SPECIAL COMMEMORATIVE ISSUE - OCTOBER 19, 2016

The Most Reverend Martin David Holley, D.D. Fifth Bishop The Catholic Diocese of Memphis in Tennessee

His

Mercy Endures

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The Most Reverend Martin Holley named 5th Bishop of Memphis Diocese

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ope Francis has appointed The Most Reverend Martin David Holley, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Washington, as the fifth bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Memphis in Tennessee. He is succeeding the Most Reverend J. Terry Steib, SVD, who had submitted his letter of resignation in May 2015. The appointment was announced in Washington on August 23, 2016 by Archbishop Christophe Pierre, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States. Bishop Martin Holley was born on Dec. 31, 1954 in Pensacola, Florida. He is one of 14 children born to Sylvester Thomas Sr., and Mary Elizabeth Holley. While attending Tate High School, he was recognized for his talent in basketball and was entered into the school’s Hall of Fame. He earned an associate degree from Faulkner State Junior College and, after entering Alabama State University, he earned a Bachelor of Science in management in 1977. He attended the Theological College in Washington DC, then completed a Master of Divinity from St. Vincent Seminary in Boynton Beach, Florida in 1987. He was ordained a priest of the Diocese of PensacolaTallahassee on May 8, 1987. He served as associate pastor of St Mary Catholic Church in Fort Walton Beach and St. Paul Catholic Church in

Pensacola and pastor of Little Flower Catholic Church in Pensacola. On July 2, 2004, he was ordained as auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Washington. Bishop Holley has held a wide variety of leadership positions in the Archdiocese of Washington, DC, including serving as the Vicar General. He has been a member of the National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus since 1983. For the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, he has served on several committees including: Cultural Diversity, Communications, and ProLife. He has also served on the following subcommittees: Africa; African-American Catholics; Bishop’s Ministry and Life; Laity, Women, Children and Youth; and Migration. He has been on the Boards of Catholic Relief Services and Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington. He is the immediate past Chaplain of the Knights of St. Peter Claver. Bishop Holley said, “I am deeply humbled in my appointment as the fifth bishop of Memphis by His Holiness, Pope Francis and I thank him for expressing his confidence in me through this new assignment at this time in my life. I eagerly look forward to meeting the priests, deacons, religious, seminarians and faithful laity of the Memphis

Diocese in the next several months. I want to express my deepest gratitude and thanks to my predecessor Bishop Terry Steib for his warm and generous welcome of me to the Diocese of Memphis, and I laud him for his incredible Episcopal ministry for over 23 years. I look forward to his continued presence as a blessing in our diocese for many more years.” The installation ceremony for Bishop Holley will be held at the Cook Convention Center on October 19, 2016, at 2 p.m.

His family’s faith and devotion to Mary inspired Bishop Holley’s vocation By Richard Szczepanowski, Catholic Standard

Bishop Martin Holley likes to say that he was present when his parents were baptized and entered the Catholic Church. “My mother was expecting me when she was baptized, so I was there,” Bishop Holley said. “It was all part of the mystery of God’s plan.” Bishop Holley’s parents – Sylvester and Mary Elizabeth – and their seven children were all received into the Church on June 20, 1954. Baby Martin, who was named after the family’s parish priest, arrived six months later on Dec. 31. The Holley family would eventually expand to include 14 children, one of whom is now deceased. The family lived across the street from their parish church, Our Lady of Fatima, in Cantonment, Florida. Bishop Holley said that his parents “really lived the Gospel,” and served as “great examples of people who lived holy lives. My family has never met a stranger. We always welcomed people.” Sylvester Holley, who worked at a nearby paper mill and did carpentry, electrical work, auto repairs and prepared income tax returns on the side to raise money for his family, died in 1973. Mary died in 2001. Living across the street from Our Lady of Fatima Parish and attending Our Lady of Fatima School, Bishop Holley said, Martin Holley at age 7, when the future the seeds of his vocation were bishop attended Our Lady of Fatima School (continued on page 3)

across the street from his family’s home in Cantonment, Fla. (Photo courtesy of Florida Catholic.)

