Challenge girls gather around Bishop Malone in his office at the chancery.

Portland, Maine. May 18, 2010. This past May 4, 2010, a group of Challenge girls met with Bishop Richard Malone at the chancery in Portland, Maine. Their goal: to get to know their bishop better, and to share their experience of Challenge with him.

The bishop welcomed them into his conference room by having a platter of cupcakes and treats waiting for them.  The girls showed the bishop a power point presentation of the Walk for Life they attended in Maine where they had last seen him and explained some of the other apostolic projects they had done together.

Bishop Malone encouraged them to continue applying the lessons they were learning through the Challenge Club and to value the gift of a strong group of friends who are faithful Catholics and who stick to their ideals and convictions.

He then invited them to sit down and opened the floor to questions. The girls were eager to get to know their bishop, asking him about anything and everything: from his favorite color, to his vocation story, to the motto of his episcopate.

As they were speaking, the girls’ parish priest, Father Frank Murray, stepped in to greet the Challenge team. Fr Frank

	The Challenge girls present a summary of their club's pro-life activities to Bishop Malone.

just happened to be attending meetings at the chancery that day. The girls learned from the bishop that their pastor played an important role on some of the committees at the chancery. 

Towards the end, the girls asked the bishop what they could do to help him and he asked them to pray for the diocese.  He explained that the percentage of those who actually live their faith and participate in the sacraments is very low. 

Then, with a big smile, Bishop Malone offered to give the girls a tour of the chancery. They had the opportunity to meet several of the people who work side-by-side with the bishop. They even got to go inside the bishop’s office and see where he works and has his meetings. At the end, the bishop gave the girls his blessing and the Challenge girls gave him some flowers along with a spiritual bouquet.

There was a small chapel near the entrance of the chancery where the Challenge girls went at the end of their visit with the bishop to say a prayer for him and the diocese of Maine.  It was a grace for the girls to get to know their bishop, to see how close he is to his flock, and to understand a little more about what it means to be a shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep.