Source and summit central to Bishop Mark Beckman’s ministry
By Bill Staley
Bishop Mark Beckman, with his crosier, looks heavenward during his ordination. (Photo Gabrielle Nolan)
A Dominican, a Franciscan, a bishop, and a pope go on a hike.
Bishop Mark Beckman’s life can be viewed as one large hike up to this base camp of his episcopacy. Over the next decade or so, he will live each day in the fullness of his vocation to holy orders as he serves the good people of East Tennessee.
While he has been outfitted with some new hiking gear—namely a miter, a pectoral cross, a fisherman’s ring, and a crosier—this outdoorsman is ready to scale the challenges ahead for the greater glory of God almighty. As each new pass presents itself, I know of three outdoorsy mentors in faith that share experiences with this bishop’s past and can inspire us all on this new journey.
Verso l’Alto! translated, “toward the top!” was the motto of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, an avid mountain climber and tertiary of the Dominicans, who lived a heroic life in Turin, Italy, in the early 20th century. For Catholics, this motto takes on an elevated meaning as “the Eucharist is the source and summit of the Christian life” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1324). Blessed Pier Giorgio was a dynamic galvanizer of his peers while serving the poorest of those in his city. And while he was a holy young man, he also had a penchant for practical jokes.
During his time as the head of the Catholic Youth Organization of the Diocese of Nashville, Bishop Beckman offered many Masses for the thousands of teens over the years on the 350-plus acres of Camp Marymount. As a youth participant, I experienced the summit of each of our days, gathering for Word and sacrament in beautiful places throughout camp. Goodness flowed from those moments, and lives were changed because of those experiences, including mine.
Then-Father Mark Beckman also had a slight appetite for a good joke, such as the time he convinced the counselors that the pencil sharpener controlled the all-call siren. We would slowly crank the handle of the pencil sharpener in amazement while he would press the electrical switch. Eventually we would all howl in laughter. May we all pursue the heights with zeal and joy as a eucharistic people.
“Life with Christ is a wonderful adventure,” was spoken to youth at a Mass in the Czech Republic by Pope St. John Paul II in 1997. This great saint had plenty of opportunities to say “no” to God’s call in his life. He could have pursued a career in theater, given up on religion because of the atrocities that occurred in his home country during World War II, or simply stayed a humble Polish parish priest in his little corner of the world.
Luckily, the Holy Spirit endowed both St. John Paul II and Bishop Beckman with an abundance of fortitude to courageously answer “yes” to the needs of the Church and its people.
Bishop Beckman’s hike through life has been quite a wonderful adventure with Christ with each “yes” to the Lord making each part of the journey more challenging and more fulfilling. From Lawrenceburg, Tenn., to Louvain, Belgium, Bishop Beckman’s own personal fiat is a testament to what wonderful things the Lord will do for those who trust in Him.
Bishop Beckman has also walked with thousands on their own personal journeys, both figuratively and literally. Some of those trails were sorrowful. Some of those trails had beautiful surprises like when a parishioner’s wife surprised her husband at the final stages of the Camino de Santiago in Spain.
With this latest move from St. Henry’s Cloister to the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, this shepherd is ready to chart out a new beginning and map out the diocese and its flock. Let me be clear, adventures do come with pitfalls and challenges, but this shepherd’s reliance on Christ will help us weather any storm.
“Make me an instrument of your peace.” In the most elementary way, St. Francis was countercultural. He lived a life detached from the material world and focused on living out the Gospel. He did not have social media, nor did he have an airplane. Yet today’s influencers would do just about anything to have the kind of impact this man has made through the centuries and around the world. St. Francis himself would be stunned to discover that eight centuries after his death, a modern pope would choose his name to set the stage for his pontificate.
Bishop Beckman’s kind and gentle spirit reminds me so much of this saint that I have read about, studied, and taken his name when I received the sacrament of confirmation. Bishop Beckman is calm and serene. In fact, there is so much serenity in this great shepherd that you can almost peg the moment in which he is having a heart-to-heart with our Lord as he sits up at the altar. Bishop Beckman will carry that Franciscan peacefulness everywhere he goes around this great diocese, and I am excited to see the beautiful graces it brings.
So, what now? We are the flock. Most of us are the 99. If you have to ask, then most likely you are the one. Nonetheless, we have this amazing opportunity to walk with our shepherd, to welcome more sheep into our thriving flock, and to eventually arrive at the verdant pasture we have all seen in our dreams. Bishop Beckman is an expert at navigating the trails, and we are in good hands.
Blessed Pier Giorgio, pray for us.
Pope St. John Paul II, pray for us.
St. Francis of Assisi, pray for us.
Bill Staley resides in the Nashville area and has worked in new media evangelization ministry and youth and young adult ministry for the Diocese of Nashville.
