James S. Wall ordained fourth bishop of Gallup

By Andrew Junker | April 24, 2009 | The Catholic Sun

GALLUP, NM — James S. Wall became the fourth bishop of the Diocese of Gallup and the youngest bishop in the United States April 23 before a packed Sacred Heart Cathedral.

Eleven bishops, two archbishops and one cardinal, more than a 100 priests, scores of deacons, dozens of women religious and hundreds of laity were on hand to see Bishop Wall ordained and installed.

View our photos from the ordination event

“It was an act of God when God destined James Sean Wall to be the son of a football coach and his wife, then living in Chinle, to be born in Ganado,” Phoenix Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted said in his homily.

He served as a co-consecrator with Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop Edward W. Clark while Archbishop Michael J. Sheehan of Santa Fe acted as the principal consecrator.

Bishop Olmsted sketched a picture of God’s providence in the life of Bishop Wall, who was born on the Navajo Nation — part of the Gallup Diocese. He framed Bishop Wall’s new ministry in the context of love: love of God, love of the Church and love of his new flock.

“When we learn to love, when we learn to make a total gift of ourselves to another or to others according to God’s plan, we become like Christ,” the bishop said. “Our lives say with Christ, ‘This is my body given for you. This is my life blood poured out for you.’”

In some remarks at the end of the two-plus hour Mass, Bishop Wall promised to spend much of his time visiting parishes across the vast diocese, promoting vocations and being a vocal advocate for life, which received sustained applause from the congregation.

Barbara Kozeliski, chair of the ordination planning committee, said that New Mexican Catholics have been praying for their new bishop before they even knew who he would be.

“The entire city is rejoicing,” Kozeliski said. “What a blessing this has been.”

She described the diocese as “close knit,” despite the fact that it’s comprised of 53 parishes and 27 missions spread across more than 58,000 square miles.

And even though Bishop Wall had only been installed a few minutes, his new flock wasn’t shy of offering suggestions and areas for him to focus on.

Sheila Ashenfelder, a member of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Holbrook, Ariz., hoped that Bishop Wall would foster unity among the different ethnic groups in the diocese.

“He’s got his work cut out for him,” she said, “but we feel that he’s up to the task.”

Another challenge facing the new bishop is a lack of vocations in the area. Currently, there are no seminarians in the Gallup Diocese.

Franciscan Sister Angelina Chavez said a priest shortage is an unfortunate fact of life in the diocese. She helps run a parish in St. John, Ariz., that doesn’t have a full time priest.

She said that part of the priest shortage comes from parents discouraging their children’s vocation. Many times — especially in small towns, the sister said — parents want their children to leave and become economically successful.

“Materialism versus the vocational call is very challenging,” Sister Angelina said.

Bishop Wall is undeterred. He repeated during his ordination Mass, “I know. I know there are vocations here.”

According to Deacon Will Schmid, a transitional deacon in the Phoenix Diocese, if anyone can find and foster them, it’s Bishop Wall.

“Just give him time. One of his gifts is to recognize God’s will for people,” Deacon Schmid said.

A few years ago Deacon Schmid went to a then-Father Wall for spiritual direction and began talking to the priest about potential job options. Father Wall asked him if that’s what he really wanted to talk about, or did he want to talk about his vocation.

Deacon Schmid said it was the push he needed to apply for the seminary. This June, he’ll be one of three priests ordained for the Diocese of Phoenix.

A number of Catholics traveled from Phoenix for the ordination, including a group of more than 100 from St. Thomas the Apostle Parish, where Bishop Wall was pastor from 2002-2007.

“It’s unreal and humbling,” said Julie Cipriano, who worked in the parish office with Bishop Wall. “He’s just a very strong and quiet leader.”

Kellie Taylor, a youth minister at the parish, agreed.

“He really knows how to support your gifts,” she said. “You can’t help but be obedient, because he is so obedient.”

Though many of the travelers attended the ordination Mass in the cathedral, others couldn’t fit in. The diocese set up a number of sites to watch a live broadcast of the Mass throughout Gallup, but a group of 70 Neo-Catechumenates preferred to wait across the street from the church and pray for the new bishop.

“We just want to be with Bishop Wall and celebrate this day with him,” said Rosa Ramirez, a member of the group.

The appointment was announced in Washington Feb. 5 by Archbishop Pietro Sambi, apostolic nuncio to the United States.

Bishop Wall succeeds Bishop Donald E. Pelotte, the third Bishop of Gallup, who retired in April of 2008. Bishop Olmsted had been apostolic administrator of Gallup since January 2008.

Bishop Wall was born Oct. 11, 1964, in Ganado, Ariz., on the Navajo reservation. He graduated from Chandler High School in Chandler, Ariz., and Arizona State University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in history. He earned a master of divinity degree from St. John Seminary, Camarillo, Calif.

He was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Phoenix on June 6, 1998.

Bishop Wall served in several parish assignments in the Diocese of Phoenix, including St. Theresa Parish in Phoenix and St. Timothy Parish in Mesa, and St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Phoenix as pastor. He also served as administrator pro tem at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Glendale. His most recent assignment was as vicar of priests and director of the Mount Claret Retreat Center in Phoenix.