Bishop dines with students, answers tough questions in Alden during Catholic Schools Week

Bishop Michael W. Fisher kept an important lunch date Monday, Jan. 29, meeting with students at St. John the Baptist School in Alden. And the children brought many tough questions for their guest to answer.

“Who did you cheer for in the weekend football games?”

“Do you like Coke or Pepsi?”

“Which do you like better, YouTube or TikTok?”

Bishop Fisher’s appearance at St. John the Baptist School was planned as part of Catholic Schools Week, which began officially the day before. He was joined by Dr. Timothy Uhl, the secretary of Education for the Diocese of Buffalo. Also present and representing the school were Father Daniel Serbicki and first grade teacher Heather Taylor.

“Their time here is more than just academics. It’s the reading and the math, and all of that’s important. But they also have to know that we are a family here,” Taylor said. “We take care of each other. We respect each other. When challenges do arise, they know that the faculty is here to help them out. We’ve learned a lot about friendship. We’ve learned a lot about family. We’ve learned a lot about respect in first grade.”

As those in the room ate from a selection of salad, sandwiches, pizza and cookies, the bishop answered the children’s questions, beginning with which football teams he was rooting for over the weekend. 

“Why, the Ravens of course,” Bishop Fisher responded, acknowledging Baltimore as his boyhood home. He told the children he also wanted to see the Detroit Lions win their playoff game to advance to the Super Bowl. Alas, neither team he rooted for emerged victorious.

The bishop also faced questions involving his religious life. One student asked what made him want to become a bishop. Bishop Fisher explained that he never actually sought the high ranking position in the Church, but he did want to become a priest. 

“I guess I was about 28 years old, and I was praying about what the Lord wanted me to do. I wanted to serve God’s people,” he told the students. “I was at a Mass, it was during the week, I was at the Basilica of the National Shrine in Washington. I was down in the basement and was praying, and I was thinking I was going to ask about what it requires to become a priest.”

He was selected to become a bishop after serving as a priest for more than 30 years. Fisher told the children he couldn’t say no to the pope. 

“About two or three years later, I got another call (from the papal nuncio), and he said the pope would like you to be the bishop of Buffalo,” he continued.

Following lunch, the bishop and Uhl were led on a tour of the school. Two of the classes were in the middle of religious lessons as he entered the classrooms, including Mrs. Beal’s pre-K class, which was learning how to pray “Our Father.”

The children were welcoming and respectful, and oftentimes shy as Bishop Fisher engaged with them. That shyness isn’t always the case, Taylor admits.

“Any time that they can take anything and make it fun, they will,” she said. “Any lesson that they can find humor in, they will find humor in it and they will giggle. And that will be that. And it’ll take a good five minutes to get them back.

Listen to the bishop’s lunchtime conversation here: