The Good Bishop: The Life of Walter F. Sullivan by Phyllis Theroux (review)

Toward the close of this remarkably readable life of Walter F. Sullivan (1928-2012), the author who provided in her work a wide range of first-person interviews – from family, friends, priestly colleagues and those he served by reason of his office as bishop, as well as others from the wider community in Virginia – offers a powerful vignette of this good bishop. In her own words:

On one of our last working sessions as we sat quietly in his living room, all conversation over, I asked him, on a whim, if he could define the word “evangelize.”

“It means to proclaim the Gospel,” he replied.

“And does it not also mean ‘to convert?’”

“Oh no,” he shot back, “that’s the role of the Holy Spirit. Your biggest proclamation must be your life.”

Such a proclamation was a continuum in the life of the bishop extending from his earliest years with intellectual life and integrity to a commitment to a life-long goal of serving others in all ways possible with priority given to those most in need. And always with the conviction that the Holy Spirit was companion and guide. As often happens for those who choose such a path, it was not always smooth for Sullivan. Yet as parish priest, diocesan administrator, and finally when called to the service of the Diocese of Richmond as bishop, Walter Sullivan moved with joy, compassion, and a love that was the hallmark of his life and ministry.

Duly noted, though not by all, his vision and conviction encountered controversy and some opposition. As an outstanding peace bishop he met with abuse and some rejection. In seminal efforts to embrace ecumenism suggested by the Second Vatican Council, he faced minimal understanding at home and correction from abroad. In the forefront for pastoral, liturgical, and lay empowerment in the church, he also faced similar battles. In dialogue he was heroic in presenting cases and won much. Such was his love for the Spirit in the church, his dissent never resulted in disobedience. Bishop Sullivan was in the forefront of opposition to the death penalty, made visits to death row paramount in his prison ministry, and was present for vigils that marked executions. A new Episcopal bishop of Virginia was elected in 1984, and later offered this understanding of his Catholic counterpart: “Walter succeeded as a provocative bishop because he is also a very kind and gentle person. He shows up at the emergency room when your spouse is hit by a truck” (199).

I generally praise this life of Bishop Walter F. Sullivan because it is a good book. But from one who was the last of the Jadot appointments as a bishop, I did find failings. Phyllis Theroux, in her presuppositions, research, and methodology, does not do justice to her subject. Somehow she does not communicate the heart of a good bishop or the core that underlies all of his activities. It is what Walter called his “proclamation” that is much more complex, relying as it does on the Holy Spirit, than the image which emerges. One of a number of examples which flaw the text is her characterization and the analysis which follows on page 109: “Globally, John Paul II was a papal rock-star, jetting around the world . . . “ I might close with paraphrasing part of the page that follows: I have the impression that many will like The Good Bishop well, but not its author so well.