Most Reverend Jerome E. Listecki
Archbishop of Milwaukee
 

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I do not believe that there is jealousy among saints. They have accomplished what we still desire. However, there is a little envy among us mortals. A good friend and colleague of mine was Fr. Patrick Boyle, S.J. His life story is holy and heroic and is worthy of examination. But he also possessed an enjoyable comical outlook on life and his insights would leave those in his company laughing. It was probably in his DNA because his brothers, Jerry and Jimmy, were themselves potential standup comics.  

As faculty members, we met in the upstairs lounge of the residence building for coffee or a quick snack. Sr. Agnes Cunningham, my former teacher and fellow faculty member, was a nationally known patristic scholar. A patristic scholar is a person who studies and presents the early Church Fathers who helped form and fashion the Church that we know and love. In addition to being brilliant, she was also a very spiritual person.  

In an informal meeting, Sr. Agnes shared a beautiful religious insight into one of the Church Fathers. After Sr. Agnes departed, Fr. Boyle looked at the rest of us and proclaimed, “I am not going on any academic presentation trips with Sr. Agnes, because if the plane that we are on were to go down, she would be declared a saint and the rest of us would be referred to as her companions. It would be St. Agnes and her companions, and I will not be a companion.” We all laughed.  

Recently, Sr. Agnes celebrated her 100th birthday; she is still sharp as a tack. Fr. Pat Boyle is enjoying the companionship of Jesus in heaven, and I would like to believe also sharing a few of his comical insights with his patron, St. Ignatius of Loyola. 

There are times where some saint names are more notable than others. If I would mention the name Francis, some may think St. Francis de Sales, or if you were a Jesuit, St. Francis Xavier. But without a doubt, 80-90 percent would immediately think of St. Francis of Assisi. It might come as a surprise that before the popularity of St. Francis from the 1200s on, St. Francis, whose depiction is seen in chapels, gardens and pet dwellings, the most popular saint among the faithful before the 1200s was St. Nicholas, whose generosity captured the hearts of the growing Christian population.  
The reason I mention the “name” recognition and the popularity of a saint is because this week we celebrate a saint whose name is often confused with his more popular namesake. On January 17, we celebrate the feast of St. Anthony. Many will remark, “Oh! It is the saint I pray to when I have lost something.” No, this is the other Anthony. This Anthony existed a thousand years before the heavenly “lost and found” was opened.  

Referred to as St. Anthony of the Desert, he is the father of monasticism. St. Anthony renounced the world to serve God. His detachment from the things of this world was to promote God’s friendship among the followers of Our Lord. He intensely desired to be a martyr but instead lived his life fighting the battles of the faith on a daily basis. Submitting to the will of God, he died at the age of 105. Our ways are not God’s ways.  

The lives of the saints are so rich in examples for us to follow, especially when our world presents such confusion and misdirection. Saints like St. Anthony direct us to detach ourselves from the things of the world, and above all to seek to understand the love of God.  
There is no jealousy or envy among the saints – they all wish to do only one thing: serve Jesus Christ and introduce our brothers and sisters to His love. We are on the road to holiness when we LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

Sincerely,

Most Reverend Jerome E. Listecki

Archbishop of Milwaukee          

Note: This blog originally appeared as the January 16, 2024, "Love One Another" email sent to Catholics throughout the Archdiocese of Milwaukee by Archbishop Jerome E. Listecki. If you are interested in signing up for these email messages, please click here.