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His family’s faith ... planted “by my parents, who were very faithful, and the intercession of Our Lady.” Bishop Holley said that he, his mother, his father and his siblings attended Sunday Mass each week as a family. He added that they would attend a weekly Wednesday novena at the parish church and pray the rosary together as a family. His mother, he added, would frequently host Legionaries of Christ who used to come by the house to visit. “The source of our faith was the family,” Bishop Holley said, “and I have always had a great devotion to Our Lady. Our Lady – her life and her example – and my family play a big part in my vocation.” After working for nearly three years as a purchasing agent at the chancery offices of his home Diocese of PensacolaTallahassee, Florida, the future

bishop discerned his call to the priesthood. He said that working with Bishop Rene H. Gracida, who at the time was bishop of Pensacola-Tallahassee, and by traveling through that diocese as part of his job, “I got to know the clergy and religious sisters. From there I made the leap into the seminary,” he said. When he was ordained as auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Washington on July 2, 2004 during a Mass at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington, many members of Bishop Holley’s large extended family traveled to the District to witness the happy event. He said that many family members will be in attendance Oct. 19 as he is installed at the fifth bishop of Memphis. “A lot of my family will be there,” he said, “but if they all

Father Martin Holley gathered with his siblings and mother during a get together. In the front row from the left are Caroline Holley, Joseph Holley, their mother Mary Holley who passed away in 2001, Angela Holley, Mary Holley, and Deborah Holley Donald. In the back row from the left are: Everett Holley, Rita Holley Pace, Sylvester Holley, Bishop Holley, Harold Holley (deceased), Timothy Holley, Patrick Holley, Michael Holley, and Anthony Holley. (File photo.)

came we would need a space larger than the convention center.” Bishop Holley also credits his father’s example of helping out at the family’s parish church that spurred his own service to the Church. “I started at a young age by cleaning the church,” Bishop Holley said. “As a pre-teen, I cut the parish grass and did some of the things that needed to be done around the church. Later I was a CCD teacher.” Those experiences would later repeat themselves when then-Father Holley served as a pastor in his home Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee, Fla. In a 2004 interview with the Catholic Standard when he was named auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Washington, Bishop Holley recalled working alongside his parishioners in mopping floors, cutting grass, laying sod, moving playground equipment and mixing cement. He called it “rubbing elbows together” with his parishioners because “it’s important to be with the people where they are.” Bishop Holley said whether it is celebrating the Eucharist or the sacrament of confession or even cutting the grass, he strives to be “someone who loves the people of God. I want them (the faithful) to see Christ’s action through me.”

A photo of Bishop Holley taken shortly after his ordination to the priesthood in Pensacola, Florida in May 1987.

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Statement from Cardinal Donald Wuerl: Statement from Archbishop Joseph Kurtz: “The announcement of the appointment by our Holy Father, Pope Francis, of Bishop Martin D. Holley as the fifth Bishop of Memphis, Tennessee, while a blessing for that diocesan Church, is also a joy for all of us in Washington, where he has served as Auxiliary Bishop for the past 12 years. “Bishop Holley has demonstrated both pastoral sensitivity and administrative ability that should serve him well as he now undertakes his new ministry in western Tennessee. We rejoice that the Church of Memphis is receiving such a talented and caring pastor of souls. “During that time, Bishop Holley was a member of the Washington InterFaith Network, International Catholic Foundation for the Service of Deaf People, Catholic Athletes for Christ as well as the D.C. and Maryland Catholic Conferences.

“I give thanks to God for the exciting news that Pope Francis has appointed Bishop Martin D. Holley as the fifth bishop of Memphis. Bishop Holley is a friend whom I know to have a pastoral heart and a wealth of experience, having served as auxiliary bishop in the Archdiocese of Washington and in a variety of ministries in his home diocese of PensacolaTallahassee. It is a joy to welcome him to the Province of Louisville! “Bishop Holley succeeds Bishop Terry Steib, Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz, D.D., SVD, who served the people of Memphis so well President, USCCB for 23 years and whose friendship I treasure. “I pledge my support and prayers for Bishop Holley and for the priests, religious, and lay faithful of the Diocese of Memphis. May Bishop Holley’s episcopal leadership and service abound in the grace of Jesus Christ! May our Blessed Mother Mary and all the saints intercede for him.”

Statement from Cardinal Theodore McCarrick: Cardinal Donald Wuerl

“As a Vicar General for the Archdiocese of Washington, he was a member of the archdiocesan College of Consultors, Presbyteral Council, Seminarian Review Board, Administrative Board, and was Chairman for the College of Deans which oversees the 14 deaneries in this local Church. “As former Moderator of the Ethnic Ministries, Bishop Holley was able to see that the pastoral needs of all the ethnic and language communities within the Archdiocese of Washington were appropriately addressed. Additionally, he has joined pilgrims from the Archdiocese of Washington at World Youth Day in Cologne, Germany in 2005, in Madrid, Spain in 2011, as well as recently in Kraków, Poland in 2016. “While we will miss his presence here in Washington, we wish him every blessing as he assumes his duties at the service of what has been described as ‘The Good Samaritan on the banks of the Mississippi.’”

Statements made about the appointment of Auxiliary Bishop Martin D. Holley by our Holy Father, Pope Francis, as the fifth Bishop of Memphis.

