Newspaper Page Text
THE BULLETIN, November 28, 1959—PAGE 3
National Shrine Dedicated Before Church,
State Dignitaries; Rite Hailed As Marking
'Signficant Epoch' In U. S. Church History
IN HOMAGE TO THE MOTHER OF GOD
The great upper church of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington,
D. C., was solemnly dedicated on Friday, November 20. It has been built by all the Catholics of
the United States under the leadership of their Bishops. One of the largest and most beautiful
religious edifices to be seen anywhere in the world, its colorful tile dome and bell tower are
already well known sights on the skyline of the National Capital.—Photo by Reni. (NCWC).
(N.C.W.C. News Service)
WASHINGTON — The Na
tional Shrine of the Immaculate
Conception was solemnly dedi
cated here in a ceremony hailed
as marking “a significant epoch
in the history of the Catholic
Church in the United States”
More than 200 members of the
hierarchy, including six cardi
nals, attended the colorful two-
hour dedication ceremony. They
were joined by government and
civic leaders and thousands of
priests and Religious.
The shrine ceremony was the
national focal point of three
days of prayer observeed in 16,-
000 Catholic parishes through
out the country. The nationwide
observance was planned to cul
minate on the day of the
shrine’s dedication (Nov. 20) in
the consecration of the United
States to the Blessed Virgin.
The Bishops of the nation had
urged all 39 million U. S. Cath
olics to participate in these
services in their own parishes.
Archbishop Joseph E. Ritter
of St. Louis, preaching at the
Solemn Pontifical Mass of ded
ication, hailed the national
shrine — largest Catholic
church in the United States —
as “a majestic and compelling
witness not only to the physical
and material maturity of the
Church in our land, but partic
ularly to its spiritual vigor, its
dynamic Faith.”
The dedication Mass was of
fered in the packed shrine by
His Eminence Francis Cardinal
Spellman, Archbishop of New
York. Prior to the Mass the
Cardinal officially dedicated the
great church.
The huge building is the sev
enth largest religious edifice in
the world. It has been estimated
that $30 million will have been
spent on its construction by the
time it is finally completed. The
building was begun in 1922. At
present the exterior is largely
completed, but the decoration of
the interior will not be finished
for many years.
The shrine is dedicated to the
Blessed Virgin under the title of
the Immaculate Conception.
This is the same title under
which in 1846 she was named
patroness of the United States
by the nation’s bishops.
The impressive dedication .
ceremony began with a proces
sion of clergy from the east
porch of the shrine to the rich
ly decorated main entrance of
the Byzantine - Romanesque
building. From there, accom
panied by an honor guard of
Knights of Columbus, Knights
of St. John and Knights of St.
Peter Claver, the procession
moved down the main aisle of
the church.
Among those in the proces
sion were six princes of the
Church: Their Eminences Card
inal Spellman; James Francis
Cardinal McIntyre, Archbishop
of Los Angeles; Richard Card
inal Cushing, Archbishop of
Boston; John Cardinal O’Hara,
C.S.C., Archbishop of Philadel
phia; Jose Cardinal Garibi y
Rivera, Archbishop of Guada
lajara, Mexico, and Thomas
Cardinal Tien, S.V.D., exiled
Archbishop of Peking, China.
As the procession reached the
sanctuary area, Cardinal Spell
man performed the official ded
ication rite. The Pontifical Mass
followed.
Above and behind the main
altar gleamed a huge mosaic of
Christ the “Pantocrator” — Al
mighty King of the universe. It
is said to. be the largest single
mosaic in the world.
Assisting Cardinal Spell
man as officers of the Mass
were: Father Raymond J.
Hunt, O.M.I., of Boston, Pro
vincial of the eastern pro
vince of the Oblates of Mary
Immaculate, deacon; Father
John P. McCormick, S.S.,
rector of the Theological Col
lege, Catholic University, as
sistant priest, and Msgrs. John
J. Reilly of Norwich, Conn.,
and Patrick J. O'Connor of
Decatur, Ga., deacons of hon
or.
Both Msgr. Reilly and Msgr.
O’Connor are former directors
of the shrine, which is now di
rected by Msgr. Thomas J.
Grady.
Archbishop Egidio Vagnozzi,
Apostolic Delegate to the Unit
ed States, represented His Holi
ness Pope John XXIII at the
ceremony.
Among those seated in the
congregation were U. S. Su
preme Court justices, high of
ficials of the government, sena
tors and representatives, lead
ing members, of the diplomatic
corps, the Commissioners of the
District of Columbia and judges
of the courts of the District of
Columbia.
Following the Mass the Act
of Consecration to the Blessed
Virgin was recited. The prayer
stated in part;
“Most Holy Trinity, we put
the United States of America
into the hands of Mary Immac
ulate in order that she may pre
sent the country to You.
Through her we wish to thank
You for the great resources of
this land and for the freedom
which has been its heritage.
“Through the intercession of
Mary, have mercy on the Cath
olic Church in America. Grant
us peace. Have mercy on our
President and on all the officers
of our gevernment. Grant us a
fruitful economy born of justice
and charity. Have mercy on
capital and industry and labor v
“Protect the family life of the
nation. Guard the innocence of
our children. Grant the precious
gift of many religious vocations.
Through the intercession of our
Mother, have mercy on the sick,
the poor, the tempted, sinners
—on all who are in need.”
