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NAME: Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond
Age: 63
Position: Became the 14th archbishop of New Orleans on June 12, 2009.
Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond, the first native New Orleanian to serve as archbishop, took on his new responsibilities nearly four years after Hurricane Katrinia. But he has had to deal with post-storm changes to the church and city. He talked to The Advocate about the church’s role in what he calls the new Battle of New Orleans — fighting violent crime — and his role as a source of reconciliation for those dealing with the pain of loss after Katrina, including the closing of some parishes.
What was the most important piece of advice Archbishop Philip Hannan gave you when you returned to New Orleans as archbishop?
His comment to me is, “You’re a native son, so you have an advantage that some of us didn’t have, because you understand and love the people and the culture.” But then he said, “And as you know, the people of New Orleans expect their bishop to walk among them and be present to them.” He said, “I did the best I could on that, and I encourage you to do even better than I did.”
He still leaves some big shoes, doesn’t he?
He does. In fact, I literally put on his boots — not his battle boots —– but I literally wore in this last hurricane a pair of boots that he wore after Hurricane Katrina when he went to visit many of the flooded areas. He had an ugly pair of white boots, and when they gave them to me, they said Archbishop Hannan wore these. So I have the privilege to say that I literally walk in his shoes.
What would you say the faith community in general and the Catholic church in particular is doing about the violent crime here, and what is the church not doing about that it should?
I’ve asked that at every Sunday Mass in every church in the Archdiocese of New Orleans that we pray our family prayer at the end of Mass, in order that we may ask for God’s power and strength to be with us that we can fight and be triumphant in the new battle of New Orleans, which is a battle against violence and murder and racism. So we’re praying. Secondly, we also have a program which is called Isaiah 43, where we provide mentors for young people who come from challenging situations and backgrounds, where we provide someone to walk with them and to help them to grow in a life that is rooted on values and encourage them to develop ... a relationship with God and to give them the role model that might have been missing in their upbringing. We also provide in Isaiah 43 classes for parents who are interested in learning how to form and raise their children with values, specifically religious values ... The third thing we’re doing is asking the community to rally around this new battle of New Orleans. We’re providing yard signs for the members of our community who are interested. And it simply says: “Thou shall not kill. Signed, God.” We will put them in front of all the churches in our archdiocese and for a person to be able to put that in front of their house ... It’s a way of saying as each individual person, we don’t want any more blood spilled on our streets.
What do you think the church is not doing that it should?
We can always — we as a church and we as a society — do more in terms of building up family life, which is one of the reasons we have declared 2013 as a year of faith and family in the Archdiocese of New Orleans. ... We don’t hold up the values of family life enough. If someone was to ask me, what is the solution to the murder and violence and racism, is there a solution? I think there are two: One, that we turn more dependently to God and realize that it is from God we have received life, and we are dependent upon him. But secondly it’s family. And if you build up family life, the strength of a society is proportionate to the strength of a family.
What do you see as the future of K-12 Catholic education with the changed landscape of charter schools?
I wholeheartedly believe in Catholic education. I have had the privilege to have had Catholic education from kindergarten through graduate school, and I believe that one of the greatest gifts that the Catholic church has given to the United States is Catholic education. And Catholic education in the United States started in New Orleans, La., as did Catholic Charities, through the Ursuline Sisters. So I value Catholic education and will do all that I can to promote it. On the realistic side, we are well aware of two challenges: One is there are fewer young people available. Families are smaller throughout the United States, and demographics change. ... The other thing is financial, and the bishops of the United States have said very clearly that Catholic education should be made available to all those who wish to partake of that opportunity. And, quite frankly, that is a very big challenge for us as bishops, because it is expensive. ... Thirdly, as public schools and charter schools provide better education that does become the competition when it’s free. And so, people say, you know, “I can have a good education for free, and I have to pay for Catholic education.” Now, our stance is that we are providing something that charter schools or public schools can’t provide, and that is instruction in religion, a religious atmosphere, an environment of Christianity and faith formation.
