LOUDONVILLE (OSV News) — Gray clouds dotted the skies Aug. 25 as the faithful, undeterred by the threat of rain on a humid morning, came early to St. Pius X Church in Loudonville to pay their respects.

They came by the hundreds and lined around the inside of the church as bishops, priests, deacons and friends said their final goodbyes to Bishop Emeritus Howard J. Hubbard, who died at age 84 Aug. 19 in Albany after suffering a stroke just days earlier.

The impact that Bishop Hubbard left on the Diocese of Albany was immense; he was installed as bishop in 1977 at age 38, the youngest bishop in the United States at the time. Throughout his 37 years leading the diocese, he talked with mayors, governors and presidents, and was a voice on the national stage, only to see that marred by abuse allegations later in his ministry.

Bishop Edward B. Scharfenberger of Albany presided over his funeral Mass at St. Pius, which also was attended by Bishop Douglas J. Lucia of Syracuse and Bishop Terry R. LaValley of Ogdensburg, along with dozens of priests.

“Not only did Jesus rise from the dead, but he invited us all to have faith so that we may rise in him,” Bishop Scharfenberger said in his homily. “To where death does not have the final say, and our eternity is holy, and it is that eternity that we accompany our brother Howard towards. As we pray for him today, not only do we remember him but hope for him.”

Public visitation took place from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., with Mass beginning at 11:30 a.m. Locals were lined up outside the church even before the doors opened to pay their respects. Inside the church’s entryway, dozens of photos of Bishop Hubbard through the years were on display: gatherings at family picnics in the summer, Christmas photos with his sisters in front of the tree, and dinners spent on trips in Rome with his siblings and family. Many photos include him donning either a Red Sox cap or shirt, his beloved team.

This was the man so many people came to mourn: the man who was a bishop of the people, and whose legacy started by helping the poor and marginalized in the Albany Diocese, particularly in Albany’s South End, when he was known as a humble “street priest” who would drive those suffering the throes of addiction to detox and later find housing for them. However, his tenure was tainted by allegations of sexual abuse later in his ministry and the secret shuffling of predatorial priests throughout the diocese.

“We recognize that by no stretch of the imagination was Bishop Hubbard not an uncontroversial figure at times … but I don’t know if any priest hasn’t been,” Bishop Scharfenberger said. “I’m sure we all have experiences when maybe a confession went wrong and a priest was having a bad day. Make no mistake about it, priests are human beings, they’re broken and sinful just like you and me.”

Jennifer (Barrie) Hubbard, who married Bishop Hubbard in a civil ceremony in July, also was in attendance for the Mass. Bishop Hubbard, who approached the Vatican last year with a request to be relieved of his priestly obligations, married Barrie in a civil ceremony even after his request to be laicized was denied.

In a statement Aug. 1, Bishop Hubbard announced the Vatican’s denial of his petition for laicization and he said he had fallen in love and married in a civil ceremony. In a statement responding to the news, Bishop Scharfenberger said the church did not acknowledge the marriage as valid.

At St. Pius X, Bishop Scharfenberger in his homily called on attendees to have hope in dark times.

“We believe this Mass is much more — it makes us feel better as a community, and it should — but it actually brings the life of God into our hearts. And each of every one of us, as we open our hearts to God — in any way we understand God — don’t forget one thing: We are made for love, and we are made for hope.”

“And that defining spark in each of us, that flame does not go out, because God put it there,” he continued. “My prayer for each of you is that in some way, whatever you hear in the scriptures, my hope is that something will spark in you faith and hope and love, and whatever God does between us and among us, affects something much more.”

As the Mass came to an end, Bishop Hubbard’s casket was carried out to the hymn “How Great Thou Art,” which elicited a round of applause from those in attendance.

“My brothers and sisters, there is a lot in this world to condemn, but I would rather choose the way of hope than despair,” said Bishop Scharfenberger. “There’s nothing more diabolical than to give up. God never gives up on any of us. I invite you to join me, that hope is worth living for.”
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Emily Benson is a staff writer at The Evangelist, newspaper of the Diocese of Albany.