Early in his priestly ministry, Bishop Edward Malesic spent several years as a campus minister at three colleges in Pennsylvania, a time he recalls fondly. He was able to briefly revisit the experience during a visit on Oct. 28 with the RooCatholic Newman Campus Ministry group at the University of Akron.
About 20 people gathered in person that night at St. Bernard Church in Akron for a meal, evening prayer and conversation with the bishop. Father Chris Zerucha, St. Bernard pastor; Father Vince Hawk, director of Newman Ministry for the Diocese of Cleveland and John Szarwark, who heads the RooCatholic Newman Ministry group also attended.
RooCatholic has been witnessing the Catholic faith to the University of Akron community since 1936. Members of the organization log service hours at campus events, church functions and on regional service trips. They have opportunities for faith enrichment and fellowship throughout the week, with Sunday Mass, Wednesday dinners, small group gatherings for men and women, praise and worship, Bible study and other social functions. Although the ongoing pandemic has impacted the way some of their events take place, Brittany Varsho, RooCatholic president, said the group continues its mission. Some participate virtually and attendance may be limited at events in order to allow for adequate social distancing and adherence to other health and safety guidelines.
Gathering in the social hall below St. Bernard Church allowed for plenty of social distancing. Students greeted the bishop, he offered a blessing for the meal and then the students spread out while they enjoyed a pre-packaged sausage sandwich prepared by parish volunteers.
Afterward, they headed upstairs to the church for evening prayer, led by Bishop Malesic, and conversation. The session was livestreamed for those unable to attend in person.
The bishop shared his vocation story with the students and then asked for their questions.
He explained how he grew up in a loving family and attended Mass weekly, but didn’t necessarily enjoy it. “I never thought I’d be a priest or a bishop,” he said.
After high school, he decided to major in biology in college with the goal of becoming a medical technologist and “working with a microscope in a medical lab in a hospital basement.” Early in his college days, he heard that the Gideons were handing out free Bibles at the student union so he went, took one and returned to his room. “I started reading it,’ he said, adding it was the first time he really felt that Jesus loved him. As he continued poring through the Bible, he learned more about the Catholic faith. “It all started to make sense,” he added.
And one name kept coming up: Jesus. Throughout the ages, Bishop Malesic told the group that the Eucharist, faith, creed and teachings of the Church remained the same. They might have been “dressed up a bit” during some times in history, but the basic tenets remained the same.
For the past 2,000 years, he said people have been trying to “kill” the Church, noting awful things happened, “but Jesus was still there” and the Holy Spirit holds the Church together.
While in college, Bishop Malesic said he played the organ at a parish. Once, he accompanied the pastor and a religious sister to a conference and recalled that both asked him if he’d ever thought about the priesthood. “I said, ‘no,’ but then started thinking – should I?”
He attended a retreat and one night during the retreat, he looked up at a streetlight and realized that he was being called to the priesthood. At first he said he was angry because he had to change all his plans. He couldn’t get a biology degree and work in a hospital lab; he wouldn’t be able to marry and have a family. “I had to change everything,” he said.
After three years in college, he entered Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio, which he attended for six years. “I loved it,” he said.
But his time studying science helped him make a connection between science and religion, which he said gave him a deeper understanding, connection to and love of the faith.
After ordination, he served as a parochial vicar and campus minister, “but I really wanted to be a pastor,” he added. The bishop had other ideas and asked him to study canon law, which led to a position with the diocesan tribunal. He later was named pastor of a parish and said he was very happy, until receiving a phone call from the papal nuncio informing him that the Holy Father wanted him to be the bishop of Greensburg, Pennsylvania.
Once again – as he did when asked to study canon law – the bishop asked himself if there was any reason he couldn’t do it. “Laziness is not an excuse,” he said. So, in 2015, he was ordained a bishop and installed in the Diocese of Greensburg, where he served until getting a call from the nuncio last summer informing him that Pope Francis wanted him to be the bishop of Cleveland. “What could I do but accept?” he quipped.
Bishop Malesic recalled how difficult it was to keep the secret about being named Greensburg bishop, but said once he was able to share the news, “things were much easier because I had people in two dioceses praying for me.”
He also shared a story about one of his cousins who made the difficult decision to forgo treatment for breast cancer rather than risking the life of her unborn child. Her son was born healthy, but she died from the disease soon after. The young man, who was not raised in a Catholic home, visited Bishop Malesic and quizzed him about what he did. He was describing his job when the bishop’s friend asked the young man if he was Christian and if knew who the apostles were. He said “yes,” and the friend explained, “Your cousin is a successor to the apostles.”
That stuck with the bishop.
“A bishop is the chief priest, a shepherd and an apostle in a diocese. He draws people to Jesus,” he said. “I am blessed to be a Catholic priest and a bishop and I know I’m surrounded by great people.”
After taking time to discern his vocation, the bishop said “we are the happiest when we discover who we were made to be. A completeness comes over us when we discover who we are supposed to be.”
And as for bishops, “they don’t come from heaven; they come from families,” he said.
He also took questions from the group including what is most unique about Cleveland: the diversity; his favorite part about being a priest: celebrating Mass; his favorite saint: several, including St. Thomas More who was willing to die for his faith; and his five-year plan for the diocese: “to stay for five years,” he quipped, adding that it’s not his plan that’s important, he has to discover God’s plan.
He encouraged the group to read the Bible and displayed his new copy of the Word on Fire Bible, which he recommended.
Then he left the students with one piece of advice: “Don’t be afraid to seek answers for your doubts.”