Has the voucher program helped?
The voucher program has definitely helped. Last year we had about 1,500, and then this year, we have another 1,500, so we have about 3,000 children in our Catholic schools. Even with that, we are showing a slight decrease in students, which I think gives credence to what I’m saying about finances.
Among the most painful losses post-Katrina were the closing of 34 parishes. Was that necessary? How will you heal those wounds going forward?
I said even on the day of my announcement here that I didn’t think it was my job to go back and to second-guess that but to move on. And I think we have done that. It’s a time where the decisions have been made, and I’ve also committed myself not to alter or to change those decisions. ... I believe my role in this now ... is to bring about unity and to heal the hurt that came from this, and I have tried to do that. I will continue to try to do that. It’s public knowledge that in specific cases we have been able to reopen the churches not as parishes but as specialized ministries or as chapels of convenience, and that’s very clearly not the same as reopening them as parishes. In some cases that’s not possible because the church has been destroyed or it’s not feasible to do that in that particular area, and so in those cases it’s a matter of listening to people and trying to enter into their pain and suffering and to let them know that the church cares, and that I would like to be a source of reconciliation.
The number of Catholics in New Orleans before Katrina was 488,000. Last year it was 486,000. But there have been demographic changes. What are some of those changes?
I think it’s very safe to say that in the Archdiocese of New Orleans we have a half-million Catholics. ... And New Orleans in many ways still does have that Catholic flavor to it. Even people who are not of our family of faith, they certainly know of the church and they know of the 216 to 217 years of history of the Catholic church in New Orleans. What does the church look like today? The church is more diverse in terms of race and culture. There certainly continues to be a very large African-American community, a growing Vietnamese community, a growing community of other Asian ethnicities, and the Hispanic community is growing a lot. That’s one of the challenges that we’re facing right now. We are more diverse and we as leaders have to make sure we understand that and are energetic in trying to meet that need.
The Advocate
New Orleans Bureau
Age: 63
Position: Became the 14th archbishop of New Orleans on June 12, 2009.
Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond, the first native New Orleanian to serve as archbishop, took on his new responsibilities nearly four years after Hurricane Katrinia. But he has had to deal with post-storm changes to the church and city. He talked to The Advocate about the church’s role in what he calls the new Battle of New Orleans — fighting violent crime — and his role as a source of reconciliation for those dealing with the pain of loss after Katrina, including the closing of some parishes.
What was the most important piece of advice Archbishop Philip Hannan gave you when you returned to New Orleans as archbishop?
His comment to me is, “You’re a native son, so you have an advantage that some of us didn’t have, because you understand and love the people and the culture.” But then he said, “And as you know, the people of New Orleans expect their bishop to walk among them and be present to them.” He said, “I did the best I could on that, and I encourage you to do even better than I did.”
He still leaves some big shoes, doesn’t he?
He does. In fact, I literally put on his boots — not his battle boots —– but I literally wore in this last hurricane a pair of boots that he wore after Hurricane Katrina when he went to visit many of the flooded areas. He had an ugly pair of white boots, and when they gave them to me, they said Archbishop Hannan wore these. So I have the privilege to say that I literally walk in his shoes.
What would you say the faith community in general and the Catholic church in particular is doing about the violent crime here, and what is the church not doing about that it should?
I’ve asked that at every Sunday Mass in every church in the Archdiocese of New Orleans that we pray our family prayer at the end of Mass, in order that we may ask for God’s power and strength to be with us that we can fight and be triumphant in the new battle of New Orleans, which is a battle against violence and murder and racism. So we’re praying. Secondly, we also have a program which is called Isaiah 43, where we provide mentors for young people who come from challenging situations and backgrounds, where we provide someone to walk with them and to help them to grow in a life that is rooted on values and encourage them to develop ... a relationship with God and to give them the role model that might have been missing in their upbringing. We also provide in Isaiah 43 classes for parents who are interested in learning how to form and raise their children with values, specifically religious values ... The third thing we’re doing is asking the community to rally around this new battle of New Orleans. We’re providing yard signs for the members of our community who are interested. And it simply says: “Thou shall not kill. Signed, God.” We will put them in front of all the churches in our archdiocese and for a person to be able to put that in front of their house ... It’s a way of saying as each individual person, we don’t want any more blood spilled on our streets.
