by ARCHBISHOP THOMAS C. KELLY

This week we lost a great leader, and I lost a dear friend and brother. Bishop Charles G. Maloney or “Charley,” as he was known to family and friends, served our local Church for nearly 70 years.

For most of that time he was involved in a vigorous and active ministry. It was only in the last couple of years that he was not able to get out and around, though he continued to say Mass, anoint, hear Confessions and give spiritual support to the residents of St. Joseph’s Home, run by the Little Sisters of the Poor.

There are many accolades to be given. Bishop Maloney served our Church with distinction.
He was one of only a few bishops still alive in 2006 who attended Vatican II. At the Second Vatican Council, Bishop Maloney spoke up in favor of religious freedom at a time when some in attendance were suspicious of it. In the 1970s he was among 69 U.S. bishops who attended a month-long U.S. Bishops’ Theological Consultation in Rome.

Our local Church was the recipient of bishop’s financial skill. He was a conscientious administrator who was a careful steward of our resources. This was a great strength for me when I came to the archdiocese in 1982. Many new bishops immediately face financial pressures or concerns, but I was very comfortable with Bishop Maloney at the helm.

Those of us who worked with him at the Chancery remember his cheery greeting every morning. He lived here and would come down from his residence in the morning, walk through the halls, and say hello to everyone. He treated those he worked with and the homeless who congregated in our yard with the same unfailing kindness.

Bishop Maloney’s charity was generally unknown, but I have no doubt that he helped many dozens of persons who were homeless or mentally ill over the years. His “clients,” as he called them, benefited from his patient and faithful care.

Bishop Maloney’s office was legendary among Chancery colleagues. It was full to the brim with paper, books and the various accumulations of his long life and ministry. However, if you went in there to ask him for something, he would go unfailingly to the correct stack and get it for you.

His memory was unbelievable, and he often would be consulted by both city agencies and Church historians for information about the past. When I went to a wake or gathering with him, he seemed to know everyone in the room, and I would find myself being introduced to many new people.

In his preaching Bishop Maloney often reminded us that the most important day of his life was his baptism. In this Bishop Maloney firmly placed himself on a equal footing with all of us who are called to holiness and service as a result of our baptism. This humility and clarity of vision was part of what I consider to be a major part of his holiness: he had the wisdom and serenity of someone who knew exactly what was important in life.

Though Bishop Maloney slowed down in the last couple of years, he was as big a support to me as ever. I cherished our visits and continued to seek his counsel. His humor, perspective and abiding faith never failed to help me. I saw him last Friday, and as we parted, we gave each other our priestly blessings; a great farewell.

As we mourn Bishop Maloney please keep his family and our local Church in your prayers. Though we rejoice that he is with the God he loved so deeply, his death marks the end of an era in our local Church.