Home / News & Publications / Michigan Catholic News / 2008 / Local Catholic church hosts Lutheran bishop’s funeral in ecumenical gesture
Local Catholic church hosts Lutheran bishop’s funeral in ecumenical gesture
by Kristin Lukowski of The Michigan Catholic
Published August 29, 2008
Detroit — Fr. Randall Phillips called it a gesture of common humanity to open up his church to the family of Bishop John H.K. Schreiber, a Lutheran bishop, after his death two weeks ago.
The bishop’s funeral was held at St. Blase Church in Sterling Heights, down the street from St. Thomas Lutheran Church, where Bishop Schreiber’s wife, the Rev. Colleen Kamke, is pastor. Although uncommon, the move was approved by Cardinal Adam Maida after the request was made by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
“It does show that when Christians do come together as one, we have far more in common than what divides us,” Fr. Phillips said. “This is what you do when people are hurting.”
Fr. Phillips explained that having the service at St. Blase was because the ELCA simply didn’t have a big enough worship space nearby. He estimated that between 800 and 900 people attended the Aug. 21 funeral, including clergy from the Lutheran, Anglican and Catholic communities.
Msgr. John Kasza, secretary to Cardinal Maida and vice-chancellor for the archdiocese, explained that the Catholic and Evangelical Lutheran Churches signed a covenant a few years ago pledging to continue a dialogue toward a greater understanding and respect. “We share many theological and liturgical traditions,” Msgr. Kasza said in an e-mail. “Since the Second Vatican Council, there has been a greater appreciation for our commonalities, rather than focusing on our differences.”
He also pointed out that both the Ecumenical Directory and canon law permit the sharing of sacred space for “the exercise or promotion of worship, piety, or religion” (Canon 1210) if the space or liturgical objects are not available.
“In my opinion, the experience at St. Blase is a testament to the growing ecumenical dialogue and the deepening of relationships with our separated brothers and sisters,” he said.
Fr. Phillips explained that the two churches were built at about the same time, their communities grew together, in the very beginning worshipping one after the other at the nearby public school; they’ve also shared programs over the years, including their Vacation Bible School program.
Fr. Phillips said it was a beautiful celebration, given the tragedy of the bishop’s death. In a statement put out about the service, he said allowing the service to be held there was “first and foremost simply an expression of our common humanity responding to a family that is grieving and hurting.”
Bishop Schreiber died Aug. 16 at age 47. In addition to his wife, survivors include his children, Paul and Claire, mother, Rose Ann, and sister, Lois (Mike).
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