US bishops ‘beg the Holy Spirit to inspire’ their fall assembly
Arriving by motor coaches, more than 320 bishops from across the United States streamed into the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Baltimore Nov. 10, where they donned matching vestments to celebrate Mass on the first day of their annual fall plenary assembly.
“A very, very warm welcome to everyone this morning,” Baltimore Archbishop William E. Lori, vice president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said in his opening remarks. “This is a beautiful church, an ancient church. It is a historic church, but I think the most beautiful thing about this church is that it is a living, breathing community of mostly young adults who love the Lord.”
Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R., Archbishop of Newark, is among the bishops participating in the assembly. Also present are Auxiliary Bishops Manuel A. Cruz, D.D., Elias R. Lorenzo, O.S.B., Michael A. Saporito, Pedro Bismark Chau, and Bishop Emeritus Gregory J. Studerus.
Finding courage and conviction
In his homily, Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, USCCB president and archbishop of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services, noted that at the beginning of their sessions, the bishops “beg the Holy Spirit to inspire” their deliberations and “renew their duty to be servants of truth.”
He spoke of the many distractions people face in the world today. He told of meeting a young airman at Fort Meade, the U.S. military base in Maryland, who asked him “how to be a saint” and where he could find the courage to live by his convictions of faith.
“I confess that I was moved by the sincerity of his question,” Archbishop Broglio said. “For me, it was a moment of hope. A young man … seeking ways to deepen his grasp on truth.”
The way forward tends to be self-indulgent, he said. The Gospel, he said, “does urge us to be demanding of ourselves” but asks us to “be eager to forgive the other when he or she asks for forgiveness. Help us listen.”
The priority in the house of prayer is the worship of God, he said, and “not the motivation of other gods.”
New president and vice president
During the assembly, which runs through Nov. 13, the bishops are expected to talk about numerous issues, hold elections, and discuss policies.
On Nov. 11, Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City and Bishop Daniel E. Flores of Brownsville, Texas, were elected Nov. 11 as president and vice president, respectively, of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
The 2025 elections were notable because they marked the first leadership change at the conference since Pope Leo XIV, the U.S.-born pontiff, began his pontificate in May.
Archbishop Coakley, 70, has led the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City since 2011. He was born to John and Mary Coakley in Norfolk, Virginia, in 1955, but the family moved to Kansas 10 years later. He began seminary studies for the Diocese of Wichita in 1978. He has been serving as the USCCB’s secretary.
Bishop Flores, 64, was born to Fernando Javier Flores and Lydia Dilley Flores in 1961 in Palacios, Texas.
Archbishop Coakley was elected president on the third round of voting, and Bishop Flores on the first round for the vice presidential election. He entered Holy Trinity Seminary, an institution associated with the University of Dallas, in 1981. He has led the Brownsville Diocese since 2010.
The new president and vice president succeed the current USCCB president and vice president, Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services and Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore, who will complete their terms at the end of the plenary assembly.
This article was written by OSV News, with an addition by Jersey Catholic.
Featured image: Bishops from around the country gather at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Baltimore Nov. 10, 2025, for the opening Mass of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ fall plenary assembly. (OSV News photo/Kevin J. Parks, Catholic Review)
