The Lost Pictures of Bishop Mote

The Story of the "Lost Photo's" of Bishop Mote

Recently, Mrs. Jean Smith presented to Fr. Todd a group of pictures of Bishop James Mote which had been in her possession for close to twenty years.  These pictures were taken at St. Edward the Confessor Cathedral (ACC) in Indianapolis, Indiana sometime around 2002 or 2003, I would imagine.  But I can not remember the exact year even though I remember being present when these photos were taken.

Mrs. Jean Smith and Mr. Phil Smith were married for over fifty years.  The Smiths had been long-time friends of the Bishop Mote.  They knew each other dating all the way back to when they were even teenagers and were active in church groups in Indianapolis where they had all been born and raised.

After Bishop Mote was ordained to the priesthood, he moved out to assist Fr. Lehman at St. Mary's in Denver, Colorado.  He spent the next fifty or so years there.  After his retirement he moved down to Florida for a time.   In the last years of his life, Bishop Mote moved back to Indianapolis to be close to his family.  This was around the year 2000.  It was at this point that I became familiar with Bishop Mote.  He was a wonderful man.  We spent many wonderful hours together and he would tell many wonderful stories.  Truth be known, Bishop Mote would very often tell the same story over and over and over . .  . . I am sure I had heard most of those stories a thousand times but I would gladly listen to them a thousand more times if I was given the chance.   I could tell so many stories myself about time spent with Bishop Mote but let me get back to these pictures.

I remember that the sister of Phil Smith (I believe the sisters name was Mary) and her son had come up from Florida for a family gathering.  The nephew (I think his name was Mark) was a photographer down in Florida.  So while he was up here they made a point to take pictures of Bishop Mote.  I do not remember the exact reason for the pictures at that particular moment in time.  It could have been his anniversary as a priest or perhaps as a bishop.  I just don't remember.   But I remember showing up at church one afternoon at the tail-end of this photography session.  So I was present when these photo's were taken.

In the years that followed after these pictures were taken, Bishop Mote left us back in 2006.  Phil Smith passed away as well a few years back.  And these pictures were left in a drawer or box among the possessions of Mrs. Jean Smith.  Jean had remembered these pictures and promised when she found them that she would give them to me.  Well, lo and behold, in the year 2019 Jean did stay true to her promise that when she located the photo's she would bring them to me!   And she did!  A wonderful memory of a wonderful man who dedicated his life to serving God and the Church.