Chaplain: Serving the Church is a family tradition

Bishop Malooly enjoys shepherding the Wilmington diocese and its Legatus chapter . . .

Bishop W. Francis Malooly

Bishop W. Francis Malooly
Wilmington Chapter

Priestly service is a family tradition for Bishop W. Francis Malooly. After responding early to the call, taking the traditional route of high school seminary prep onward, he was ordained in 1970 by his uncle, Baltimore Auxiliary Bishop Austin Murphy. He has a cousin, also named Austin Murphy, who serves as a priest of the Baltimore archdiocese. Bishop Malooly left Baltimore in 2008 to assume the episcopacy in Wilmington, Del. Like the car ride from Baltimore to Wilmington, it was not long until he encountered Legatus.

Tell us about your call to the priesthood.

I was in grade school when I felt a call. My parish priest, Monsignor Jim Cronin, had a tremendous influence on my calling. So did my uncle, Bishop Austin Murphy. That makes me second generation. But no one ever asked me outright about a calling. They didn’t have to back then. Today we do. Young people aren’t always looking at the Church like we did then, so they need to be asked to give some thought to the priesthood or consecrated life.

When did you become acquainted with Legatus?

Probably not until I got to Delaware in 2008, and that’s because members are very active in the diocese and vocal about Legatus.

Was there a chaplain before you?

About a year ago they asked me to become their new chaplain when Fr. Joseph Cocucci was reassigned to a parish in Ocean Pines, Md., about two-and-a-half hours away. Saying yes was a no-brainer. Father Cocucci remains active as assistant chaplain, though, and he gets to the meetings occasionally.

What impact has Legatus had on your diocese?

It’s had a tremendous impact. Members are involved in the diocese in so many ways, and I think Legatus serves to further strengthen and encourage their dedication to the faith. Let’s see, Ray Manza is the former head of Catholic Charities. Bob Hopkins founded the annual golf outing to benefit Catholic Youth Ministry. Many members are active in our pro-life efforts. But it’s not just the Wilmington diocese that they’ve impacted: We have members from the Philadelphia archdiocese, too. Steve Santoleri, who just passed away, was ordained a permanent deacon there a year ago.

How would you like to see the chapter progress?

We have maybe 18 member couples or so, and at each meeting there’s usually a couple or two who’ve been invited to join us for Mass and dinner and to hear a great speaker. Current members have developed a nice relationship with each other personally and faith-wise. By adding new members on a gradual basis, you get to grow while maintaining that closeness.

How do you approach your role as chaplain?

Legatus is energizing for me — just witnessing how important members’ faith is to them. And they all take it to their workplaces, too. They quietly wear their faith on their sleeve, and their work places are all the better because of that.

So I look forward to Legatus giving me a nice monthly shot in the arm. And when I can’t make it to dinner, I have a dialogue with them after Mass, updating them on the diocese and entertaining any questions they might have.

How do you think Legatus helps business leaders?

If you’re a business leader, you’re probably fairly isolated and under a lot of stress. Maybe there’s not the connectivity with others that those in the middle chain might experience.

I think Legatus encourages members to share their faith and forge friendships with other leaders facing the same dilemmas every day. It helps that the Legatus project is very well thought out — especially the structure of the monthly meetings. I’m very happy with how we’re progressing in Wilmington.

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