Featuring prayer services, receptions, and outpours of faith, the nation’s capital became a communal sanctuary this week in honor of the new auxiliary bishops in town.
On Tuesday, religious leaders and constituents from across the country gathered at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception for former Fathers Gary R. Studniewski and Robert P. Boxie III’s episcopal ordination into the Archdiocese of Washington.
More than ceremonial, the historic moment marked a major milestone for Boxie – former Catholic chaplain of Howard University who is now the youngest prelate in America.
“It’s a rare occasion where one gets a glimpse of one’s entire life before them. I see my past, my present…and I see my future here in the Archdiocese of Washington,” Boxie, 45, told the room in Northeast D.C. “All of you are a special reminder of my journey here today. I look forward to growing with you as fellow disciples of Jesus Christ, serving you with all humility and joy.”
Studniewski and Boxie were appointed by Pope Leo XIV, the first American to lead the Catholic Church, and formally consecrated by Cardinal Robert McElroy, along with co-consecrators Cardinal Wilton Gregory and Bishop Mark Brennan.
Succeeding former prelate, the Most Rev. Roy E. Campbell Jr., the two new auxiliary bishops will assist McElroy in numerous administrative duties along with a group of auxiliary bishops.
Atop the pulpit of the basilica, Boxie doubled down on his pledge – all of which includes leading with collaboration and morality first.
“I have the privilege to experience the various expressions of faith that make up this archdiocese. And I look forward to visiting your communities to learn from you,” Boxie said in his remarks at the mass, “to listen to your stories, to discern together how the Holy Spirit calls each of us to deeper communion.”
For Donna Crawford-Townsend, a member of St. Augustine Catholic Church, Boxie’s record is nothing short of a glimpse of the promise he has for the community overall.
“I have firsthand witnessed him working with the students at Howard University for years. I think the legacy that he’s going to bring is open-mindedness,” Crawford-Townsend told The Informer.
A ‘Moment of Hope’ for the Catholic Church
From the official papal ambassador (Archbishop Gabriele Giordano Caccia) to various bishops, priests, and deacons, the sanctuary was packed with supporters on July 7.
Among the local African American parishes present are Northwest D.C.’s Saint Martin De Tours Catholic Church and St. Augustine Catholic Church — where Boxie was a member prior to seminary; the Basilica of Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception in Norfolk, Virginia; and supporters from the prelate’s stomping grounds of the Howard University campus ministry.
“The number of Black bishops has been dwindling,” said Deacon Robert White Sr., father of D.C. Councilmember Robert White and a member of Saint Martin De Tours Church in Washington. “That’s exciting for us…to [quote the Broadway musical] “Hamilton,” [to have] someone in the room where it happens.”
In a recent interview with Thrive Magazine, home to Boxie’s native Lake Charles, Louisiana, the bishop outlined his new roles to include outreach oversight related to cultural diversity, youth and young adults, special needs, ecumenical and interfaith relations, as well as other ministries.
He also serves as archdiocesan vicar for cultural communities and Sceniality, where he will assist with the archdiocese’s revitalization efforts in the local Black Catholic community, including staffing and resource allocation.
Maryland resident Okezie Nwoka said the appointment demonstrates a faith system moving towards the priorities that Boxie emulated himself.
“Bishop Boxie actually tackled one of the most primary or salient issues I think any bishop could tackle, which is representation,” Nwoka, who attended the July 7 Mass, told The Informer in a statement. “It’s important to address the concerns of the people universally, and not just elevate [one group] over that of other people.”
Age aside, the appointment marks a triumphant moment for Black representation at large.
As the first new African American prelate since 2017 (when Campbell was appointed), Boxie recognized the ancestral giants of the Black Catholic clergy during his remarks at Mass, including the Holy Seven, Father Augustus Tolton, Sister Thea Bowman, Bishop Harold R. Perry, and Bishop Leonard Olivier.
Further, Boxie is the first member of the Divine Nine – comprised of the historically Black Greek-letter Organizations – to hold this position within the Catholic Diocese.
“And by God’s grace, if he becomes a cardinal, he will be able to vote for the Pope for the next 35 years,” Deacon White continued.
Northeast D.C. resident Earline Davis touted the work of a faith leader whose reach surpasses a sector. From building intergenerational spaces to the Black community serving as his “pride and joy,” Davis said Boxie captures a broader purpose that will prove useful in this new role.
“He has the world and the energy to do and to meet the people where they are,” she told The Informer.
While nodding to his partnership with Studniewski, Boxie said he’s ready to chart the path of righteousness and opportunity – living as the blueprint that walks the talk.
“If you’ve ever thought about a priest as your religious vocation, this is your sign to take the next step…If you have ever felt discouragement from the church or challenged by the world in which we live, let this be a moment of hope,” Boxie declared to all young people.
In passing his mantle forward, Cardinal McElroy’s word to the wise boosted solace and inspiration in the joys of episcopacy, which he said can invoke a new vision for the Church of today and tomorrow.
“At every moment, Jesus says in today’s Gospel: ‘I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give to you,’” said the now-retired archbishop in his homily. “Let this profound hope and conviction be your ultimate source of joy as you begin your episcopal ministry, and let it be the source of joy for all of us in this blessed Archdiocese of Washington.”
