By Bishop Michael W. Warfel

In the days of the Roman Empire, aristocratic families regularly designated a slave to serve as a porter, or doorkeeper, whose job it was to guard the entrance of the house. The slave’s duties were considered to be the most inferior role among the household servants. Fast forward numerous centuries and the role of porter had been enshrined as the lowest of four Minor Orders for those preparing to be ordained as priests in the Church. These Minor Orders were required before admission to Major Orders (sub-diaconate, diaconate and priesthood). These porters, doorkeepers, had the duty of opening and closing the church doors and guarding the church itself from abuse. They often would be responsible also for opening and closing the doors of other significant areas such as the sacristy and the Baptistery. In our day, we might refer to these doorkeepers as “go-fors,” that is, those who do menial tasks and run errands for those who seemingly have more authority or more important roles within an organization.

One should never consider a job too menial in the Church. There are those who have attained great holiness in their roles as doorkeepers. Several individuals come readily to mind: St. Alphonsus Rodriguez, St. Andre Bessette, and Venerable Father Solanus Casey. These individuals speak to us of the importance of welcome and hospitality, and how being a doorkeeper can be a path to great holiness.

St. Alphonsus Rodrigues was born the son of a wealthy merchant in Segovia, Spain, in 1532. In his early life, he had just begun studies with the Jesuits, but had to return to Segovia to take over the family business when his father died. He soon married. He and his wife, Maria, had three children, but in rather quick succession, all three of his children died as did his wife Maria. Following a time of grieving, he sold his family business and applied to the Jesuits. His poor health, age, and lack of education, however, made him less than desirable for the Jesuit order. At the intervention of a Superior, he was nonetheless accepted as a lay brother at the age of 39. After his novitiate, he was sent to a Jesuit college on the island of Majorca. There, he served for twenty-four years as a porter, a doorkeeper. His responsibilities were the usual: answer the door, welcome guests, look for students and deliver messages and mail. But, St. Alphonsus had a knack for providing council and prayer. Each time he went to answer the door, he would say, “I’m coming Lord, I’m coming.” He would envision each encounter with the person on the other side of the door, no matter if they were a wealthy merchant or a poor beggar, a person of great importance or a new student, as Christ himself. He was canonized in 1888 by Pope Leo XII along with St. Peter Claver, one of the students to whom he regularly provided council.

St. Andre Bessette was a Brother of the Holy Cross and served in Canada. He was not well educated and even at twenty-five, could not read or write. He was accepted into the Novitiate for the Holy Cross Brothers, but he was chronically sick and weak and thus, not strong enough to do the work required of him. Nonetheless, with the support of a bishop, he remained in the Holy Cross community as a Brother. He was sent to Notre Dame College in Montreal to serve as a porter, the doorkeeper, the only job they could think of for him. His responsibilities were to answer the door, to welcome guests, find the people they hoped to visit with, wake up those in the school and deliver mail. For forty years, Brother Andre received literally thousands of individuals who came to him for prayer and healing, advice and counsel. He later was responsible for the initiative to build an oratory to St. Joseph near the college which became a place of great healing. It holds the crutches of the many who were physically healed of various afflictions. He was canonized by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010.

Fr. Solanus (Bernard) Casey, OFM cap., was born in 1875 near Oak Grove, Wisconsin. Though strong spiritually, he was week physically. Following several traumatic experiences in his youth, he decided he wanted to devote his life to God as a priest. Due to certain educational limitations, diocesan officials believed he did not have the required abilities to be a priest. Advised to turn to a religious order where he could be ordained a simplex priest (a simplex priest can only preside at Mass and cannot hear confessions or preach), he went to the Capuchins and was accepted into their seminary and eventually ordained in 1904. Though he did not have faculties to preach at Mass, he was nonetheless known to be an inspiring speaker. In 1924, he was transferred to St. Bonaventure Monastery in Detroit where he served primarily as a porter, a doorkeeper. He became known for his great compassion and the amazing results following his consultations with visitors. He regularly conducted services for the sick. He died in 1957 and was declared Venerable by St. Pope John Paul II in 1995, the second step toward canonization.

People genuinely like to be welcomed and received warmly when they come to the Church. Sadly, it is not uncommon for people upon entering a church to experience a “disconnect” between what they expect (a concrete expression of being wanted and appreciated) and what is all too often experienced (no or little welcome or sense of hospitality). The practice is much better than in previous decades, but at the same time, it is not uncommon to enter a church for Mass and essentially be ignored. The doorkeepers I presented demonstrate the importance of directly attending to others.

Hospitality is an incredibly important ministry for a parish. When I go into my bank, I am acknowledged almost immediately with a friendly smile, a word of welcome and a comment asking how I may be helped. On many occasions I have thought to myself, “Now why can’t we do this as well in our parishes?!” It is true that the Constitution of the Sacred Liturgy nowhere mentions the importance of hospitality within the Mass. The General Instruction of the Roman Missal does provide some direction but it is minimal. It says there are to be, “…those who, in some places, meet the faithful at the church entrance, lead them to appropriate places, and direct processions.” As I said, this is minimal and less of a greeting than the one I receive at my bank. People who enter our churches should be warmly and genuinely received and welcomed. The impression a person receives upon entering a church, whether an old time parishioner or first time visitor provides a positive impression on the mind of the person who usually takes this with them when they depart. It also sends a message that we want them to return.

St. Paul offers helpful directions in his Letter to the Romans: “Welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you” (Romans 15:7). It is difficult to image Jesus not welcoming, not only the best of us, but also the worst of us. He did, after all, regularly eat with sinners! So, in addition to all the functional aspects of those entrusted with a Ministry of Hospitality, all of us, as a people of God, must provide genuine and warm welcome at our parishes to let those who have come know that they have a rightful place amidst our assemblies and that they are wanted by our parishes as much as Christ wants them to be a part of the Communion of Saints. May we all be good doorkeepers. Wheat Icon

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