Before Bishop Gary R. Studniewski’s ordination on Oct. 7 as a new auxiliary bishop of Washington, his staff and parishioners at the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Washington, D.C., praised his service as pastor there and the former military chaplain’s example of being open to God’s call.
On May 28, Bishop-elect Studniewski celebrated his last school Mass for Blessed Sacrament School, as second graders who had recently received their First Communion there led a May crowning for the school community.
Bishop Studniewski, who served as a priest of the Archdiocese of Washington for 31 years before being ordained as a bishop, was a U.S. Army veteran who returned to serve as an Army chaplain for 18 years before serving as the pastor of St. Peter’s Parish on Capitol Hill and then as the pastor of Blessed Sacrament for the past four years until his new appointment.
In an interview before the school Mass, Chris Kelly, the longtime principal of Blessed Sacrament School, praised their pastor who was becoming a bishop.
“In his life experience in the military and as a priest, I know he’s always felt a sense of calling and a sense of duty, and it’s exhibited in his work in the military and the Church,” Kelly said.
In a morning prayer before eighth graders had completed their schoolwork there, the principal told students that “priests are sent to be models for all of us, and Father Gary has always believed God had a plan for him, and each step of the way when he’s been called to serve, he’s willingly accepted that challenge.”
Kelly added that, “He’s been a great pastor here… The enduring legacy he’ll have for these kids is not only does God have a plan for Father Gary, He has a plan for each of us, and we just need to say ‘yes’ and be open to whatever that plan is.”
On June 7, Bishop-elect Studniewski celebrated Mass at the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament and led a Eucharistic procession in the neighborhood to mark the parish’s feast day, the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, known traditionally as Corpus Christi Sunday.
At an outdoor parish reception following the Mass and procession, parishioners expressed gratitude for their departing pastor who one month later would be ordained as a bishop.
Kathryn Mulder, who works for Yahoo and walked in the procession with her family after attending Mass with her mother, her husband and their four children, said, “He (Bishop-elect Studniewski) is a good leader. He immediately came and got to know everybody.”
Also joining the procession with their four children were Kenny and Maria O’Connor. He works as an engineer at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and she teaches theater part-time.
Praising the faith of the bishop-elect who had served as their pastor at Blessed Sacrament, Kenny O’Connor said, “You can tell he really believes it and lives it, and you can tell he’s speaking from the heart anytime he’s speaking.”
Their daughter Riley O’Connor who is 7, said, “His homilies are really good.” Her mom Maria O’Connor added, “His stories relate to the day so well.”
Mary Shimp, a Blessed Sacrament parishioner who is retired from the tech industry, noted that the bishop-elect began serving at Blessed Sacrament after a challenging time, when “COVID was tough on everyone.”
“Father Gary came here at a perfect time to breathe new life in the parish… and I’m sure he’ll do the same for the archdiocese,” she said.
Alice Holian walked in the Eucharistic procession with her two children – her daughter Sunny, a fifth grader at Blessed Sacrament School, and her son Andrew, a second grader there – while her husband and their father Luke Holian was one of the men holding up poles to support the canopy over the priest with the Blessed Sacrament during the procession.
She noted that as the pastor of Blessed Sacrament, then-Father Studniewski had restarted the tradition of the neighborhood Eucharistic procession there.
“We love him here. We were all happy (about his appointment as a bishop), but we were disappointed he was leaving,” Alice Holian said.
Praising his leadership there, she said, “He has a vision of what the mission of our Church is. We are all on this mission, not only to revitalize the Church,” but also to reach out to people who have fallen away or who have not heard the Gospel.
Alice Holian emphasized that “he woke everybody up, (that) we have a job to do. Our faith isn’t passive. It has to be active… (we have to) take it outside ourselves and reach out to those around us.”
This past year, Blessed Sacrament Parish – which is known for its social outreach – supported the food pantry and outreach to immigrants being offered by the Shrine of the Sacred Heart in Washington as local families were being impacted by the federal government’s mass deportation policy of undocumented immigrants.
After they had helped hold the canopy over the priest during the neighborhood Eucharistic procession, Luke Holian and Chris Delaney were among the Blessed Sacrament parishioners enjoying each other’s company at the reception, and they also expressed thanks for their departing pastor’s impact there.
Chris Delaney, who works as a technical consultant for the government, praised his “love of God and the Church.”
Luke Holian, who works for a software development firm, said the new bishop is steady, true to Church teaching and approachable. He also noted how, about once a month, around 15 guys from the parish had joined their pastor on a 20-mile bike ride in Maryland or in Washington.
“My only ask to the cardinal is, ‘Unleash him, don’t bind him with bureaucracy.’ He is a true apostle of Christ. Let him be with the people,” Luke Holian said.
Chris Delaney added, “And then truly amazing things will happen, as it did at Blessed Sacrament under his leadership.”
