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At 7:00pm Monday,
Francis Cardinal George will speak in the Cathedral Auditorium on the
occasion of his 10th Anniversary as Archbishop of Chicago. The title of
the presentation will be Gratitude For the Past, Hopes For the Future;
Francis Cardinal George, O.M.I., in Conversation with his Ecumenical and
Interreligious Neighbors. With reflections on the Cardinal’s thoughts
will be His Eminence Metropolitan Iakovos from the Greek Orthodox
Metropolis of Chicago; Bishop Paul R. Landahl from the Metropolitan
Chicago Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; Rabbi Ellen
W. Dreyfus, Past President of the Chicago Board of Rabbis; and Professor
M. Cherif Bassiouni, Distinguished Research Professor of Law at DePaul
University College of Law. The evening will last from 7:00-9:00pm. A
prayer service will be included. A reception will follow in the
cafeteria. You are invited. To anticipate the attendance, an RSVP is
requested. Phone 312-751-5325; send a fax to 312-787-1554; or e-mail
your reservation to archeia@auchchicago.org. I will look for you on
Monday evening at 7:00pm in the auditorium as we begin to celebrate
Cardinal George’s 10th anniversary.
Next Sunday,
May 6, the 9:30am Mass will be concelebrated by Chicago’s Francis
Cardinal George and the Papal Nuncio to the United States, Archbishop
Pietro Sambi. Archbishop Sambi has held that distinguished post since
December. A Papal Nuncio represents the Pope to the hierarchy, the
Church, and the government of the nation to which he is assigned. Pietro
Sambi was born in Sogliano sul Rubicone, Italy. He was incardinated in
the Diocese of San Marino-Montefeltro and ordained a priest in 1964.
After earning a doctorate in sacred theology and in canon law, he
started his service in the Diplomatic Corps of the Holy See in 1969 in
Cameroon. He was transferred to the apostolic nunciature in Jerusalem
(1971) and subsequently in Cuba (1974), Algeria (1978), Nicaragua
(1979), Belgium (1981), and India (1984). After his ordination as a
bishop, Archbishop Sambi was appointed pro-apostolic nuncio in Burundi
(1985), in Indonesia (1991); and in Israel and Cyprus while taking on
additional duties as apostolic delegate in Jerusalem and Palestine
(1998). The Archbishop speaks Italian, English, French and Spanish. It
will be an honor for Chicago’s famous and historic Holy Name Cathedral
to welcome the Papal Nuncio to the United States as Cardinal George
continues the celebration of his 10th Anniversary as Archbishop of
Chicago. You, too, certainly are welcome to the special 9:30am Mass next
Sunday.
Watch next
weekend’s bulletin for a special notice regarding the 5:15pm Mass on
Saturday, May 12. Francis Cardinal George will be the principal
celebrant and homilist as he continues to celebrate his 10th anniversary
as Archbishop of Chicago. All Holy Name Cathedral parishioners will be
welcome to this most public of a series of celebrations. However, be
aware that the liturgy will last longer than the weekly 5:15pm Vigil
Mass. Also note that there will be no confessions heard after 5:00pm on
May 12. The regularly-scheduled 6:15pm confessions will be cancelled a
week from next Saturday, May 12.
I once went to the race track with a betting friend who amazed me by the
number of winners he picked. Another afternoon, I went to a ball game
with a coach who pointed out that the runner on first base was about to
be picked off; sure enough, the coach was right. As the little one
wiggled all over in the bench while I prepared to baptize the child, her
mother calmly prophesied, “She’ll be asleep by the time you pour the
water.” In fact, the baby was out before I finished my sermon, a tribute
to my preaching and her mothering! Now it’s my turn to say, “I told you
so.” In the first months I worked at Holy Name Cathedral and Frances
Xavier Warde School, the Catholic elementary school we sponsor along
with Old St. Pat’s, I noticed someone I thought was an exceptional
teacher. I may not be an early childhood expert, but my dozen years of
high school classroom work educated my opinion that Elizabeth Grelle was
a gifted educator. There were other factors that led me to recognize Ms.
Grelle a little faster than I recognized the superlative teaching that
was going on and continues to go on in other parts of FXW Catholic
school – (1) little kids fascinate me, and she teaches kindergarten; (2)
her classroom is on the first floor next to the school office, a handy
location for a priest just passing by; and (3) Elizabeth Grelle is
really a nice person. Despite the factors that might have prejudiced my
opinion, I still think my early declaration that FXW had someone special
teaching the tiny folk was primarily the opinion of a veteran teacher
who recognized a genuine professional. Last week, FXW kindergarten
teacher Elizabeth Grelle won the prestigious Kohl McCormick Early
Childhood Teaching Award. A student’s parent nominated her last fall.
After a series of interviews, observations, and reports, she made the
cut that reduced the field of nominees to twenty-three earlier this
year. Shortly before Easter, FXW School received word of her selection
as one of only five teachers in all the Chicago-area to receive this
great honor. On April 19, Ms. Grelle certainly was surprised when her
mother (also a Catholic K-teacher), her father, Head of School Mary
Reiling, Principal Susan Sperling, Assistant Principal Brigid Cashman,
Development Director John Pantle, a WGN-TV camera along with reporter
Mary Dee, a Tribune reporter, a couple of faculty mates, friends from
her life outside of FXW, and a proud priest-friend paraded into her
classroom with the news of Elizabeth’s honor. Her kids had a party! The
Kohl McCormick Early Childhood Award is presented to teachers who
exemplify best practices – dedication, leadership, innovation, respect
for children and their families, and commitment to professional growth –
at that basic level of education. Watch her students not only read the
calendar and the sentences on the board, but watch them simultaneously
translate in sign language. Watch a 5-year old conduct the class while
the others politely raise hands to answer while sitting still. Watch her
outside the State Street doors after school happily taking time for the
parents. Watch her faithfully tend to her perpetual narrative reports.
Watch her invite her priest-friend into class to teach the Advent wreath
or to read a story. Watch the students imitate her gentle personality.
Watch her treat every student not as a little kid, but as a child she
loves. She will receive many gifts that are meant to benefit the
children, the school, and her career. Public recognition is scheduled to
be made this Saturday on Channel 9’s 9:00 o’clock News; in Sunday’s
Chicago Tribune, and at a June 5 Westin River North banquet. For now,
FXW, stand tall; your Elizabeth Grelle officially has been recognized as
a terrific teacher. Elizabeth, smile; you deserve all of this. Father
Mayall, Elizabeth Grelle’s fan and friend, take a bow and brag to
everyone, “I told you so.”
Fr. Dan Mayall |
