ST. LOUIS — The Archdiocese of St. Louis installed Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski during a Mass Tuesday afternoon at the Cathedral Basilica in St. Louis.
As hundreds of attendees file through the church doors, they bring with them signs of the outside world: fewer guests spread out amongst the pews for social distancing, each visitor wearing a mask.
Rozanski came to St. Louis from Springfield, Massachusetts, where he spent six years as a bishop.
He replaced Archbishop Robert Carlson, who served as Archbishop of St. Louis for 11 years. The diocese honored Carlson for his service during a mass on Monday.
But as the change in leadership comes at a challenging time for the church -- and for the nation.
Outside, protestors hold signs showing strife with the church, calling out the systemic mishandling of sexual assault crimes and allegations Rozanski himself covered up abuse.
And Rozanski's installation comes as the St. Louis region -- and country -- deal with wider issues too: racial inequality, the pandemic, the economy. Experts say this is the new archbishop's opportunity to add a guiding vision to how our city moves forward.
"It's an invitation I think to understand that all of our leaders are going to help us all stumble along," Father David Meconi, Director of St. Louis University's Catholic Studies Center said. "He isn't just a presence for Catholics -- I think -- but all people of goodwill. He will help us lead us in prayer and give us a message that all people of understanding can follow."
Meconi said moving from Massachusetts to the Midwest may not be ideal for some bishops' career path, but St. Louis is an important placement for the church.
"Because it is the 'Rome of the West' with so many religious orders here, so many Catholic institutions, it does have a possibility of playing a very important role," Meconi said.
This week we saw another (former) St. Louis leader take on national prominence. Cardinal Timothy Dolan -- a former auxiliary bishop for the diocese -- led a prayer for the Republican National Convention.
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