“The appointment of Bishop Martin Holley as Bishop of Memphis will bring an energetic and very pastoral leader to that charming southern diocese which has been served so well by Bishop Terry Steib for the last 23 years. “For the last 12 years, Bishop Holley has brought to the church of Washington a joyful, pastoral presence. Admired by priests and people alike for his kindness and pastoral zeal, he will bring these gifts to the Mississippi and be a fitting successor to Bishop Steib, who has served Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, the Diocese of Memphis so well for so many Archbishop Emeritus of Washington years. I wish him much joy in this wonderful opportunity of further service.”

Statement from Bishop-Emeritus J. Terry Steib: “On August 23, 2016, the announcement of Bishop Martin Holley was made and I welcomed him to the Catholic Diocese of Memphis. I welcomed him to the Land between the rivers. Now, on behalf of all the people who proudly claim this local church as their own, who are the Good Samaritans on the banks of the Mississippi and Tennessee rivers, I welcome him as he begins his ministry as the fifth bishop of the Diocese of Memphis in Tennessee. Welcome, Bishop Holley!”

Bishop Emeritus J. Terry Steib, Catholic Diocese of Memphis

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Bishop Martin D. Holley was installed July 2, 2004 as an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Washington. The new bishop blesses those who attended his episcopal ordination at St. Matthew’s Cathedral. (Catholic Standard photo by Rafael Crisostomo.)

Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, then the archbishop of Washington, congratulates Bishop Martin Holley after ordaining him as an auxiliary bishop of Washington in July 2004. Cardinal McCarrick is now the archbishop emeritus of Washington. (Catholic Standard photo by Rafael Crisostomo.)

Martin David Holley Installation as Auxillary Bishop July 2, 2004 Archdiocese of Washington

During the ordination, Cardinal McCarrick presents Bishop Holley with a miter, one of the symbols of the office of bishop. (Catholic Standard photo by Rafael Crisostomo.) Newly ordained Washington Auxiliary Bishop Martin Holley (at right) processes down the aisle of St. Matthew’s Cathedral, accompanied by retired Bishop Leonard Olivier, who has served in Washington since 1988. (Catholic Standard photo by Rafael Crisostomo.)

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Those attending the Mass at St. Matthew’s Cathedral included the bishop’s siblings (l/r), Deborah Holley Donald, Carolyn Holley, Rita Holley Pace, Angela Holley, Mary Holley, and Anthony Holley. (Catholic Standard photo by Rafael Crisostomo.) Bishop Holley offers the Eucharist to a student at World Youth Day. Photo by Jaclyn Lippelmann, Staff Photographer, Catholic Standard // El Pregonero, Archdiocese of Washington

l a u t i his spir

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Something to know about Bishop Martin Holley:

Faith

He is a big fan of the DC Padres, a baseball team consisting entirely of Catholic priests and seminarians who were one time High School and/or College baseball players. They play fast pitch hardball with Catholic High School varsity baseball teams in front of crowds of up to 1000 or more people at Minor league ball parks in the Washington DC area in an effort to raise awareness and interest in the great vocation to the Catholic Priesthood. For more on the team, go to: http://www. dcpadres.com/ Visit YouTube to view the DC Padres in action: https://youtu.be/ AvrTODTVIDQ

At the reception at the Washington Hilton following his ordination as a new auxiliary bishop for Washington.

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Welcome messages from the parishes of the Diocese of Memphis. Church of the Incarnation You will be so happy here! All the people have a heart full of Love for their fellows and a heart for service. - Linda Huffman, Incarnation Welcome home! I hope you have a Spirit-filled assignment here. We are excited to have you and pray for your success as our bishop. - Chris Newbern, Incarnation I am so excited to see what your stewardship brings to our community. Praying for your success! - Jenny Fehrenbacher, Incarnation Welcome to West Tennessee! We look forward to your leadership and working with you as disciples of Christ. - Fondly, Jeffe Parrino, Incarnation

St. Regina, Parsons I am a parishioner of St Regina in Parsons and I look forward to welcoming you to our parish. - Mary Ann Christensen, St. Regina, Parsons I look forward to meeting you when you visit our church family. - Pat Humble, St. Regina, Parsons

St. Brigid Church “Welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you” ... Romans 15:7 We welcome Bishop Holley and pray God grants him the strength and fortitude to serve Memphis Diocese. - Dr. Paul Nweze Madubuonwu, St. Brigid Welcome to the South. We are so excited that you have been chosen to lead our flock. May you find all of us warm & loving children of God. Love in Christ. - Lisa Kiser, St. Brigid Western Tennessee welcomes you with open hands and hearts. Rural and urban, we are a strong and diverse Catholic people awaiting you as our Shepherd. May God bless you. - Bob Hoguet, St. Brigid St. Brigid parish offers sincerest welcome to Most Reverend Martin David Holley. We pray for you, the grace to be strong and valiant, firm and true, faithful always - to God, God’s Mother and you. May God bless and keep you always! - Jim Barnes, St. Brigid

