Bishop P. Francis Murphy was one of the principal architects of the ICJS. From its inception up until the present, his coun-sel and his commitment have helped to shape its educational and spiritual vision. His recent death leaves a gaping void in and beyond our corner of the world. His ministry carried him into the neglected alleys of our communities, where he engaged those most easily overlooked. His aptitude for friendship was gargantuan, and his unassuming and gentle way won the affection and respect of every walk of people: the marginalized, the poor, and the hopeless -- women and men, Jews and Protestants, as well as Roman Catholics. Here was a soul that made room for all of us. The task of main-taining his special legacy will require daring and imagination. We begin with the act of remembrance. Here are some abbreviated comments of people who knew and loved the Western Vicar.

"His laugh was always ready and generously delivered. He somehow managed not to take himself too seriously. In so far as he even noticed his own ecclesiastical stature, he made it unequivocally clear that his authority was in the service of others. He welcomed different points of view. He recognized that dissent can often enliven and inspire genuine reform. As much as anyone that I have known, he embodied the qualities that make dialogue authentic. He refused to retreat into abstractions and to hide behind dogmatic claims to exclusive truth. He grounded his ministry in people, and the essential question revolved around justice, plain and simple. We Presbyterians don't go for bishops. We don't care much for hierarchy. Frank is the greatest challenge I have ever met to this dogmatic Presbyterian assertion. I am sure the paradox would make him laugh."

"In his life, Bishop Frank Murphy bore a spiritual kinship to the liberal, progressive Talmudic sage Hillel, who often found him-self opposed to the no-less-gifted but narrowly conservative sage Shammai. Despite their equal gifts, the Talmud almost always decided legal issues in Hillel's favor. Why? asked the Sages. The answer: Hillel did not advance his own position until after he had shown respect to his opponent by adequately articulating his view. In other words, disagreement was not allowed to become so personal that proper respect to others was forgotten. That seems to me to be one of the reasons that Frank Murphy constantly addressed people by their first names, even within a brief conversation. He wanted you to know that he took you seriously, that he was listening when you spoke, that he cared about you existentially and not superficially, and would give you respect even if he disagreed with you. He was a true holy man."

"Bishop Frank Murphy was first exposed to the complex and tragic history of the Christian-Jewish relationship during the Second Vatican Council in 1964 while serving as secretary to Lawrence Cardinal Shehan. As with every human experience in which Frank saw injustice, he never wavered in his personal commitment to build a new level of respect and understanding between Christians and Jews, free from the intolerance of the past. Frank carried this work out by initiating one of the first Christian-Jewish dialogues in Baltimore -- through his vital role as a founding director of the ICJS, and most significantly, in how he chose to live and model his life. We were profoundly influenced by his wisdom and compassion, and richly blessed by his love and inclusive presence."