Retirement looms for only bishop Las Cruces has known

Ricardo Ramirez feels torn. 

The bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese in Las Cruces will turn 75 on Sept. 12, an age when bishops are requested to submit their resignation to the pope. 

The idea of retirement for the only bishop the diocese has known, has a certain appealing ring to it, but a sense of sadness as well.

"There are mixed feelings," Ramirez said. "One is, 'Thank God I will not have to make anymore difficult decisions that will affect individual's lives.'"

He knows, though, he will not be able to easily walk away from his calling to teach and be a priest.

"On the other hand, it will be different not being in charge," he said.

"There is fear that some of the things I have begun might not be carried forth, the things that have been dear to my heart."

As long as the diocese has existed — since 1982 — Ramirez has been the bishop. That will change, but he does not know when. 

He said that he could be replaced the very day after his birthday, or he could be around to see the diocese move into its third decade.

"It could be a year and I could still be here," the bishop said.

Either way, he said he plans to stay involved with the diocese and hopes to help the new bishop with transition, yet give him space to make his own decisions.

Las Cruces Catholic Tom Chagolla admitted that, when the time comes, it will feel "different" to have a new bishop.

"We know what we have now. We don't know what we're going to have with the next bishop," Chagolla said. "Bishop Ramirez is very wise, very compassionate." Genesis

Before 1982, much of southern New Mexico was part of the El Paso Diocese. A Bay City, Texas native, Ramirez was auxiliary bishop in San Antonio in 1981.

He expected that assignment to last longer than a year, but instead he got the call to come to Las Cruces.

"I was only there nine months, the time it takes to have a baby; my baby was Las Cruces," he said.

Starting up a new diocese was "exciting, but at the same time it's very challenging.

"We started in a tiny little office near the Downtown Mall," Ramirez said.

"We hired a secretary and that's all we could afford."

He said he needed a sound economic base.

"That meant begging," Ramirez said. "That meant starting annual appeals and organizing our finance office."

He said he tries to personally conduct mass every day, although that is not always possible. 

He makes an effort to visit all 45 parishes throughout the year.

"I put 30,000 miles on my car every year," Ramirez said.

Ecumenical ties

Ramirez has received high marks from many in the religious community in Las Cruces for his efforts to reach out to those of other Christian denominations and even those of other faiths.
 

"He's a wonderful, wonderful man," Gerald Kane, who was rabbi with Temple Beth-El in Las Cruces for nearly nine years, said. "We forged a wonderful friendship."

Kane said Ramirez showed up for the dedication of the congregation's new building and he returned the favor in other ways.

"When the pope died he called me and asked me to light a candle," Kane said.

Fr. Scott Ruthven with St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Las Cruces said he first met Ramirez at a very important function.

"He participated in an Episcopal ordination here in Las Cruces," Ruthven said. "The fact he was at the ordination spoke volumes to me about this man's heart for the broader church."
 

Retirement

Although he does not know when he will step down as bishop, Ramirez said the diocese is preparing for the transition.

"We've already started doing some things to get ready," he said. "We've done parish assessments. Every parish is asked to have an assembly of the parishioners to identity their strengths, their weaknesses, the challenges they have. Out of that we'll prepare a report for the new bishop so he'll know what he has."

Ramirez said the pope will choose his replacement, but there is a process for identifying candidates.

"I'm free to suggest, but I don't make the decision," he said.

Ramirez said bishops from dioceses in New Mexico and Arizona meet periodically.

"We may (pick) names of those we think would make good bishops and provide their bios," he said.

Archbishop Michael Sheehan in Santa Fe will then hand over the proposed candidates to the Vatican's Apostolic Nuncio to the United States (the church's ambassador).

"He'll send a list of his recommendations to the pope, but the pope actually does the selection," Ramirez said.

When the time comes to step down, Ramirez said he will continual to perform pastoral tasks and hopes to help his replacement, but also give him some space.

"A lot depends on the new bishop," he said. "I'd like to be here, stay a few days after he arrives, stay on call in case he needs some information. Maybe after a couple of weeks, I'll go visit relatives and friends and stay away from here, maybe several weeks, and then return to live here.

"This is home."

Source