In this Year of Mercy, we welcome you to our Memphis Diocese. With you as our leader and our renewed enthusiasm, we will continue to bring the Good News to the people of Memphis. “Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life.” - Odie Mills, St. Brigid Bishop Holley, it’s not sweet home Alabama or the white sands of the Gulf Coast, but you will enjoy our mid-South warmth and charity, and of course, the barbecue. Welcome to Memphis! - Kate and Jeff Illig, St. Brigid

St. Andrew the Apostle Church, Lexington May God bless you as you come to lead us. May God bless us as we joyfully respond to you. - Eleanor Michie, St. Andrew the Apostle Church I will be saying a special Rosary for you. Welcome. - Rose Huff, St. Andrew the Apostle Church I am looking forward to meeting you when you come to visit our parish. - Helen Fall, St. Andrew the Apostle Church From one Floridian to another Floridian, welcome to West Tennessee. I look forward to working with you. - Mary Alyce Fiechtl, Administrative/Financial Secretary, St. Andrew the Apostle Church

Holy Rosary Church Bishop Holley - I’m a parishioner at Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Memphis and sincerely look forward to meeting you at Women’s Morning or Men’s Morning of Spirituality! I would be remiss if I didn’t personally invite you to our city-wide event, The Memphis Italian Festival hosted and sponsored by Holy Rosary Catholic Church! - Martha Stewart, Holy Rosary We welcome you to the Diocese of Memphis and look forward to meeting you. -Keith and Joyce Mullis, Holy Rosary Dear Bishop Holley, WELCOME to Memphis and our Diocese! I am a parishioner at Holy Rosary Catholic Church. I have heard many wonderful things about you, your faith and your leadership. Everyone that has met you is extremely excited that God’s plan was for you to be here. The Cursillo community is especially excited to hear that you have made your Cursillo weekend. The Memphis Catholic community maybe only a small percentage in numbers but we have big hearts. I look forward to an opportunity to meet you at one of our many events this year or at the Women’s Morning of Spirituality in 2017. Again....Welcome! - Pat Lichterman-Bates, Holy Rosary

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Bishop Holley inspired by the example of his bishop mentors By Richard Szczepanowski, Catholic Standard

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s he prepared to take the helm of the Diocese of Memphis, Bishop Martin Holley said that he would rely on the advice and guidance of his former ordinaries here in the Archdiocese of Washington and on the example of two bishops he has called “my brothers.” Bishop Holley said that he was grateful for what he learned from Cardinal Theodore McCarrick – the archbishop emeritus of Washington who headed the archdiocese when he was named in 2004. He also said that he learned from and would continue to consult with Cardinal Donald Wuerl, who succeeded Cardinal McCarrick as Washington’s archbishop in 2006. “I can see the moment in which the Church of Memphis will partner with the Archdiocese of Washington,” Bishop Holley told Cardinal Wuerl Sept. 24 during a farewell Mass and luncheon for archdiocesan employees. “I take a part of you with me, and I will most likely be consulting with you and call on you for advice.” In addition to the Cardinal Archbishops of Washington, Bishop Holley said that Bishop John Ricard, the former bishop of his home diocese of PensacolaTallahassee, and the late Bishop Leonard Olivier, a former auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Washington who died in 2014, had the biggest impact on his episcopal ministry. Bishop Holley said that Bishop Ricard “has been very

inspirational in my life.” Then-Father John Ricard, a priest of the Society of St. Joseph of the Sacred Heart (Josephites), served in the Archdiocese of Washington as a pastor at Holy Redeemer Parish, Holy ComforterSt. Cyprian Parish and Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish. He served for a while as an instructor at The Catholic University of America’s National Catholic School of Social Service. In 1984, he was named an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, and in 1997, he was named bishop of PensacolaTallahassee, the diocese for which Bishop Holley was ordained a priest. In March 2011, Bishop Ricard resigned as bishop citing poor health. Several months later, he was named rector of the St. Joseph Seminary in Washington, a post he continues to serve. “I cannot say enough about how grateful I am for his example, his friendship, his encouragement and his prayers,” Bishop Holley said. “He is sort of like a big brother whom I admire greatly.” The other great influence on Bishop Holley was the late Washington Auxiliary Bishop Leonard Olivier, who died in 2014. “Bishop Olivier was a gentle, loving soul,” Bishop Holley said. “He was a man of prayer, a wonderful man, a holy man, a man of great wisdom.” Ordained a priest for the Society of the Divine Word in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, then-

