Many in the Diocese of Birmingham may not consider what happens down south in Mobile as relevant, but the two have long been connected. Prior to the creation of the Diocese of Birmingham in 1969, all of Alabama’s faithful fell under the Diocese of Mobile-Birmingham. A little over a decade after the separation, the Diocese of Mobile was raised to the status of an archdiocese in 1980, meaning Birmingham became a suffragan diocese of the Province of Mobile. So, on March 27 of last year, the day of Archbishop Thomas J. Rodi’s 75th birthday, the long-serving shepherd of the Archdiocese of Mobile submitted his letter of resignation to the Holy See, which caught the attention of many in the upper half of the state. For over a year, the faithful of the archdiocese and the Diocese of Birmingham waited in great anticipation for the news of who would be appointed as the Third Archbishop of Mobile, and on July 1 of this year, they got their answer. Pope Leo XIV named St. Louis Auxiliary Bishop Mark S. Rivituso as archbishop-elect of Mobile.

Just over two months later, on Sept. 2, the 63-year-old St. Louis native grasped the crosier of Mobile’s first shepherd, Bishop Michael Portier, and knocked on the tall, highly-lacquered doors of Mobile’s Cathedral-Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. After the third knock, the massive doors slowly opened. Msgr. William Skonecki, rector of the cathedral-basilica, greeted the archbishop-elect and presented him with a crucifix, which he venerated with a kiss. The archbishop-elect blessed himself and those around him with holy water, then walked to the altar to lead the evening prayer service, which was held in anticipation of his installation the next day. 

As he began his homily, a big smile came across his face. Referencing his entrance at the beginning of the evening, he looked to his family and quipped, “I did not forget my key, and I did not lock myself out.” After breaking the ice with the more than 500 members of the faithful present, the archbishop-elect took a more serious tone: “Some of the greatest regrets we have in life are missed opportunities. May we see and seize together all the opportunities to make a difference. … I'm praying that all of us will be excited together to seize those opportunities where we can make a difference, … and to work together to be more effective in bringing the goodness of humanity to those who are in need.”

At the conclusion of the prayer service, the archbishop-elect made sure to greet every single person wishing to see him as they exited the cathedral-basilica. The smiles and laughter from all the well-wishers seemed to fill the air with a joyous tune.

That joy was, most certainly, palpable the next morning from people setting out lawn chairs to drones flying overhead to robust coverage on all the local morning news programs. As the installation Mass drew near, archdiocesan priests and deacons, visiting archbishops, bishops, and priests came from every direction, descending on the portico of the cathedral-basilica with light from the cloudless sky outlining freshly pressed vestments and highlighting the sea of mitres. Representing the Diocese of Birmingham were Bishop Steven J. Raica, Archbishop Joseph Marino, and Fathers Kevin Bazzel, Bryan Jerabek, and Vernon Huguley. Nearby, a jovial Archbishop Thomas J. Rodi made use of the time in friendly banter with a group of young altar servers, adding to the overall jubilant mood of the morning. 

Precisely at 11 a.m. the procession of clergy began. Before it was his turn to walk between the joint Knights of Columbus and Knights of Peter Claver Honor Guard, the archbishop-elect folded his hands, closed his eyes, and took a moment in prayerful silence.

Once Mass began, soon-to-be Archbishop Emeritus Rodi addressed the congregation, followed by Cardinal Christophe Pierre, papal nuncio to the United States. Speaking to the archbishop-elect, the cardinal remarked, “May your service to the people here, with special care to those who are poor, suffering, or in a special need of church accompaniment and works of mercy, be a continuing sign of the hope with which God blesses us - a hope, which as Pope Francis reminded us at the beginning of this jubilee year, does not disappoint.”

Looking to the congregation, the cardinal read the Apostolic Letter of Appointment from Pope Leo XIV, then handed it to Archbishop-elect Rivituso who carried it throughout the cathedral-basilica for all those present to see. The last part of the Rite of Installation followed with the nuncio and Archbishop Rodi flanking the archbishop-elect and escorting him to his Cathedra, or bishop's chair. Archbishop Emeritus Rodi then handed Mobile’s new archbishop his crosier - a moment which was met with lively applause. After the archbishop greeted dignitaries from the archdiocese, the Liturgy of the Word began. 

In his homily, Archbishop Rivituso declared, “I am installed as shepherd of the Church in the Archdiocese of Mobile, but I acknowledge humbly my need for the faithful to be one with Jesus ... be one with me as we show the shepherding love and care of Christ to all in this local Church.” He went on to express his eagerness to shepherd the faithful of the archdiocese, emphasizing the forsaken, forgotten, marginalized, and those on the peripheries. “Jesus calls us to be Christ for one another,” he instructed. As he concluded, he sought the intercession of the archdiocese’s patroness, Mary of the Immaculate Conception.

With only a few minutes shy of the two-hour mark, the Mass ended, and the new archbishop recessed into a horde of smiling clergy, applauding and congratulating him. Directly across the street, lining Cathedral Square, were over 600 people, mostly local Catholic school children, who had watched the installation via livestream at nearby Saenger Theatre. The excitement was evident in every child’s face as the archbishop walked the three-blocks to the reception. Wide-eyed and beaming, the children outstretched their hands hoping to shake that of their new shepherd. As he took his time to greet each child in the hot and glaring Mobile sun, Archbishop Rivituso exuded a pure and visible joy, which he, no doubt, will share with all the faithful of the archdiocese in the years to come, and it will be by doing so that he will help fulfill his words on the day of his installation: “Remember, we are ministers of hope.”