Words of Wisdom

Rev. A.J. Geraci. perhaps saw Archbishop Leibold for the last time publicly before his death. In a sermon given May 4th 2008 he says" Not too long ago, back in 1972, I witnessed the last ceremony of the late Archbishop, Paul Leibold. It was a large graduation ceremony at Xavier University, Cincinnati. I was there to receive my first M.A., a Master's in History. The not too old archbishop was looking desperately tired and did not participate in the distribution of diplomas, but rather retreated to a chair to the back of the stage. His posture, his composure, his physical carriage, his tiredness all communicated a message that the world could carry on without him. Remarkably the archbishop, a native of Dayton, with many Leibold cousins still around, had accomplished a post Vatican Council Diocesan Synod for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati; all nineteen counties were involved. It was as if, on the stage, he was saying, not only to the students and Jesuit instructors, but to the whole diocese, you have a plan for the future, now follow it, and you will not be needing this archbishop to help you.

That night, Archbishop Paul Leibold died of several massive strokes. In a short poem to his niece that he had recently written, he described the span of human life to be like that of the "spring tulips whose beauty lasts only a while and then are gone, back to the earth, back to God." Life is a short span of time, like spring tulips that never seem to last long enough. It was almost a poetic commentary on the end of his life. Somehow it seems he knew he was leaving us. He did. But this young Archbishop left us with a plan and that plan has been used, cited, referred to, now, for thirty-six years."