What do you think the church is not doing that it should?
We can always — we as a church and we as a society — do more in terms of building up family life, which is one of the reasons we have declared 2013 as a year of faith and family in the Archdiocese of New Orleans. ... We don’t hold up the values of family life enough. If someone was to ask me, what is the solution to the murder and violence and racism, is there a solution? I think there are two: One, that we turn more dependently to God and realize that it is from God we have received life, and we are dependent upon him. But secondly it’s family. And if you build up family life, the strength of a society is proportionate to the strength of a family.
What do you see as the future of K-12 Catholic education with the changed landscape of charter schools?
I wholeheartedly believe in Catholic education. I have had the privilege to have had Catholic education from kindergarten through graduate school, and I believe that one of the greatest gifts that the Catholic church has given to the United States is Catholic education. And Catholic education in the United States started in New Orleans, La., as did Catholic Charities, through the Ursuline Sisters. So I value Catholic education and will do all that I can to promote it. On the realistic side, we are well aware of two challenges: One is there are fewer young people available. Families are smaller throughout the United States, and demographics change. ... The other thing is financial, and the bishops of the United States have said very clearly that Catholic education should be made available to all those who wish to partake of that opportunity. And, quite frankly, that is a very big challenge for us as bishops, because it is expensive. ... Thirdly, as public schools and charter schools provide better education that does become the competition when it’s free. And so, people say, you know, “I can have a good education for free, and I have to pay for Catholic education.” Now, our stance is that we are providing something that charter schools or public schools can’t provide, and that is instruction in religion, a religious atmosphere, an environment of Christianity and faith formation.
Has the voucher program helped?
The voucher program has definitely helped. Last year we had about 1,500, and then this year, we have another 1,500, so we have about 3,000 children in our Catholic schools. Even with that, we are showing a slight decrease in students, which I think gives credence to what I’m saying about finances.
Among the most painful losses post-Katrina were the closing of 34 parishes. Was that necessary? How will you heal those wounds going forward?
I said even on the day of my announcement here that I didn’t think it was my job to go back and to second-guess that but to move on. And I think we have done that. It’s a time where the decisions have been made, and I’ve also committed myself not to alter or to change those decisions. ... I believe my role in this now ... is to bring about unity and to heal the hurt that came from this, and I have tried to do that. I will continue to try to do that. It’s public knowledge that in specific cases we have been able to reopen the churches not as parishes but as specialized ministries or as chapels of convenience, and that’s very clearly not the same as reopening them as parishes. In some cases that’s not possible because the church has been destroyed or it’s not feasible to do that in that particular area, and so in those cases it’s a matter of listening to people and trying to enter into their pain and suffering and to let them know that the church cares, and that I would like to be a source of reconciliation.
The number of Catholics in New Orleans before Katrina was 488,000. Last year it was 486,000. But there have been demographic changes. What are some of those changes?
I think it’s very safe to say that in the Archdiocese of New Orleans we have a half-million Catholics. ... And New Orleans in many ways still does have that Catholic flavor to it. Even people who are not of our family of faith, they certainly know of the church and they know of the 216 to 217 years of history of the Catholic church in New Orleans. What does the church look like today? The church is more diverse in terms of race and culture. There certainly continues to be a very large African-American community, a growing Vietnamese community, a growing community of other Asian ethnicities, and the Hispanic community is growing a lot. That’s one of the challenges that we’re facing right now. We are more diverse and we as leaders have to make sure we understand that and are energetic in trying to meet that need.
The Advocate
New Orleans Bureau
