator of the Archdiocese and makes him the number two person in charge, surpassed only by, of course, Cardinal Sean O’Malley. As though that were not stressful enough, Father Erikson also serves as a chaplain in the Air Force Reserves and has actually been actively present many times in combat situations. Despite these pressures, Father seems serene and undaunted. This serenity reveals him to be a person of incredibly strong faith and unwavering devotion to God and God’s people.

This trait was particularly evident as Father described his military service as an active duty chaplain from 1999 to 2006, a position that three years ago took him to war-ravaged Iraq. Of that experience, Father stated, “Being in war is horrible for everyone, but I would go again in a heartbeat because the need for the sacraments is so strong. The Eucharist that you receive may be your last; the Confession that you make may be your last. It is really that literal.” Hearing of Father’s devotion to the troops as he served ‘in persona Christi’ is incredibly inspirational.

When asked in our recent interview what exactly his post with the Archdiocese entails, Father Erikson replied, “The Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia takes the Cardinal’s vision and helps make it a reality. He represents the Cardinal and acts on his behalf.” Father modestly added, “So, I do whatever I can to help.”

The average day for Father Erikson is crammed full of meetings and events, not just at the Chancery in Brighton, but extending out to any of the Archdiocese’s many hospitals, parishes, schools, and numerous gatherings. Rarely on a 9 to 5 schedule, Father begins his workday with an early-morning commute from our neighbor, Holy Name Parish in West Roxbury, where he serves as a priest in residence. Some in his position might prefer to live in a different setting, but Father believes that “since our primary unit is the parish, it is very important to be in a parish.” He enjoys celebrating Mass each weekend at Holy Name and at every additional opportunity that his hectic schedule permits.

Realistic about the current situation in Boston, Father candidly admitted that the past five years of reconfiguration and the clergy abuse scandal have severely weakened the relationship between the Archdiocese and its people. Challenged by the task of rebuilding that sacred trust, Father says, “I see my time here as a time to help point us in the right direction. If we in the Chancery focus on service, trust will build.”

Father has been in his new position for only fourteen months, yet he has already initiated dramatic changes. In a series of “Town Hall” meetings, he gathered Chancery employees for an open forum on issues and answers. He requested that every employee every day ask herself / himself the following three powerful questions: (1) Is what I am doing bringing honor and glory to God?; (2) Is what I am doing serving Christ and Christ’s Church?; and (3) Am I showing respect and honor to those whom I serve and to those with whom I serve?”

At the first Town Hall meeting, Father explained that his new initiatives would be based on four pillars: Service; Communica-tion; Outreach; and Coordination. Already he has made major changes to what, in some cases, were archaic and inefficient systems. For example, the Archdiocese formerly communicated with its priests by using an outmoded method of faxing information, followed by sending a letter. With faxes going out to so many parishes, machines would jam as the fax would ring as many as five times and sometimes would need to redial due to busy signals; in all cases, precious time would be wasted. News of a priest’s passing often would not reach a pastor until after the burial had taken place. Plus, the cost of sending out monthly mailings to the parishes was a whopping $60,000. Replacing this antiquated faxing and mailing system with e-mail, Internet and website access has resulted in instantaneous communication with 1,500 recipients and incredible cost savings on postage.

As part of his outreach efforts, Father has personally visited all the areas of the Archdiocese and has attended ten of the eleven vicariate meetings that have taken place since he has been in his current position. With respect to coordination, Father stated, “We need to get our house in order in central administration.” Rightfully referring to this as a “challenge,” Father explained that the Archdiocese has 1.8 million Catholics in 290 parishes, in addition to its hospitals and schools. Already noting progress made, he pointed to the fact that the former days of Cabinet sessions that were merely information-sharing opportunities have been replaced with sessions where a core group of Cabinet secretariats comes together to work on actively solving problems. Even the Archdiocesan Pastoral Council has been restructured to be more effective and efficient.

With characteristic modesty, however, Father stated, “To me, I don’t measure things in terms of what I have accomplished. Rather, I see it more in terms of what needs to be done.” Near the top of that list of what needs to be done, Father places reversing “the us/them mentality whereby the Chancery is perceived as the ‘Evil Empire’” adding, “I long for the day when it is ‘us,’ with no ‘thems.’”

