Monsignor to attend second inauguration, representing Interfaith

  Monsignor Richard O'Keeffe has repeated a historic honor that he first experienced more than four decades ago.

  O'Keeffe, Yuma's top Catholic leader, enjoyed the honor of attending the inauguration of President Lyndon Johnson all those years ago. And now this year, O'Keeffe is scheduled to witness Barack Obama assume leadership of the United States on Tuesday.

  "Oh, I think this is going to be a great occasion and a great historic event," O'Keeffe said in an interview prior to the Obama inauguration. "I just hope I am able to represent the many people who cannot get there."

  The monsignor stressed that he would be attending the inauguration as a representative of the Yuma Interfaith Council and the people of Yuma County whose interests the council serves.

  "I'm certainly not representing myself. I represent quite a number of people who have a lot of confidence in Interfaith and Obama," O'Keeffe said, stressing Obama's commitment to creating an open administration that listens at the grassroots level.

  "The people I'm representing know they're at the table. It's historic because for many years a lot of these people didn't feel they were at the table. Now they can make their voices heard."

  To illustrate the kind of social compassion a leader must show, O'Keeffe turned to the Holy Bible.

  "Christ never turned his back on anybody. He always helped those people who needed him," the monsignor said. "As a result of that, I will continue to do that. Hopefully the Lord will judge me on two things: love of God and love of neighbor."

  O'Keeffe said that in addition to Obama's interest in the common man, another exciting area of promise is the new president's potential for bringing Americans back together as Americans.

  "We are extremely divided in this country now. This is the time for everyone to begin working together. The days of sniping at people and laying blame are over."

  The monsignor recalled attending his first presidential inauguration, which he described as what normally feels like a once-in-a-lifetime event.

  "I was just a young Irish priest then, barely wet behind my ears," he said, chuckling. "It was awesome to be in Washington at the time, even though Johnson did beat Senator (Barry) Goldwater" of Arizona.

  For his second inaugural experience, "I'm looking forward to seeing the diversity, the number of people that will be there. It will also be great to meet some old friends I have in that area," he said, adding with a good-natured chuckle: "Mostly there will be a lot of food and putting on extra pounds! It's a celebration, so it is a banquet."

  O'Keeffe hadn't met Obama prior to the inauguration, but that honor is definitely on the monsignor's list. "I hope to meet him, hopefully in the not-to-distant future. I've been in contact with some of his close advisers.

  "He's smart," O'Keeffe said of Obama. "He has a great personality and is a great communicator. He has really given a great sense of hope and a great sense of commitment to this country and to a lot of people."

  He stressed his belief that people are longing for the very thing Obama made the theme of his campaign: change.

  "People are excited. They are looking for a new beginning. We supported President Bush, but so many things changed drastically in the last four years.

  "As a result, a lot people are very upset over a lot of things. They have been losing their jobs, losing insurance ... there was the manipulation of gas prices. People are ready for change."

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Darin Fenger can be reached at
dfenger@yumasun.com or 539-6860.