Following the Act of Conse
cration, a Te Deum was sung by
a choir made up of 210 priests
and Religious from houses of
study for men affiliated with
the Catholic University. The
congregation, accompanied by
organ and symphony orchestra,
then joined in the national an
them.
Archbishop Ritter described
the American people in his ser
mon as “a providential people,”
and said of the shrine dedica
tion that it “marks a significant
epoch in the history of the
Catholic Church in the United
States.”
“Somewhat like the Israelites
of old, we have come today to
the promised land of fulfillment
after 40 years of planning and
preparation, hope and sacri
fice,” he declared.
“The span of time has tested
our people and, as this magnifi
cent structure so well demon
strates, has brought forth not
only their admirable generosity
but their universal enthusiasm
as well.”
The Archbishop, chairman of ,
the U. S. Bishops’ committee for
the completion of the shrine,
compared the great church to
the famed cathedrals of Europe.
As the cathedrals expressed the
religious aspirations of whole
nations, he said, so the national
shrine is “the expression of the
Catholic democracy of the Unit
ed States and of the Catholics’
love and devotion to Mary Im
maculate.”
Recalling the nationwide cer
emonies being held in Catholic
parishes to dedicate the country
to Mary, he declared: “What is
being done here this morning is,
in the truest sense of the words,
being done in behalf of, in the
name of, and with the enthusi
astic approval of the whole
Church in the United States.”
Archbishop Ritter traced the
history of the national shrine,
beginning with the decision of
the U. S. Bishops in 1846 to con
secrate the nation to the Blessed
Virgin under the title of the
Immaculate Conception.
“From that day on, in a spe
cial way, she belonged to us
and we to her,” he said. “She
has protected us, guided us, ob
tained for us the means of grace
and salvation.”
“Is it any wonder then that
the bishops, the clergy, the Re
ligious and the faithful com
mitted themselves to give some
tangible and appropriate ex
pressions of their gratitude for
the past and their confidence
in the future with her as their
patroness?”
Archbishop Ritter paid trib
ute to individuals who made
significant contributions to the
building of the shrine. He re
called that the idea for a na
tional shrine was first advanc
ed by Bishop Thomas Shahan,
fourth rector of the Catholic
University. He also saluted the
first director of the shrine,
Msgr. Bernard A. McKenna of
Philadelphia, who was seated in
the sanctuary for the dedication
ceremony, and the late Arch
bishop John F. Noll, Bishop of
Fort Wayne, Ind., who was an
active supporter of the vast
building project.
Archbishop Ritter then brief
ly examined the many links
that exist between the Blessed
Virgin and this nation. Begin
ning with Columbus, the flag
ship of whose fleet of explora
tion was named the Santa Ma
ria, the explorers and colonizers
of America were' almost with
out exception “steeped in Mari
an devotion and love,” he said.
He expressed the hope that
the national shrine might be a
“milestone along the road by
which all peoples will advance
toward her.”
“She is the spiritual mother
of all, and she extends a wel
come to all to join her in the
praise and adoration of her
Son,” he said. “At the moment
of her acceptance of Divine
Motherhood, her halo became
interlocked with Our Lord’s,
and they can never be separat
ed without doing violence to
the Christian Faith.”
Archbishop Ritter also ex
pressed the hope that the shrine
might “become the instrument
of divine benediction upon D’*r
nation and all its people.”
“May it stand as the symbol
of the union of all men under
the headship of Christ,” he said.
“There can be no surer or more
direct road than by Mary for
uniting everyone in Christ.”
He continued: “May it be the
guiding symbol to that truth
which is God and which shall
make men free. Mary is invok
ed as the seat of wisdom, for
she bore Wisdom incarnate in
her bosom. Hers will be the
mission ever to defend truth —
divine truth and its reflected
human truth — against the as
saults upon the human family
by a false science conceived in
the minds of the enemies of
God and man.
“And finally may this temple
dedicated to Mary ever remind
us that it was through Mary
there came into the world the
Prince of Peace. Under the
queenship of Mary the whole
world can be brought to the
acknowledgement of Him who
alone can give peace to the
human family.
“Who knows but that in the
end it will be the great devo
tion of the peasants and people
of Russia to Mary, united to the
devotion of all men to Mary,
which will win for the world
an era of peace, prosperity and
happiness?”
The Archbishop concluded by
reminding his listeners that the
national shrine is “a perpetual
challenge to us to reflect Mary’s
life and her beautiful virtues in
our own lives.”
“To be genuine, our piety
toward the Mother of God must
spring from the heart,” he de
clared.
Following the dedication, fur
ther special ceremonies mark
ing the completion of a major
stage in the shrine’s construc
tion extended over a three-day
period.
On the evening of the day of
dedication Cardinal Cushing
presided at a Pontifical Low
Mass in the shrine offered by
Bishop Bernard J. Flanagan of
Worcester, Mass.
On the morning of November
21, a Solemn Pontifical Mass
was offered for Religious by
Cardinal McIntyre. Archbishop
Karl J. Alter of Cincinnati
delivered the sermon.
Cardinal O’Hara presided at
an afternoon Mass for the
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laity on November 22. Bishop
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at which Bishop Charles P.
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preached.
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Services For
Mrs. Annie Thomas
ATLANTA—Funeral services
for Mrs. Annie Duncan Thomas,
were held November 3rd at the
Sacred Heart Church, Rev. John
Emmerth officiating.
Survivors are a son, C. D.
Thomas of Atlanta.
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George W. Marchman, Jr., Catholic Funeral Director
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