Father Olivier served his religious community in variety of capacities. He was also a pastor in Louisiana and vicar for Black Catholics in the Diocese of Lafayette. On Nov. 7, 1988, he was appointed an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Washington by Pope John Paul II, and he was ordained a bishop on Dec. 20, 1988 by Cardinal James Hickey, then the archbishop of Washington. Over the years in Washington, Bishop Olivier served as the regional bishop for the District of Columbia, Prince George’s County and Southern Maryland. In addition to his archdiocesan duties, Bishop Olivier served with the African-American Catholic Bishops Subcommittee on Youth and the Ad Hoc Steering Committee for the National Strategy on Vocations. He also formerly served on the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Priestly Life and Ministry. Bishop Olivier was a former board member of Covenant House and the National Black Catholic Congress. He was a member of the National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus, and was episcopal moderator of the Pan African Roman Catholic Clergy Conference. The friendship with Bishop Olivier began even before Bishop Holley was named an auxiliary bishop for Washington. The two had met several times over the years, including when Bishop Olivier gave a Black History

Month talk at St. Mary’s Church in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, where the future bishop was serving as a parochial vicar and administrator after being ordained to the priesthood in 1987. “I loved him (Bishop Olivier) dearly. He was a priest’s priest. He was my mentor, my confessor, my friend, my brother,” Bishop Holley said. Bishop Olivier retired in 2004, several months before his 81st birthday, and died in 2014 at the age of 91. Bishop Holley preached at Bishop Olivier’s funeral Mass. In his eulogy for his friend and mentor, Bishop Holley recalled the late bishop as a “gentle, quiet, patient and loving man who served this archdiocese so well.” “He loved his family, he loved the priesthood, he loved everyone he served, and everyone loved him,” Bishop Holley said. Calling Bishop Olivier “a holy and humble bishop” who was “an exceptional example to his brother bishops, priests and deacons,” Bishop Holley said the late bishop was “the living fullness of the priesthood.”

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Walking with the youth ‘every step of the way’ By Kelly Seegers, Catholic Standard

During his time at the Archdiocese of Washington, Bishop Martin Holley has attended four World Youth Days with youth from the archdiocese, traveling to Cologne, Germany in 2005; Sydney, Australia in 2008; Madrid, Spain in 2011; and Kraków, Poland this year to support the pilgrims and lead them in prayer. Brenda Murtha, the lay coordinator of Girl Scouts in the archdiocese, said his direct engagement with the youth “tremendously enhanced the trip.” “He wasn’t just there to step in and talk to the kids occasionally, he did everything every step of the way with the youth,” Murtha said. Bishop Holley worked in youth ministry before entering the seminary, and Deborah McDonald, who as the director of the Office of Youth Ministry for the archdiocese helped organize all four World Youth Day trips, said, “that heart stayed with him.” The archdiocese was lucky to have a bishop who was engaged in the entire process of World Youth Day, McDonald said, including the planning and the gatherings that they had before leaving for the trip. McDonald added that Bishop Holley was very good at resolving any difficulties that they had in organizing the trip. “It was always helpful and good to have that counsel and that voice. ... It is a very good skill that he has in a very pastoral way,” said McDonald. This year, in preparation to go to Poland and visit Auschwitz, Bishop Holley accompanied the group of youth when they visited the Holocaust Memorial Museum. Once they were in Kraków, Poland, he stayed at the same hotel with the youth, which McDonald said is unusual for bishops to do. “He was a pilgrim in the journey with them,” Murtha said. In an interview with the Catholic Standard before this year’s World Youth Day, Bishop Holley said, “I think the highlight of the visit is being with the youth and young adults of the Archdiocese of Washington, along with all of

the chaperones.” Murtha remembers one specific instance in Australia during the 2008 World Youth Day, when some of the youth wanted to climb up on a big boulder, and Bishop Holley started following them. Murtha and others were saying, “Bishop, don’t go up there!” but he did it anyway, because he wanted to be with the youth. “I like being with them because a shepherd should be with his flock,” Bishop Holley said in a recent interview with the Catholic Standard. In addition to staying in the same place as the youth, Bishop Holley walked everywhere that they walked, which on most days was 1012 miles. And on the days when they took a bus to get certain places, Bishop Holley rode along to lead them in the rosary or talk to them. “That really meant a lot, because as a bishop he could have said, ‘I will just get a cab,’ but he decided he wanted to walk with us,” said Brian Truppo, a senior at Poolesville

High School who traveled to World Youth Day with the archdiocese this summer. Each day, Bishop Holley would begin the day in prayer, and during the trip to Kraków, he gave each young person a medal to go along with the theme or the saint of the day. He always told the youth that he was available to them for prayer or for confession, and McDonald remembers seeing him quietly walk ahead of the group or into another room with one of the pilgrims if they wished to receive the sacrament of reconciliation. “He is a pastor and he brings a pastor’s heart to his ministry,” McDonald said. Murtha said Bishop Holley told her that he has already spoken with the Diocese of Memphis to plan a joint trip to the next World Youth Day in Panama in 2019. “He was just such a spiritual presence,” said Murtha. “He helped some of the youth who weren’t even used to being around their parish priest a lot. He humanized the Church for them.”

