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Thanks to all who took part in the 2006 EXPECT THE SPECTACULAR Cathedral Gala last Friday at the Four Seasons Hotel. The food was delicious, the music and dancing lively, the auctions live and silent terrific, and the whole evening a lot of fun. I hope we made something the Cathedral can use in supporting our educational ministries. For now, I am happy about the good time that an army of hard working parishioners helped supply. A bow to all the volunteers is coming. This weekend, let me thank deeply the Steering Committee that worked on this great event for months. All of Holy Name Cathedral parish thanks Barbara and Joseph Sunshine; Joanne and Tom Daly; Judith Mason; Milli Striegl; Joanne Harrigan; Richard Laskowski; Darren Milanowicz; Joanne Harrigan; Susie Younkle; Scot Henderlong; Mary Ann Costello; and Dorothy Sipiora. In addition, I am so grateful to Pat Still - coordinator of all the Cathedral’s Special Events, the Staff liaison to the GALA, and my voice in organizing this classy night. We expected the spectacular; and we got the nothing less!
I have heard Cardinal George percolate an idea several times recently. At a meeting of Chicago priests, at the St. Patrick High School University Club dinner where he was proudly handed the Crystal Shamrock Award, at a tribute to those from parishes around the Archdiocese who were recognized with the Archdiocesan Christifidelis Award, at our Cathedral rectory dinner table on All Souls Day – Francis Cardinal George talked about the relationships that last. Everything else fades. Struggling to recover from two operations last August, the Cardinal realized he was dying. Accomplishments, honors, titles, recognition, newspaper photos, and even ring kissing fade. All we truly have is given to us by God for the good of the Church. The relationships that sharpen such a vision of Grace are what remain. The Cardinal told Chicago’s priests about the nurse who held his hand and insisted that he continue talking to her while his life was in jeopardy. She was a stranger to him, except that she was a disciple. Those relations of discipleship endure. Never have I heard Cardinal George more clearly. The relationships of faith endure. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have chosen me. “It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you.” God moves first. To surrender all else to Christ is the goal of sacrifice. Give up all else. Christ awaits your decision with the gift…Grace.
What was Cardinal George talking about when he speculated on the gifts given to him, like the gift of relationship, the relationship of a disciple? Look to the students of Frances Xavier Warde Catholic School. Over 2/3 of the students at FXW on the campuses of Old Sat. Pat’s at the Loop’s west end and Holy Name Cathedral just off the near north side’s Gold Coast are baptized Catholics. Not just an adjective, Catholic is a way of looking at life. FXW 4th graders collected blankets and took them to a shelter where they certainly would warm those who slept there. “When I was naked, you clothed me.” The kids wondered why there were people lined up on the street even before the doors were scheduled to open. “That’s because they do not want to be left out. Only so many can be cared for.” Each 9-year old put a piece of candy on the blanket he or she had donated. Then, each kid knelt down to pray for the man who would sleep in the bed that night. You know what you can call that exercise? That’s truly Catholic education! By the way, the Holy Name parish contribution to Frances Xavier Warde School via the annual Scholarship Sunday collection was seriously short this year. I am grateful to all parishioners who contribute regularly and to those who gave in September to this portion of our ministry, the support of a Catholic elementary school that reflects the diversity of our city. However, we really need more. If you missed the chance to vote for Catholic education as offered at FXW, write a check, print FXW on the outside of the envelope, and drop it in any of our collection baskets. I promise it will get to the school. Better yet, hand the envelope to me personally so that I can say “thank you” right away.
On All Saints’ Day, many FXW Catholics and the students in our Holy Name Cathedral religious education program received the once-in-a-life-time Sacrament of Confirmation. Bishop Timothy Lyne helped all to see how close they were to the Holy Spirit.
Next Saturday, November 18, the Greater Michigan Avenue Council will sponsor the Michigan Avenue Festival of Lights. A parade featuring Mickey Mouse will wander down the Magificent Mile. A lot of visitors will be in the neighborhood; and, during the late afternoon/early evening parade, the only way to get to the Cathedral from Streeterville (the area east of Michigan Avenue) will be via the underpass at Grand. If you are a 5:15pm Saturday Mass regular, beware of Mickey Mouse!
In the main vestibule of the Cathedral hangs a plaque listing the names of Chicago’s Catholic Ordinaries, i.e. head bishops. Two of those men died in separate years on November 13. Neither one was especially happy to be the Bishop of Chicago. James Van de Velde, a Belgium-born Jesuit, arrived in 1849 Chicago with its 23,000 population. He was petrified. He spent a good piece of his five years here trying to get out. He finally managed to be named Bishop of an 11-parish diocese (Natchez, Mississippi) where he died after a fall on November 13, 1855. Succeeding Van de Velde, the effete Anthony O’Regan, an Irish-bred seminary professor with no interest in being Chicago’s bishop, left the city’s 60,000 citizens behind in 1858 after serving just four years, much of that term in argument with his clergy. He went to Rome and announced that he refused to return to Chicago. He died in London on November 13, 1866. On this November 13 - Monday - pray for the reluctant shepherds of our past. More easily than they did, we are blessed to see Christ clearly on the banks of Lake Michigan.
Tuesday, November 14, is the 10th anniversary of the death of a former Ordinary much more proud of his 15-year association with Chicago. Joseph Cardinal Bernardin will be remembered on Friday at the 12:10pm Mass offered by his successor Cardinal George and concelebrated by other bishops and priests of the Archdiocese. The Cathedral’s Bishop Timothy Lyne will preach. At the Mass, all priests of the Archdiocese who died in the last year also will be remembered. You are invited to join us.
Next Saturday, November 18, will mark the 157th anniversary of the founding of Holy Name parish. Happy Anniversary to us!
Fr. Dan Mayall |
