Newspaper Page Text
Newspaper Of The Diocese Of Savannah
Vol. 65 No. 29 Thursday, August 22, 198;)
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Cathedral
" ' " ening; Altar Dedication September 15th
PLANTING A TREE — Pope John Paul pages 2 and 3. (NC Photo from UPI-
II waters a tree after planting it in Reuter)
Nairobi’s Uhuru Park Gardens. See stories
Delegations from Catholic churches all over south Georgia will gather
at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist on Sunday, September 15, for the
solemn re-opening of the Cathedral and the dedication of its new altar.
Closed for a year while major repairs were made to stabilize its foun
dations and reinforce its roof, the cathedral is now safe and freshly
redecorated. Steelwork in the steeples has been repaired, cracks in the
walls have been filled in and damaged marble has been replaced. In ad
dition the cathedral now has an elevator for the handicapped, accessible
from Harris Street.
In line with the traditions of the Catholic Church, the re-opening will
be marked with a solemn liturgy, with Archbishops, Bishops and Abbots
from neighboring States participating. The principal celebrant and
homilist will be the Most Reverend Pio Laghi, Apostolic Pro-Nuncio to
the United States.
The Most Reverend Raymond W. Lessard, Bishop of the Diocese of
Savannah, has invited every parish and mission in the 90-county
Diocese to send a delegation to the re-opening. Also invited are local
dignitaries and State legislators.
The solemn liturgy will be preceded by musical preludes beginning at
2:50 p.m. The ceremonies starting at 3:00 p.m. will include the dedica
tion of a new altar, with the traditional rites of blessing, anointing, in-
censation and lighting. Following the liturgy, a reception is planned at
St. Vincent’s Hall.
The event will climax a period of closure for repairs made necessary
by the deterioration of the foundations beneath the bell towers. First
closed in May 1984, the cathedral was not used for liturgical events until
the following May, when 18 men were ordained as permanent deacons.
It has been used during the Summer months for weddings, while regular
Masses have been held in the Chapel of Our Lady below the main
Cathedral building.
A two-million dollar fund drive, launched during the Fall of 1984,
received strong support from Catholics in the diocese, who number
about 57,000. The names of all who contributed, will be presented, in
scribed in a leather-bound ledger, during the ceremonies on September
15.
In honor of the occasion, a concert will be presented by the Savannah
Symphony Orchestra in the Cathedral the day before the ceremony on
Saturday, September 14 at 7:30 p.m. The concert is free and open to the
public.
Diocesan Education Institute Sept. 26-27
Fr. James Hawker
Benedictine Military School, Savannah, will be the loca
tion for the third Diocesan Education Institute, on
September 26 and 27. Participants from all over the Diocese
of Savannah and beyond are invited to attend the Institute,
which will feature multiple workshops, general sessions for
Catholic School teachers and CCD teachers, an evening ses
sion for parents, exhibits and demonstrations.
The keynote speaker will be Rev. James Hawker, Direc
tor of Religious Education, Archdiocese of Boston. Father
Hawker will open the Institute with his presentation entitl
ed “Share the Vision: Live the Story.” He will also give a
workshop on the topic: “Television, the Family and Gospel
Values.”
The goal of the Institute, the third in a biennial series
sponsored by the Catholic Diocese of Savannah, is to help
educators articulate and realize the vision they have as
Catholic teachers. During the Institute, participants will
examine factors, issues and trends shaping society today
and will reflect on the impact these will have in the future.
Sister Judith Coreil, MSC, who is Assistant Director for
Curriculum Development, National Catholic Education
Association, will give a general session for Catholic School
teachers on curriculum assessment. She will also give a
session entitled “Verifying the Vision” in which she will
present an overview of the NCEA plans for accrediting
Catholic schools through a process of self-evaluation. Sr.
Judith will be available during the entire Institute to
discuss the NCEA program for curriculum development,
“Vision and Values.”
Dr. Richard T. Corrado, a veteran Catholic educator who
served as a former Superintendent in three dioceses (New
Orleans, Orlando and Newark) will give two general
presentations. One of his topics, dealing with the manage
ment of time and stress, will be: “Living Time Effectively:
God’s Purpose, Your Plans.”
During a closing Liturgy on Friday, September 27. per
sons celebrating their 25th anniversary of the ministry of
education will be honored.
For full information concerning the Institute, write:
Department of Christian Formation, Grimball Point Road,
Savannah, Ga. 31406., or call (912) 238-2346.
Workshop Listings, Program -- Pg. 2