Bishop John J. Snyder, 75, the eighth bishop of Saint Augustine, is winding down nearly 22 years as the pastoral leader of our diocese. Pope John Paul II accepted Bishop Snyder’s resignation in December 2000; in June 2001 the Holy Father appointed Msgr. Victor Galeone of the Archdiocese of Baltimore to be the new bishop of the Diocese of Saint Augustine. At the ordination and installation Mass on Aug. 21, Victor Galeone became the ninth bishop of Diocese of Saint Augustine. To make way for the new bishop, Bishop Snyder has said that he plans to be low key for a about a year. He doesn’t want to be a shadow to the new bishop. He does, however, plan “with great joy to attend the dedications of our new churches in the fall.” As the celebrating bishop who attended to the dedication rites, he often didn’t get a chance to see and appreciate all the architectural details or new features of a new church building or school. Now he’ll be able to investigate and enjoy it. “After that year,” he said, “we’ll see. I have every expectation that the bishop-elect and I are going to relate very well.” He added that he hopes to keep in contact with the other bishops of the state of Florida with whom he’s served since his installation on Dec. 5, 1979. “We’ve had a very fine relationship,” Bishop Snyder said, “And they already have some plans to put me to work.” “‘Retirement,’” Bishop Snyder said, “doesn’t stop you from being a priest. If ‘retirement’ means letting go of administration and the power of a bishop, I’m very happy to be letting go. But to continue to be a priest and a bishop, that, to me, is a joy. “It is going to take a little while to figure out how I’m going to minister in the future. I would hope that my involvement in prison ministry and with people who have developmental disabilities would be two anchors for me as long as the Lord gives me good health.” Bishop Snyder remembers the first homily he gave when he came here in 1979. “I said that there was one priority, that was to proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord. And that all of our activities have to be a reflection of bringing the Gospel to people. “I hope that we have been faithful to those words in a variety of ways, whether it is through religious education in the schools and other parish and diocesan programs, marriage preparation, ministry to those with disabilities, or by reaching out to the elderly in housing such as San Jose Manor in Jacksonville.” He has seen gains in many areas. He’s seen it in a new relationship with other faiths. “We have learned,” he said, “the importance of relating to people of other faiths, trying to find a common ground, working together, having great respect for each other.” He’s seen it within the local church. “I have benefited by the greater utilization of the gifts and talents of women in our diocese, so that many are in positions of leadership.” He’s seen it in areas such as Cursillo and Charismatic Renewal. “I feel,” he said, “that the diocese has been blessed by the Cursillo movement. I made my first Cursillo in March of 1981 and I have visited the people at nearly every Cursillo since then. Cursillo has deepened the faith of so many of our people over the years. It has enabled people to open up in terms of their faith. “I find that particularly true of men because they can talk about their faith and share emotions with one another and it has been a source of strength for them. “I’m sure that, for others, the charismatic movement in the diocese has produced opportunities to pray in a different way that many people feel comfortable with.” Sharing the sacraments, proclaiming the Gospel and helping to deepen relationships with Christ are what gives a priest the most satisfaction. But administration and the fiscal health of the diocese is also important, Bishop Snyder said. So, he is quick to point out that, “The Catholic Foundation is a good resource. Most of the people who contribute are contributing through their parishes, so that will be a help to the parishes.” But not everyone is happy with what the bishop has done. For example, Bishop Snyder has been bitterly criticized for allowing the establishment of the Catholic Gay and Lesbian Ministry. A celebratory Mass two years ago launching the ministry and several subsequent meetings of the ministry have brought out protesters. Among some Catholics, it has caused a rift. Bishop Snyder has been firm. “I think what we have done is rooted in the Gospel,” he said. “We’ve reached out to families and to individuals who are struggling with these issues. We have to follow what is in Scripture, remembering how Jesus Christ reached out to the disenfranchised. He was criticized for it but he did not back off.” Bishop Snyder has been on dozens of committees with his fellow bishops on the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, committees such as priestly life and ministry, the women’s committee — on which he served as chair, and many others. For example, Bishop Snyder served for six years on the executive board of Catholic Relief Services. He traveled to Haiti, Africa and Thailand. “It gave me an understanding of the third world and its suffering and what it means to share the good that has been entrusted to us.” Relieving third world debt and assisting those in deep poverty has been strongly supported by Bishop Snyder. “It’s human instinct to be concerned about what is mine, what is ours. We all suffer from stresses in that direction at any given moment. But it’s not really what the Gospel is about or what the church is about. If we turn inward, we are not truly Catholic. If we turn outward, we are really becoming Catholic.” How do people see him? Too tough? Too sensitive? Too open? Too inflexible? “In grammar school, the sisters said I was too sensitive. At a given moment, you might let something get under your skin, but for the most part I’ve been able to roll with some frustrations and disappointments. “Then again, you’ve got to bring these things to the Lord, because if you carry them by yourself, you’re going to go nuts. It’s important that you begin each day with the Lord and take each disappointment to the Lord. If you don’t, it’s a formula for disaster. “And speaking of being sensitive, hopefully I am sensitive to the struggles and needs of people everywhere. After all, a bishop is ordained a bishop for the whole church. He has a responsibility to think beyond his own immediate responsibility to the entire church throughout the world. “Working with your brother bishops,” he said, “you realize that Saint Augustine isn’t the whole world. It’s also been interesting to learn what the other bishops are coping with. I never came back from a meeting without thanking God for what we have here in our diocese. We have been blessed.” There has been scant criticism of plans for schools. In fact, most say the diocese should have moved to build more schools sooner. “I think the growth of our Catholic schools in the last 10 years is a unique blessing for us,” Bishop Snyder said. Moreover, “if we didn’t supply the high schools as we’re doing, I think it would be a frustration for parents who are committed to a Catholic education and couldn’t get their children into one of our high schools.” Sacramental education is essential to the Catholic faith formation in parishes and in the schools. The availability and frequency of these sacramental gifts rely on the number of priests. So, it’s been with happiness that Bishop Snyder reports an increase in candidates for the priesthood. “There are promising signs that both people and families are much more open and supportive of the possibility of a vocation than they would have been five years ago, certainly 10 years ago.” The greatest advance we’ve seen in the diocese? “I would say that the greatest advance made in the diocese is stewardship. I think that the whole attitude of being stewards of God’s gift is an on-going process for all of us. We should realize that God has to come first, that each one of us is called to share time, talent and treasure.” Thankfully, Bishop Snyder says his tenure as bishop was blessed with the gifts and dedication of many talented people. “While the bishop has the ultimate decision-making, the failure to use the gifts and talents and wisdom of the priests, religious and laity could be very detrimental to the life of the church.” Here in the diocese, he said, “Our priests and religious are really great co-workers. Working with them has been wonderful for me. After all, we’re all on the same journey.” How does Bishop Snyder feel about leaving his role as the pastoral leader of the diocese? “I leave with great gratitude to the people of the diocese, for their cooperation and support in so many endeavors. “I thank them for their deep faith and the way they warmly received me. “I cherish the relationships that have developed over these years and hope that they will continue for many years to come.”