‘As good and as holy a priest as there ever was’

When Archbishop William D. Borders marked his 40th anniversary as a bishop nearly two years ago, I had the honor of interviewing him at his home at Mercy Ridge Retirement Community in Timonium. After knocking on his apartment door and waiting a few moments, I was surprised by the 94-year-old man who answered.

Using a cane and moving slowly, the slightly hunched-over 13th Archbishop of Baltimore wore a beat-up pair of gray tennis shoes. His black slacks were slightly dusty and he wasn’t dressed in his clerics or pectoral cross – the white collar and bishop’s insignia that marked his priestly and episcopal offices.

What Archbishop Borders was wearing was his characteristic smile – a toothy grin that seemed to engulf his entire face until his eyes quite literally almost shut in delight.

The archbishop instantly made me feel at home, beckoning me to take a seat. Before I could begin the interview, he turned the tables on me and started asking questions. How was I? How were things at The Catholic Review? Did I enjoy my work?

It was the quintessential Archbishop Borders: unassuming, humble, kind, engaging, concerned about others and totally committed to his priesthood.

After some gentle prodding from Owen Sweeney III, our photographer, Archbishop Borders agreed to put on his clerics and pectoral cross for photographs. He also slipped into a sports coat before sitting next to me. He reminded me with a laugh that his poor hearing required me to speak up.

I was again impressed by the extraordinary life of a gentle man. The archbishop recounted how he had worked so hard to involve everyone in the life of the church. The man who had been a civil rights pioneer as a parish priest in Louisiana recalled how he reached out to women and minorities in Baltimore and gave them important leadership roles.

Archbishop Borders also spoke of his innovative vicariate system that delegated more responsibilities to his auxiliary bishops. He recalled difficult challenges in addressing inner-city problems, racial justice and world peace. Throughout his priesthood, he said, he tried to listen.

When I asked him how he was feeling, a mischievous grin returned to his face.

“Well, considering the fact that I’ll be 95 in two months, I can’t complain,” he said with a laugh. “As an illustration that you change (as you age), I’ve lost five inches in height. That means that your bones are getting to be crooked and you’re feeling crooked.”

Despite the challenges of old age and a battle with colon cancer that he ultimately could not win, Archbishop Borders never lost his zest for ministry. Well into his last year of life, he celebrated Mass at Mercy Ridge.

Hours after Archbishop Borders’ death April 19, Archbishop O’Brien remembered that the last time he met with his predecessor, he was still aware of happenings in the archdiocese. Archbishop O’Brien recounted that when he came to Baltimore in 2007, Archbishop Borders offered him simple advice: “Just be yourself.”

“He was as good and as holy a priest as there ever was,” Archbishop O’Brien said, “and what a great example to other priests he’ll always be.”

The people of the Archdiocese of Baltimore will miss you, Archbishop Borders. We thank you for the gift of your priesthood and the gift of your leadership. May we learn to live by the motto that governed your life – that we will listen that we may serve.

Email George Matysek at gmatysek@CatholicReview.org

Also see:

Archbishop Borders, champion of collegiality and social justice, dies at 96

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