I got Confirmed this year and I heard someone say that the Bishop who came was the Auxiliary Bishop. What does that mean? - Catherine

Catherine,

Congratulations on being Confirmed!   That means that you now have the mission to spread the Good News!  You are called to stand up and proclaim yourself as a Christian - in whatever way that looks like for your life!  That doesn't mean that you have to run around handing out Bibles and quoting scripture.  (though those things aren't bad ideas in some cases!)  ...

That means that the way you live your life should proclaim that you believe in our good and generous God.   The decisions you make should let the world see you as different in some way - a way they want - a way which demonstrates understanding, knowledge, courage, reverence, self-control, modesty, joy, peace, hope, wonder and awe, and all those other gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit. That is a journey you should grow into every day more and more! 

Now, to your question:  What does Auxiliary Bishop mean?  
That takes a bit of explanation first:   Every Diocese has a Bishop who is in charge of everything; the financing, the educating his flock (ie all the Catholics in his diocese), the recruitment and formation of priests, ensuring that the Sacraments are being administered - including ordaining new priests, assigning and guiding already ordained priests, and continue to grow in his faith life too.  On top of that, he has to keep in contact with the Pope and keep the Pope informed of how things are going in the Diocese - and more things which I haven't listed.

That Bishop is called the "Ordinary" of the Diocese.   So, Bishop Zubik is our Ordinary Bishop.
  
The other thing you need to know is that the primary person to confer the Sacrament of Confirmation is a Bishop.  In special circumstances a priest is allowed to confer the Sacrament - like at the Easter Vigil  when new people join the Faith,  or in a case I know when the Bishop got stuck in a snow storm on his way to a Confirmation and after two hours and still no luck getting through he called the priest at the church where all the people were gathered and told the priest to do it.  

Because he is so very busy, the Pope will often station another Bishop alongside the Ordinary.   These Bishops may be close to retirement, or young Bishops who are need mentoring before taking on a Diocese of their own etc.  Those Bishops are graced with priestly duties to help the Ordinary - and may be in charge of a committee or two.  They also assist the Ordinary with conferring the Sacrament of Confirmation at the parishes in his Diocese.   

I like to think of it as an associate - though we don't use that word.  We use the word "Auxiliary."  
One how is an extension of the Ordinary Bishop.   

In our Diocese, we have two Auxiliary Bishops:  Bishop Winter and Bishop Waltersheid.  

All Bishops are holy men and need our prayers.  So, when you pray for our Bishop, remember too to pray for his Auxiliaries!  

I heard Fr. Joe talking about the blessing of the oils by the Bishop on Holy Thursday. What happens at that blessing? - Amanda

Amanda:  

Your question is so timely.   And it just so happens that this was the first time I ever attended the Holy Thursday Mass at the Cathedral in Pittsburgh, so I got to actually see the blessing as it happened!  I also, "just happened" to have a camera with me and it took great pictures.  (I call it synchronicity when things 'click' in life looking like a coincidence, but is really the hand of God at work.) 
 

The blessing part itself started with the offertory.  A number of lay, priests, and religious presented huge glass urns full of the various oils and perfume to the Bishop. 

 

 

After that, the Bishop blessed them with incense.

Later he mixed the perfume with the appropriate oil - and stirred them together.  Then he breathed over all the urns.   Yes, he 'breathed' on them:  like God sent His breath on creation to separate the waters (Gen 1:2) - and how God breathed the breath of life into humankind (Gen 2:7)- and how Jesus breathed on the disciples in the upper room after his resurrection (John 20:22).  He leaned over the oils and breathed over the tops of the urns.

He also spoke a special blessing.   When he was finished we took our oil vials and got them filled by appointed seminarians who were tasked with the job, brought them home & presented them to the parishes at the Holy Thursday Mass.

 

It was a beautiful, beautiful ceremony.