Bishop Andrew J. McDonald was the fifth bishop of Little Rock, Arkansas. He served in that role for 28 years, from 1972 to 2000. Bishop McDonald passed away on April 1, at the age of 91. He was living in the St. Joseph Home of the Little Sisters of the Poor, in a suburb of Chicago, at the time of his death.
Life is full of God's quirky surprises. How did I get to know the bishop of Little Rock? In the 1980s I was parochial vicar at St. Mary of Mercy Parish, in downtown Pittsburgh. Bishop McDonald would come to Pittsburgh and conduct two Confirmations each day for two weeks straight. In this way he helped the bishops of Pittsburgh, and also made some money for his missionary diocese. His home away from home was St. Mary's at the Point.
Late in the evening after a full day of two Confirmation ceremonies, dinner and travel, Bishop McDonald would join us priests in our TV room for casual, friendly conversation. He would talk about his family (he was the 11th of 12 children, born and raised in Savannah, Georgia; four of his sisters became nuns) and the goings on in his local church, and we priests would talk shop about church stuff and personnel gossip in western Pennsylvania.
Bishop McDonald had a shy smile and an easy laugh. He like to tell corny jokes, make fun of his golf game, and enjoyed the company of priests. He was a great supporter of the pro-life movement, founding the annual March for Life in Little Rock that endures to this day. He established ministries to and with the Vietnamese and Hispanic immigrants who came to live in his adopted state. He told us many funny stories about parish life in rural (and sometimes anti-Catholic) Arkansas.
He was also a devout, prayerful bishop. Each morning Bishop McDonald would attend the 7:15 a.m. Mass in St. Mary church, pray his office and a rosary after Mass, then vest and concelebrate the 8:00 a.m. Mass with whichever priest was scheduled. He did not preach, but rather wanted to listen to our sermons. I vividly remember the first time this happened to me. I was only seven years ordained, in my early 30s, and I couldn't believe that a bishop--A BISHOP--wanted to concelebrate with me and listen to my sermon. But he was insistent, and so I did as he wanted. The good bishop was also kindly, complimenting me on my words that day.
One year Bishop Andrew came to Pittsburgh right after his "ad limina" visit to Rome. Pope John Paul II gave each diocesan bishop 15 minutes of personal time. Using a large map of the United States, Bishop McDonald proudly pointed out where his diocese was located. The pope squinted at the map, and then smiled and said, "Ah! RRRR-Kansas!" It was Bishop McDonald's turn to smile. "That's right, Your Holiness." As he said to us later, who was I to tell the pope he mispronounced the name of my diocese?
Each year I would look forward to Bishop McDonald's visit. I was privileged to share lunch with him, and came to know the depths of wisdom hiding behind his laugh and puns. He made many friends, clergy and lay, in the Pittsburgh area during his celebrations of Confirmation and missionary appeal Masses. His Christmas letters were full of folksy Gospel insights.
Upon his retirement, Bishop Andrew left Little Rock and at age 77 took up a new ministry. (He told me he wanted to give his successor space to be himself--ever the considerate Christian.) He became chaplain at the St. Joseph Home for the aged poor in Palatine, Illinois. About five years ago I was vacationing in Chicago for a long weekend. I called him, and drove out to see him. We talked for hours about his pastoral ministry, his new home of Chicago, and the church at large.
Like all retired clergy, he was glad to be freed of administrative duties, and loved offering the sacraments and his presence among the residents, the Little Sisters and the staff. Age had slowed him down, but did not squelch his sense of humor or love for Jesus Christ.
Eternal rest grant unto your ever faithful servant, Bishop Andrew McDonald. May he receive the reward of all good and holy ministers of the Gospel in the peace of your heavenly kingdom.
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