The Bishop must be a man of communion, husbanding the talents of all members of God's people, careful not to stifle legitimate differences and engendering harmony and peace among the various tendencies prevalent among God's people. As a result, conflicts, rather than being divisive become occasions for growth. As promoter of human dignity the Bishop calls the best from all men and women through actions faithful to the Word thereby enabling the Gospel to penetrate.

A good bishop must be a leader, a father, and a servant – all in one person. Therefore, it is not an easy ministry. People have different needs. In my opinion, a bishop can be compared to a juggler who throws many balls in the air at the same time. A bishop also has to do many different things and achieve a delicate balance in his ministry.

The communication of faith is the principal duty of every Bishop. To proclaim Jesus as Saviour and to guide the work of the proclamation from the frontline is our most important task. Like the apostles who assumed the task of proclaiming the Good News, and even gave their lives for this cause, the Bishops, as their successors, should also be prepared to give their lives if necessary.

By Episcopal ordination and ministry, bishops are men of communion and their ministry is to ensure the unity of the Church, to love the Church with all their heart, intelligence and courage and to help others to do the same. In our world marked by individualism, we are called to discern the truth.

Sometimes the bishop risks focusing only on the local dimension. But a bishop should have a much broader vision of the Church and reality, and experience the universality of the Church. He also needs the ability to listen to his neighbour and seek advice, as well as psychological and spiritual maturity. A fundamental element of the portrait of a bishop is being a pastor, capable of being close to the members of the community.

I don't think that it's my role as a bishop, to run around and judge. It's rather to run around and invite people into a relationship with Jesus. The Lord accepted people for who they are, and where there are, and tried to lead them to a better life, to lead them to a life that was more holy, a life that was more filled with His love and mercy. A life that was not self-centered, but self-giving. That's the example he showed to us. At times, the church needs to be a voice in the public square, but the church's voice should never be dictated by the public square.

The place of theologians in the church is very important. In the church, we should be about the business of relationships, building up unity. The bishop is a sign of unity. He should be a good witness to the spirituality and theology we profess. That doesn't mean we're going to agree on everything. Theologians are on the cutting edge of development. They're always probing, and so there will always be some tension. Ultimately, the magisterium of the church keeps us centered.

The ministry of a Bishop must help to make the world which is becoming dehumanized become Ecclesia, a people in communion and a worshipping people.

As Jesus was the leading force of evangelization to his disciples, so the Bishop must be a leading force of evangelization in his own diocese and encourage all the priests, sisters, brothers and lay people to take an active role in the mission of evangelization.

The bishop proposes the teachings, and says what is inconsistent with those teachings. But in terms of follow-through, he can't mandate conformity. He can do no more than teach and propose, and call the people to enflesh these in their political decisions, regarding the social and political life of our country. It's up to the people to apply the guidelines and principles to the particular situation.

It is very important for the bishop to directly serve the people, without being removed two or three steps.

It is not our task to now go and invent a new Church by ourselves. The Church is not just leverage that we have been handed to exercise [as we see fit]. Rather, it is our task as bishops to preserve the faith of the Church, as it has come down to us from the apostles, and to say and proclaim it afresh in our times, and also to preserve it for generations to come, and to express it for them in such a way that they too can encounter Christ as their salvation.

As a priest I have tried to contribute to the formation of lay men and women and to animating their active role in the Church's mission of Evangelization. As a Bishop, I hope to continue doing so. In my ministry I hope to make visible and real the Church's preferential option for the poor.

It's rewarding to have been a bishop. What is important for us all is that we be aware of the presence of God in the present, in this moment and nowhere else, and then accept whatever comes. Then you know that God is present. Live every day conscious of God's love for you and His presence to you. As far as my achievements as bishop of Tulsa, I haven't any! Anything good I've been able to do is done by God. We're merely privileged to be his instruments.