During World Youth Day in Sydney, Australia in 2008, Bishop Holley joined young pilgrims from the Archdiocese of Washington in climbing on a boulder. (Photo courtesy of Brenda Murtha.)

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Who is Bishop Martin David Holley? • Bishop Martin David Holley was born in Pensacola, Florida. •

His birthday is December 31.

• Bishop Holley is from a big family – he is the eighth of 14 children – that means he has thirteen brothers and sisters! • Bishop Holley attended Catholic elementary school and has said he first wanted to be a priest when he was in the first grade. • He was captain of his high school basketball team and is a member of the school’s Hall of Fame. • Bishop Holley was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee on May 8, 1987. • Father Holley served in parishes and the diocesan offices of the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee for 17 years. • In 2004, Father Holley was named an auxiliary bishop (an assistant bishop) for the Archdiocese of Washington by Pope John Paul II. • His episcopal ordination – a special ceremony where a priest is made a bishop – was on July 2, 2004 at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington, D.C. • He learned about St. Faustina and the message of Divine Mercy during his years as a priest. Bishop Holley likes the devotion so much that he chose “His Mercy Endures” as his episcopal motto. • Bishop Holley served in the Archdiocese of Washington for 12 years. • On August 23, 2016, Pope Francis announced that Bishop Holley would be the fifth bishop of Memphis, succeeding Bishop J. Terry Steib, SVD, who served the Church of Memphis as bishop for 23 years. Developed by Chieko Noguchi, Archdiocese of Washington

Bishops of the Catholic Diocese of Memphis The Memphis Diocese was founded in 1971 from a portion of the Diocese of Nashville which encompassed the entire state of Tennessee. The Memphis Diocese boundaries were set on the east by the Tennessee River, on the west by the Mississippi River and between the state lines of Mississippi to the south and Kentucky to the north. First Bishop of Memphis Most Reverend Carroll T. Dozier, D.D. 1971 – 1982 The first bishop of the Diocese of Memphis, the Most Reverend Carroll T. Dozier, came to West Tennessee from Virginia and was ordained Bishop on January 6, 1971. Bishop Dozier impressed upon the Catholics of West Tennessee that they were the church and that the participation of clergy, religious and laity was vital if the new diocese was to thrive. He gained national attention when he acted as teacher of the Diocese of Memphis in the areas of race, relations, peace, justice and reconciliation with the unchurched. He retired July 27, 1982, and died December 7, 1985. Second Bishop of Memphis Most Reverend J. Francis Stafford, D.D. 1982 – 1986 Bishop Stafford was appointed November 16, 1982 to succeed Bishop Dozier who retired after serving the diocese for 11 years. Bishop Stafford came from Baltimore where he had served as an auxiliary bishop. He was installed on January 18, 1983. Bishop Stafford possessed strong administrative experience that served the diocese well. Bishop Stafford left the Memphis Diocese after being transferred to the Archdiocese of Denver to serve as archbishop from August 17, 1986. In 1996, he was transferred to Rome and became head of the office of the Congregation of the Laity. He retired in June 2009 at the age of 77. After a lifetime of service, Archbishop Stafford was elevated to cardinal at the age of 96. Third Bishop of Memphis Most Reverend Daniel Buechlein, O.S.B., D.D., 1987 – 1992 Bishop Buechlein, a Benedictine monk of the St. Meinrad Abbey in Indiana, was installed March 2, 1987. While serving at the abbey, he served as rector and president for the seminary and college operated on the monastery grounds. His years of experience as a formation director of future priests and his Benedictine spirituality made him a good friend of the Catholic Schools in the Memphis Diocese. To expand Catholic education in the diocese, he purchased the Auburndale School from the Smith family and opened St. Benedict at Auburndale School in Cordova, Tennessee. Bishop Buechlein left Memphis when he was transferred to the Archdiocese of Indianapolis and was installed on July 14, 1992 as the archbishop of the see in Indianapolis. He retired in September 2011 due to declining health. Fourth Bishop of Memphis Most Reverend J. Terry Steib, S.V.D., D.D., 1993 – 2016 Bishop Steib, a member of the Society of the Divine Word, entered the order from his home state of Louisiana. He was ordained Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of St. Louis on February 10, 1984. Before his ordination as bishop, Father Steib served a superior of the Society of the Divine Word in the Southern Province of the United States. He was the first African American bishop of the Diocese of Memphis and he brought a spirit of personal attention to people. While shepherding the Memphis Diocese, he was known for challenging his priests to be holy and for being an exceptional homilist. Bishop Steib will also be remembered for opening Jubilee Catholic Schools to educate children in city neighborhoods with underperforming schools. His innovations came at a time when Catholic schools throughout the country were being closed.

