Bishop lays down cross, ring, mitre, staff and puts on running shoes

 Auxiliary Bishop Edward M. Rice runs early Monday morning in south St. Louis City. Rice is training for a half-marathon in the upcoming GO! St. Louis Marathon. Erik M. Lunsford elunsford@post-dispatch.com

Kathleen Nelson from the Saint Louis Post-Dispatch reports on marathoning bishop.

Cross, ring, mitre, staff: symbols of the office that place Auxiliary Bishop Edward M. Rice near the head of the Roman Catholic Church in St. Louis. Rice will put them away Sunday morning - of all times - in favor of a T-shirt, baggy shorts and running shoes, the garb he will don for the GO! St. Louis half-marathon.

His job demands that he serve as a spiritual guide for approximately 440,000 Catholics. But for about two hours Sunday, he'll be content to be one of nearly 20,000 runners in the three races - marathon, half-marathon or marathon relay - that fill the streets of St. Louis as part of the GO! event. "There's something nice about being lost in a sea of humanity," he said. "There's so much positive energy."

Humanity and energy are among Rice's defining qualities, as is running. He took up cross country in high school and has completed three marathons, the fastest in 3 hours, 23 minutes. But just as he won't stick out from the crowd Sunday because of priestly garb, neither will he look the part of elite runner, clad in singlet and those tiny little shorts.

"No one wants to see that much of me," he said.

Rice, 50, has become more

visible since December, when Pope Benedict XVI named him auxiliary bishop of St. Louis, second in command of the archdiocese. He had already signed up for the GO! half-marathon - "to avoid the price increase," he said, half mocking, half pleased with his frugality.

Despite the increased demands on his time, he remained committed to running six days a week, five to seven miles a day. If anything, the diligent training has proved a blessing with his new duties, which can range from assisting Archbishop Robert J. Carlson, running the vocations office, hearing midmorning confessions, throwing out the first pitch at the new ballfield at St. Mary's High School, or celebrating the Sacrament of Confirmation.

"It keeps you connected to the big picture," he said. "You take a run and clear your head and everything falls into place. You're bombarded with issues, issues, issues: so many things you can't control. On a run, I realize that I'm going to do my part and put the rest in God's hands."

Running has been part of Rice's life since he was a senior at St. Mary's. He was cut from the football team as a freshman, held odd jobs for two years but wanted to participate in a sport before he graduated. "Getting cut was a good thing because 30-plus years later, I wouldn't be playing football," he said. "But I'm still running."

Rice continued to run through his years at the seminary, which included trails through hundreds of wooded acres. He also has coached track and cross country, first at St. Mary's, when he was on the faculty, and at St. John the Baptist High School, where he served as pastor from 2000 to 2008. Though many teams arrived for a meet in caravans or buses, Rice hauled the entire St. John's squad of five in his sedan.

"They needed somebody to coach," he said. "And it turned out to be a good way to get to know the kids as people."

They got to know him pretty well, too. He has his former St. John's runners to thank for the ability to show off his medals from past marathons and his biggest prize: a second-place plaque from the 1998 St. Louis Marathon Relay. His awards ended up in a trash can when he was transferred from St. John's in 2008.

"One of the kids dug them out and said, ‘Father, you should keep these. They're important to you,' " Rice said. "He was right."

Rice has continued to connect with younger runners. As director of vocations, he spends much of his time with the seminarians and started last year's GO! half-marathon with Drew Burkemper and Chris Tripp, students at Kenrick-Glennon.

"We always have something to talk about: ‘How many miles did you do?' It's kind of neat," said Tripp, a graduate of DeSmet. "There's something very special about being out there with a bishop and knowing he's running with us. It's very human."

Rice also displays a very human, competitive spirit.

"I know for a fact that Bishop Rice loves to time his runs," Tripp said. "Not all runners are like that, but I know he likes to see his improvement. I don't know if you can exactly compare it to other professions, but sometimes it's good to take off the uniform and do something you enjoy and take pride in."

Further proof: Rice never misses the St. Patrick's Day Parade 5-Mile Run and proclaimed with a smile that he finished this year in 41 minutes flat. He had to cut short the celebration, though, to deliver Communion to the Pink Sisters.

"It's a question of balance," Rice said. "Running is kind of a downtime, but it helps me to get back to what I'm supposed to do and do it well, with a clear mind and more energy. People who don't run don't understand that a run energizes you; it doesn't tire you out."

Rice seemed pleased with his half-marathon performance last year, 1:46:57, roughly 8:10 a mile, which placed him in the top 8 percent of almost 11,000 finishers. His goal Sunday is a little less specific: to finish in less than 2 hours. He took as part of his inspiration for this year's goal a couple running near him in last year's race. As they passed Sts. Peter and Paul Church, near Mile 4, the couple noticed the Mass schedule posted outside. Rice recalled one saying to the other, "If we hurry, we can make it back for noon Mass."

"That's nothing," Rice said. "I have to say 11 a.m. Mass at Holy Redeemer. I'll make it."