Jim Sichko - Encountering God: As a Traveling Papal Missionary of Mercy

As a Traveling Papal Missionary of Mercy

Father Jim Sichko

Contents

Foreword

by Bishop John Stowe, O.F.M., Conv.

As preparations were being made in late 2015 for Pope Franciss proclamation of a Year of Mercy, Father Jim Sichko, the priest of the Diocese of Lexington with the most frequent flyer miles, sent me a link to a description of the new office envisioned by Pope Francis: Missionary of Mercy. He wondered what I thought of this and whether I had designated someone for the Diocese of Lexington. By this time, I had come to realize that Pope Francis is always suggesting something new to bring attention to the ancient truths of the Gospel; he has been full of surprises ever since he appeared on the balcony as the new Bishop of Rome in 2013. His ministry as a universal shepherd has been marked by missionary outreach, an emphasis on mercy, and an insistence that the Roman Catholic Church go to the margins to discover Christ again. The idea of a Missionary of Mercy made a lot of sense in light of the direction of the Francis papacy, and it ensured that the Year of Mercy would truly be experienced and felt throughout the church.

Shortly after seeing the link sent by Father Jim, I received formal notice that the Holy Father was expecting each diocesan bishop to name a Missionary of Mercy for our diocese. As I considered the description of the role and the importance of creativity in the exercise of this office, for which there was no precedent, I realized that it would coincide beautifully with the evangelizing preaching that Father Jim does throughout the country and across the globe. Father Jim seemed the obvious choice, and I happily nominated him for that role. I am grateful that Father Jim brings that designation to life and makes Christs mercy real in countless situations in our diocese and beyond. He really does bring the role of Missionary of Mercy to life.

When Father Jim conducts a parish mission, usually called Sixty Minutes for Jesus, I am inundated with emails from people who heard him preach at their parish on Sunday, were intrigued by what they heard, and came the next night and couldnt get enough of his message. Frequently, I hear that someone brought their skeptical teenager along and witnessed them come alive with interest in the faith. Many people who admit they had grown lukewarm in their faith share they were challenged by a story or even just a phrase they heard from Father Jim, and that reignited the spark of Jesuss Word in their hearts. It is also not uncommon that I hear from someone who is surprised by Father Jims take on the Gospel and is curious enough to take another look, and yet another.

As powerful as the descriptions of the preaching encounters are, the yet more powerful stories are about the people Father Jim randomly calls on to answer a question. When the parishioner answers correctly, he gives away a take-home plant from the sanctuary (often to the pastors chagrin) to help him illustrate a story. Time and again, it is the person whose special needs or difficult circumstances were unknown to Father Jim, but in Gods providence, the participation and the attention from Father Jim were healing and supportive. Then there are the occasions when Father Jim is able to help someone bury a parent or child, to stretch their meager paycheck to include some urgent need, or when he challenges kids and adults alike to perform random acts of kindness, revealing the loving mercy of God to people who had given up on the goodness of humanity.

Father Jim is nothing if not creative with the role of Missionary of Mercy. Of course, he is eager to hear confessions, especially of those who have been alienated from the Catholic Church or have not availed themselves of the sacraments for long stretches of time. He is just as willing to hear the confessions of priests who are ministers of Gods mercy themselves through the sacrament. But beyond the sacramental setting or the pulpit, he is also willing to be a minister of mercy in unlikely settings and unexpected circumstances: toward airline employees, restaurant personnel, law enforcement, random people in line at the grocery store, and the homeless in downtown Lexington. Father Jim elicits smiles at a time when too many are angry in their arguments and miss the bigger mystery of faith that while we were still sinners, Christ came to offer His life for us.

I hope you enjoy these stories of Father Jims encounters and how he joyfully spreads the mercy of Christ. May you be challenged to be generous and may the smile elicited by these tales inspire you to make someone else smile today. Be an agent of the Good NewsGod is near, and Gods love is unconditional.

Foreword

by Ed Bastian, CEO of Delta Air Lines

More than two hundred million people fly on Delta every year. Among them is Father Jim, who flies regularly to destinations around the world for his life-changing work. He is unique among our customers, always looking for opportunities to inspire, reassure, and enlighten his fellow travelers as well as the Delta employees who are part of his journey. I often hear from customers and employees who have had the experience of sharing a flight with Father Jim and have witnessed firsthand the joy he brings to every moment, even when hes soaring through the skies at thirty thousand feet.

As a global airline, our mission is to bring people together and connect the world. Its hard to imagine anyone who embodies those values more than Father Jim. In a world that seems increasingly divided, he has the ability to unite people around simple acts of kindness, joy, gratitude, and warmth. He is a true practitioner of servant leadership in its purest form, and we can all learn from his example.

Ill close with some words of inspiration from Father Jim himself: The only person you should try to be better than is the person you were yesterday. Through reading this book and learning from Father Jim, Im sure were better than we were yesterday.

As we like to say at Delta, Keep Climbing.

Growing Through Change

Im the youngest of five children, raised in a Slovak/Italian Catholic family. I was born in Pittsburgh yet grew up in Orange, a small town in Southeast Texas. In the Sichko household, my parents taught us the importance of getting together for worship. I embraced that idea as a child and loved every moment of Mass. There was something special for me about the sense of togetherness we shared at church, which acted as our community and the heartbeat that bound us together.