Coming from an ecumenically diverse family with a cousin who is actually a Lutheran minister and any number of other relatives who were not Roman Catholics, Father Erikson confided that he used to think of Christ’s prayer “That all may be one” as pertaining to the many different faiths becoming one. He explained, “Over these past fourteen months, I have come to see that prayer as also meaning that we Catholics might all be one,” adding, “I want to do anything that I can to promote that unity.”

As Cardinal Sean’s right-hand man, Father Erikson understandably meets with him often, though usually not every day. He has three hour-long meetings with the Cardinal each week and is also present at meetings with him on most days from Monday to Friday. On Saturdays when the Massachu-setts Catholic Conference meets, they are together then as well. Expressing empathy for Cardinal Sean, Father Erikson noted that the Cardinal came into Boston in its “darkest moment of hostility” and faced a financial crisis that was as big as the sexual abuse crisis. Father admires him for the progress he has made in tackling these enormous issues.

Realistic about what is facing the Church of Boston, Father Erikson admitted, “It is going to take a long time for us as a Catholic community to recover and there will be bumps along the road.” Ever optimistic, he quoted Scripture, adding, “But for God, all things are possible.”

Incredibly accommodating despite his busy schedule, Father Erikson agreed to do this interview over the phone since he was being deployed as chaplain to Herbert Field, a Marine Special Operations base in Florida, and would not be back until after our deadline. There he will spend ten days temporarily replacing the chaplain at the base who is being deployed to Iraq. When asked how he manages to fit his 24 days a year of active military Reserve service into his busy life, Father replied that it takes “creative scheduling.” Last year he was fortunate to spend fourteen of those active duty days in the period between Christmas and New Year’s Day when less is happening at the Chancery.

With characteristic modesty, Father never did mention his rank to me. In a casual conversation with Sacred Heart parishioner and executive assistant to the Cardinal, Ann Marie Patterson, I mentioned that Father had been kind enough to be interviewed for this issue of “Heart Beats.” It was Ann Marie who told me that he had recently been promoted by the Air Force. A quick call to Father’s own executive assistant, the ever helpful and gracious, Marie van Remortel, revealed that he has attained the coveted rank of Colonel in the Air Force Reserves.

Father Erikson grew up in Watertown and attended St. Luke’s Parish in Belmont. When asked what had drawn him to the priesthood, he replied that it was the great example of the priests at St. Luke’s and later at St. Anslem’s, the passing on of the faith through his family, his interaction with the Catholic Youth Organization (“CYO”) and with his Catholic friends, and of course, “the call from God and to us.”

As for his choice of Holy Name as a residence, Father stated that he arrived as the result of the generosity and hospitality of Monsignor George Carlson who had invited him to stay there. Many of us Sacred Heart parishioners have fond memories of the caring, concerned, and gregarious Father Carlson who served here as an associate pastor from 1983 to 1987. Father Carlson and Father Erikson first met when he was a deacon at St. Anthony’s in Allston where Father Carlson’s mother was a parishioner. Later Father Erikson served with him at St. Boniface Parish in the Germantown section of Quincy in the days before our own Monsignor Kelley also was called to serve there. With particular reference to our Parkway readership, Father Erikson asked that this article mention how very much he enjoys living in our area.

When asked how long his appointment as Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia will last, Father replied that he’ll be there as long as the Cardinal wants him to serve. Sensing the enormity of the tasks facing him, I asked how he finds the strength to continue. Father referred me to the Gospel passage about how difficult it is for the camel to pass through the eye of a needle, telling me that he had just preached on it at Mass the day before our interview. “Every day people are bringing to me microscopic needles and mega-camels,” he said. Instead of panicking or being worried, Father told me, “I choose to look to the Lord for whom all things are possible.” He added, “Some say to me, ‘I wouldn’t want your job for anything. You must be burdened,’ but I am not because I know that the Lord is in charge.”

We commend Father Erikson on his courage, candidness, faithfulness, and hope. We wish him every success in that seemingly impossible, were it not for God, task of restoring the trust between the Archdiocese and the people, so that once again “All may be one.”