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Terms associated with Bishops Apostolic Nuncio: the Pope’s representative in another country, roughly the equivalent of an ambassador for the Vatican. Bishop: From the Greek episkopos, which means “one who is an overseer.”

Mozzetta: The short, elbow-length cape worn by a bishop, cardinal or pope. It is closed in the front with a row of 12 silk-covered buttons representing the 12 Apostles.

Usually the pastoral leader of a diocese and a priest who has received the

Ordinary: The generic name of the ecclesiastical superior who exercises

fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is a successor to the Apostles.

ordinary jurisdiction. Most commonly this title refers to the bishop in

Cathedra: A Greek word for “seat,” which serves as the official seat or throne of a residential bishop. Cathedral: A church which serves as the seat of the local bishop (ordinary) and wherein his teaching authority technically rests (magisterium).

the diocese. Pectoral Cross: The pectoral cross is worn, suspended from a green cord intertwined with gold threads, under the chasuble (dalmatic) or cope, but over the mozzetta.

Chrism Oil: Usually olive oil that is perfumed and has been consecrated by

Pontifical: A book that contains rites normally celebrated by a bishop. In

the bishop. It is used to anoint in Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Orders and

the plural (pontificals), it refers to the distinctive accessories normally

other special rituals. The oil symbolizes the Holy Spirit.

worn or used a bishop, such as the pectoral cross, the ring, the miter or

Crosier (crozier): A pastoral staff presented to the Bishop at his ordination to signify his duty to guide and govern the Church entrusted to him. Ecclesiastical Signatures: Bishops sign their full name, however, they always begin their signatures by making the sign of the cross before their baptismal names, as part of their own signatures. One does not include the cross when writing to the Bishop. Episcopacy: The office or term of a bishop. Miter: The liturgical headdress used by a bishop as a sign of his office. It is tall and pointed with peaks in the front and the back with two ribbons hanging from the back. A miter folds flat when not worn. In the Western church it is worn at all solemn functions.

the crosier. Ring: The ring which is presented to the newly ordained bishop symbolizes the Bishop’s fidelity to the Bride of God, the Church. Zuchetto: The skullcap worn since the 13th century by bishops, cardinals and the pope. Zuchettos are always worn under the miter.

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From the Family of Mr. and Mrs. Everett Holley Sr. (Everett Sr., Jackie, Angela, Everett Jr., Vincent, and Larenz) Our Dear Brother and Uncle Martin, Throughout the years, you’ve been more than just family, you’ve been a spiritual guiding light. We couldn’t be more excited for the great folks of Memphis, with God blessing them with truly, a loving shepherd. May God continue to shine bright within you and your episcopacy! We love you dearly!

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Warmest congratulations and many blessings on your episcopal ministry in the Diocese of Memphis, Bishop Holley! Bishop Richard Pates, emeritus Bishop Joseph Charron, C.PP.S. and the clergy, religious and faithful of the Diocese of Des Moines

Welcome, Bishop Holley, from the parishioners of St. James Parish. May God bless your episcopacy with the people of West Tennessee.

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DID YOU KNOW? Bishop Holley learned about St. Faustina and the message of Divine Mercy during his years as a priest. He likes the devotion so much that he chose “His Mercy Endures” as his episcopal motto.

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Catholic Charismatic Renewal of the Memphis Diocese (CCRMD) Congratulates you on your appointment Bishop Martin David Holley To the Catholic Diocese of Memphis, TN. We warmly invite you to our leadership and prayer group gatherings soon!

DID YOU KNOW? Bishop Holley was captain of his Pensacola, Florida high school basketball team and is a member of Tate High School’s Hall of Fame.

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WELCOME MOST REVEREND MARTIN DAVID HOLLEY It is with excitement and joy that I welcome you as our new bishop to the Catholic Diocese in Memphis, Tennessee. I am excited to have you as our new shepherd and look forward to getting to know you in the months ahead. I will also be praying daily that the Lord will help you adjust to your new environment quickly and that lasting friendships will be made. I’m glad you’re here. Wishing you God’s Peace and Abundant Blessings,

Dorothy J. Woods

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COAT OF ARMS OF THE MOST REVEREND MARTIN D. HOLLEY, D.D.

