Hello and welcome!
About two years ago, Brazilian astronomer Duília de Mello, who is Vice Provost and a Professor of Physics at The Catholic University of America, contacted me to say that she was interested in bringing an image of Our Lady of Aparecida to the National Shrine of the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. The basilica has about 100 different chapels and images of the Blessed Mother representing devotions of the various countries around the world, but there was no statue of Our Lady of Aparecida, the patroness of Brazil.
Around that time, I had just given a retreat to the Brazilian bishops’ conference, and the president of the conference gave me a beautiful statue of Our Lady of Aparecida, which I had at the Cathedral rectory. So, I told her, “If you can get the permission, I have the statue for you.” I’m on the Board of Directors, so I was happy to sponsor her proposal.
Then, Bishop Edgar da Cunha became involved in helping with the fundraising for the cost of the altar. He also came up with the idea of inviting Brazilians from throughout the United States to make a pilgrimage to Washington for the enthronement of the new statue.
Well, last weekend, that plan came to fruition.
So, last Friday, I went to Washington, where there was a dinner at CUA with Bishop da Cunha and other organizers of the pilgrimage, as well as several bishops from Brazil who came for the occasion, including Archbishop Luiz Fernando Lisboa, who was with us at the Pastoral Center for the Mass with Father Hehir last week.
The dinner was right next to CUA’s copy of the monument “Angels Unawares” that the Holy Father has placed in St. Peter’s Square. As I have previously mentioned, they actually have the statue in the middle of a fountain. So, it’s a boat that’s actually in the water.
Saturday morning, the pilgrims gathered at Sacred Heart, where I usually hold the Mass for the Bostonians attending the March for Life. Then, over 1,000 people walked in procession to the basilica with the image. (For those who are unfamiliar with Washington D.C., it’s about an hour-and-half walk away.) Then they had activities all day long.
The Mass and enthronement itself was at 2 p.m., and it was beyond our wildest dreams. It was very much like the Masses we hold the night before the March for Life; it was standing room only.
There is a small Brazilian community in Washington, but there were over 6,000 people in the basilica for the Mass. Everyone was just shocked. And, of course, we had many Brazilians from the Archdiocese of Boston with us, including Bishop Cristiano Barbosa. We were also pleased that the nuncio also came to concelebrate with us.
The pilgrimage committee sold about 3,500 t-shirts with images of Our Lady of Aparecida. So, all day, around the Catholic University campus and environs, you saw people wearing these blue t-shirts!
The statue is located in the large vestibule off the main entrance, right next to the image of Our Lady of Fatima. Everyone was joking that they could speak Portuguese to each other!
So, it was a great event, and we were so happy it was live-streamed all over Brazil and the United States.
Once a month, the young Capuchin brothers organize what they call the Capuchin Café, where they invite young people from Catholic University and other seminaries to come for worship, praise, benediction and adoration and, afterward, they gather downstairs for goodies and to sing folksongs.
In the photo, you can see that there were several Dominicans among the crowd.
So, I was happy to be able to participate in that Saturday night.
Then, on Sunday morning, I returned to Boston for a Mass and dinner to mark the 100th anniversary of the founding of Sisters of Jesus Crucified and the Sorrowful Mother in Brockton. In fact, the celebrations were on the Feast of the Sorrowful Mother, so that was the Mass we celebrated.
At one time, there were about 100 sisters in the community, but at this time in their history, there are very few sisters remaining. This is a small group of religious women that was originally founded by a Passionist priest from Lithuania who is working with Lithuanian immigrants in Pennsylvania. So, a lot of the service of the sisters was to the Lithuanian community. They served the poor and ran nursing homes and schools. (In fact, Msgr. Kevin O’Leary, who came with me to the Mass, is a graduate of their school in South Boston.) And, of course, they still have the nursing home in Brockton, St. Joseph Manor.
The sisters are greatly beloved, and many people from the Lithuanian American community were present for the celebration along with others, including Brockton Mayor Robert Sullivan and his wife, Maria.
It was a beautiful Mass in their chapel, where they honored all of the sisters.
They have been hosting young Vietnamese sisters who are in Boston studying. So, at one point, they brought up flowers, one flower for each member of the order in the last hundred years.
Afterwards, there was a lovely dinner.
It was a lovely evening, and we are so grateful for the extraordinary service that the Sisters of Jesus Crucified and the Sorrowful Mother have given.
Wednesday, we had our annual Celebration of the Priesthood Dinner at the Omni Seaport Hotel.
We have certainly bounced back after the pandemic. I am so pleased we have returned to having the large banquet format because it is an opportunity to gather a lot of the faithful of the archdiocese in one place to celebrate our priests.
This year, we were so grateful to Joe Nolan, who cochaired the dinner with the late Jack Connors, and it was the most successful dinner we’ve had so far.
They raised about $3 million for the Clergy Trust, which provides for the welfare of our priests and for their retirement and healthcare needs.
As I mentioned in my remarks, it’s only been two months since the Boston community gathered to mourn the passing of Jack Connors. He made such an impact on the whole community and was dedicated to so many charitable causes. But for us, particularly, that took the form of his support of Catholic education and the extraordinary work that he did on behalf of the Celebration of the Priesthood banquet. In fact, it was Jack who set the very high goal that everyone was nervous about, and, of course, we surpassed it. His legacy of service and generosity certainly lives on.
I also spoke about how grateful I was that the lord has given me the opportunity to serve as Archbishop of Boston for these many years.
Each year, one of the centerpieces of the program is a video featuring the ministry of some of our priests. This year, it was something of a different format, with a cross-section of our priests sharing their reflections on the challenges and joys of their priesthood.
It’s always a very moving presentation and I’m happy that I can share it with a larger audience on the blog.
I was very gratified that this year, they presented the St. Joseph the Worker Award to Father Robert Kickham, who has been such an invaluable help to me.
As I told the people, I don’t know what I would have done without him during these 21 years as archbishop. He is always a supportive and quiet presence. So, in many ways, it’s very fitting that he receive the St. Joseph Award because, like St. Joseph, he is never seeking the limelight but is always making sure that everything is taken care of.
We are also very grateful to Mark Vachon, Michael Scannell and all of those who worked so hard to promote the celebration.
I was also very happy that Archbishop-designate Richard Henning could join us and see for himself the great love that the Catholic people of Boston have for their priests.
Finally, I would like to note that September 17 was the 800th anniversary of St. Francis receiving the stigmata. In the Franciscan Order, there are many celebrations to observe this very important event in the life of St. Francis. One of the outcomes is this is the beautiful prayer that Pope Francis has composed.
Saint Francis, man wounded by love, Crucified in body and in spirit, we look to you, decorated with the holy stigmata, to learn how to love the Lord Jesus, brothers and sisters in your love of His holy passion.
With you it is easier to contemplate and follow Christ, poor and Crucified.
Give us, Francis, the freshness of your faith, the certainty of your hope, the gentleness of your charity. Intercede for us, so that it may be sweet for us to bear the burdens of life, and in trials we may experience the tenderness of the Father and the balm of the Spirit.
May our wounds be healed by the Heart of Christ, so we may become, like you, witnesses of His mercy, which continues to heal and renew the life of those who seek Him with a sincere heart.
O Francis, made to resemble the Crucified One, let your stigmata be for us and for the world resplendent signs of life and resurrection, to show new ways of peace and reconciliation.
Amen.
Until next week,
Cardinal Seán