Charged with the Grandeur of God: Recognizing the Lifetime Achievements of Fr. Bob Oldershaw
At our 25th Anniversary Fiesta, our esteemed Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Fr. Bob Oldershaw, a committed mission partner who has journeyed with Solidarity Bridge since its founding.
Fr. Bob is a true pastoral leader with an abiding commitment to the common good. Ordained to the priesthood in 1962, Fr. Bob served the Church of Chicago for 44 years before “retiring” in 2006. Always ministering to our larger church community, he continues to be a beloved preacher and presider as well as an unflinching advocate for a more just and inclusive church and world.
When Solidarity Bridge was just finding its feet, Fr Bob fostered a supportive church home in Evanston and helped us build relationships with other parishes throughout the Chicago Archdiocese and beyond. Always one to walk-the-walk, Fr. Bob served as a dynamic and active Chaplain and Board member for over 23 years. He remains a committed ambassador, inspiring others to give generously to this work.
Wherever he goes, Fr. Bob embodies the essence of 'living in solidarity' with all of humanity. This was most beautifully expressed when he accompanied medical mission teams to Bolivia…13 times! Fr. Bob inspired missioners from all walks of life, regardless of their own religious background, and skillfully accompanied hundreds of patients and families. During mission trips, he could be spotted sitting quietly in a corner, pen in hand, prayerfully preparing for whatever was next on our daily schedule, be it leading our team’s early morning reflection, or sitting with nervous families as they awaited the outcome of a complicated surgery. One minute we might find him prayerfully reflective with a patient, and the next, singing and dancing with the children gathered in the hospital courtyard. He is especially adept at finding the right words for the moment at hand—whether to rouse exhausted travelers, or comfort a grieving spouse— often quoting one of his favorite poets, Gerard Manley Hopkins, SJ: ”Christ plays in ten thousand places.”
Returning to Bolivia year after year, Fr Bob forged deep relationships with local leaders who looked forward to his warm hugs and smiles. He connected deeply with the beautiful Andean mountains and the indigenous people residing among them, learning phrases in the indigenous languages as an outer expression of the solidarity ever-present in his heart. Patients and local staff took delight in this small act of kindness, their faces giving way to illuminated smiles at his greetings in Quechua or Aymara.
We invite you to get to know Fr. Bob more deeply through this Solidarity Bridge video where you’ll see him mingling with lavish mountain beauty, describing his draw to the infectious smiles of the Bolivian people, while proclaiming to one and all: The ‘Earth is charged with the grandeur of God’, another favorite Hopkins quote. This 2018 interview gives more wonderful insight into his abilities to connect so deeply with those we encounter and walk beside in Bolivia.
Fr. Bob Oldershaw’s generosity of spirit, time, talent, and treasure, along with his inspiring life-long example of living out the virtue of solidarity, make him a consummate honoree for our lifetime achievement award!
As we celebrate the many accomplishments of our past 25 years, we also look ahead to the future. We have launched a $2.5M fundraising campaign to invest in serving more patients, training more physicians, and equipping more hospitals in Bolivia and Paraguay.
You can join us today! Consider making a gift dedicated to Fr. Bob and help us reach our campaign goal.