Quarterly gules and azure; a plowshare affronté argent; on a chief wavy or, a fleur-de-lis of the second. The Arms of Bishop Martin D. Holley consist of a shield quartered red and blue, charged with a plowshare in silver (white). The ‘chief,’ or upper portion of the shield, is gold (yellow) with a wavy base. The chief is charged with a blue fleur-de-lis. The colors red and blue have long been associated in the West and in heraldry with Our Lord and the Blessed Virgin. The blue fleur-de-lis on honors Our Lady in a special manner. Red and blue are also the predominant colors of the coat of arms of the Archdiocese of Washington, where Bishop Holley served for many years.

COAT OF ARMS OF THE DIOCESE OF MEMPHIS Gules; a Coptic cross argent; on a chief of the second, two barrulets wavy azure; issuant from the base, six coupeaux of the second. The coat of arms of the Diocese of Memphis has a red field with six small hills in silver (white) at the bottom, from the arms of Pope Paul VI, who established the diocese. At the top of the shield, two wavy blue bands on a “chief” of silver represent the Mississippi and Tennessee rivers. A silver cross of the style used by Christians in the land of the Diocese’s namesake city of Memphis, links brothers and sisters in the faith of both regions to each other, and to the Church worldwide in the time of the new evangelization.

The silver (white) plowshare recalls the admonition of Our Lord to those who put their hand to the plow not to look back (Luke 9:62). This is especially true for those called to the priestly vocation. That the plowshare is centered in the quartered shield emphasizes that the priestly life is associated with the cross. A further significance of the plowshare is that it commemorates the Bishop’s forebears on the maternal side of the family who were sharecroppers. Cotton was among their crops; thus the silver tincture of the plowshare. The gold chief refers to the Bishop’s mother, Mary Elizabeth, who, prior to her death, mentioned when she got to heaven she would shine as bright as the sun. When her mortal remains were being removed from the family home, a shaft of gold (yellow) light shone through the front door and three eagles circled overhead. One of Mrs. Holley’s favorite hymns was On Eagle’s Wings by Michael Joncas. The wavy demarcation below the gold chief recalls Pensacola, Florida, on the Gulf of Mexico, the city of Bishop Holley’s priestly life, and his family home. The colors blue and gold also honor Pope John Paul II, whose arms bore a gold cross on a blue field. The arms of Theodore Cardinal McCarrick, Archbishop emeritus of Washington, who ordained Bishop Holley to the episcopacy, bear a gold cross on a red field. Red and gold are also the colors of the arms of Donald Cardinal Wuerl, under whom Bishop Holley has served in recent years. Below the shield is displayed the Bishop’s motto, in Latin, IN AETERNUM MISERICORDIA EIUS: a brief statement found in Psalm 107 and Psalm 136 that proclaims a message of hope: “His mercy endures forever.” Behind the coat of arms is placed a gold (yellow) episcopal cross. Over the whole achievement is a pontifical hat with its six tassels on each side disposed in three rows, all green. The cross and the hat with tassels are the heraldic insignia of a bishop. Before 1870, the pontifical hat was worn at solemn processions held in conjunction with Papal ceremonies. The color of the hat and the number of tassels are signs of the rank of the prelate, a custom still preserved in ecclesiastical heraldry. (continued at the bottom of next column)

COATS OF ARMS OF THE MOST REVEREND MARTIN D. HOLLEY, D.D. AND THE DIOCESE OF MEMPHIS Arms impaled. In the dexter: Gules; a Coptic cross argent; on a chief of the second, two barrulets wavy azure; issuant from the base, six coupeaux of the second. In the sinister: Quarterly gules and azure, a plowshare affronté argent, on a chief wavy or, a fleur- de-lis of the second. A Bishop “impales” his coat of arms with that of the Diocese entrusted to his care by placing them side by side on the same shield. The Church’s custom, derived from the practice of a husband and wife impaling their arms, recalls the spousal relationship between a Bishop and his Diocese, which is signified also by his episcopal ring. In ecclesiastical heraldry, the Diocese’s arms are placed on the “dexter” side (observer’s left), while the Bishop’s arms are placed on the “sinister” side (observer’s right).

The Arms of Bishop Holley were devised by A. W. C. Phelps, of Cleveland, Ohio, in consultation with The Most Reverend Martin David Holley, D.D., in June 2004. In consultation with Bishop Holley, modifications were made by Rev. George E. Stuart in September 2016, after the Bishop had been appointed to be the Bishop of Memphis.