“Life brings about hope”

How is the Jubilee Year going so far?
Bishop Mulvey: It’s going very well. I’ve been amazed by how many people are going on pilgrimages around the diocese to the various churches dedicated to Our Lady of Guadalupe – it is truly beautiful. We recently hosted an event in the little town of Pawnee, and the church was full! You can really see the spirit of hope taking root in people’s lives.
 
How has your own understanding of hope changed over the years? What makes you hopeful?
Bishop Mulvey: I’m not sure it has changed so much as matured. In seminary, I took an entire course on hope — which was quite rare at the time — but theory is different from lived experience. Life itself either destroys hope or brings it to maturity. There are always disappointments. It's easy to blame others for why something happened or question yourself and feel like a failure when things go wrong. But the spirit of hope offers another perspective: Jesus is risen from the dead. We live in Him. We can trust Him and move forward.

Another source of hope for me is the young people receiving confirmation. This year, instead of questioning them about the gifts of the Holy Spirit, I asked what they had learned in their two years of preparation. Their answers didn’t just give me hope but also a new understanding. One young man said, “I’ve learned to live the lifestyle of God,” which, of course, is love. I had never heard it put that way, and it provided me with a new insight into how to communicate it. 

In another parish, a young woman said her retreat taught her the importance of living her Catholic faith in community. These kinds of responses are powerful witnesses of faith — and signs of real hope. I truly believe that if you’re looking for hope, you’ll find it.
 
Let’s talk about Pope Leo XIV, our first American pope. What are your hopes for his pontificate?
Bishop Mulvey: The election of Pope Leo XIV was a true sign of hope for me. An American pope was something people thought would never happen, at least not in our lifetime. Additionally, the joy he expresses and the way he has taken up this theme of hope so vividly in his meetings with people is inspiring, and it’s empowering to see the crowds gathering in Rome.

His first words were “Peace be with you,” quoting the first words of Jesus after the resurrection. I think he has an intense desire: to make peace a priority. He often quotes John 17:21: “That they all may be one.” Love brings unity, and unity brings peace. In every group he addresses, he emphasizes at least one of those themes: working for peace, praying for peace, and giving hope to the world. 
 
Some people are hopeful, even while enduring hardships such as illness, imprisonment, or addiction. As Catholics, how can we cultivate greater hope?
Bishop Mulvey: First and foremost, through the Holy Spirit. A renewed awareness of the Spirit’s presence in the Church is essential—we are temples of the Holy Spirit. That’s our first reason for hope.

Second, we find hope in community. As Jesus said, “Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them” (Mt 18:20). Where Jesus is present, the Spirit is present.
Third, we find hope in the Gospel: to look at the words of Jesus that are challenging, sometimes even difficult, but they will bring hope. A recent reading from St. Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians said precisely that, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” (2 Cor 3:16)
When you have hope, you have freedom. And when you have true interior freedom, you have hope. Many people today feel lonely, but one reason is that we create overly strict boundaries around who we want to associate with. We might say, “I'm different from this group. I don't speak that language. I'm not part of that race. I'm prejudiced against this group,” and these boundaries limit our freedom and deprive us of the experience of community.

Recently, as I was walking to my car, a homeless man approached me from behind. My first reaction was fear, but I stayed open. I asked his name, and we talked. I gave him the only thing I had—a small can of soda—and he was grateful. That moment gave me hope, because I didn’t close myself off to another human being.
 
Speaking of hope for the Church — you recently ordained three new priests, and 33 young people from our diocese went on pilgrimage to Rome. What do you see in the younger generation that inspires hope in you?  
Bishop Mulvey: I met some of the Rome pilgrims after they returned, and they were filled with joy about passing through the Holy Doors, attending Mass with the Pope, and seeing the beautiful sights of Rome. Witnessing their excitement and profound commitment to their faith is a source of hope.

I've also met with the three new priests before their ordination, and it was edifying! Of course, with 50 years of experience, I wanted to warn them, “Just wait for the cross, because the cross will come.” But their joy and dedication to the Church and to serving people give me great hope. 

When I look back on all the priests I have ordained, I can see that each one is different, each with his own gift. My prayer for them is that they discover the gift they are — not because they are called to the priesthood, but because they are loved by God from the moment of baptism. I pray that they can accept God’s love always, in every situation. If they live in that love and create community in their parishes, they will foster unity, and unity will bring peace. Those are the same themes Pope Leo emphasizes: love, unity, and peace.
 
You just celebrated the 50th anniversary of your ordination. Did your hopes as a young seminarian come true? What is in your heart as you reflect on these 50 years?
Bishop Mulvey: When I began seminary in the early 70s, it was a time of great confusion; the formation we received was limited compared to what is offered now. However, a seminarian must also have a solid human formation. My dad used to say, “He may have gotten his theology in Rome, but he got his philosophy at home.”

When I was asked to attend the seminary in Rome, I was initially shocked—why were they sending me across the world? However, I have always had great respect and love for the Pope, and being ordained by Pope Paul VI was a tremendous privilege. 

Another gift was my first assignment in a parish alongside two other priests: one who was much older and a young priest only five years my senior. We built a beautiful life together in community, both in the rectory and while working in the parish. Being in communion with other priests is essential; otherwise, there is a risk that you will become “the king of the parish.” And that is not what the Church needs. We need pastors, not clerics.

Reflecting on those 50 years, I have always wanted to live a spiritual life. My studies of spirituality and my experiences through the Focolare Movement, living its spirituality of unity taught me to learn from my mistakes, but also to embrace my successes with humility, acknowledging that they are a gift from God. This combination has consistently sustained me: I have to live the royal priesthood, which is the spiritual life, to enrich my ministerial priesthood.