Newspaper Page Text
Contents
The *
Sou
Diocese of
Savannah
n
hern
(Jross
Vol. 79, No. 12
Thursday, March 25,1999
$.50 PER ISSUE
News -2-3
Commentary 4-5
Around the Diocese .. 6-7
Faith Alive! 8-9
Notices 10-11
Last But Not Least ... 12
Challenge for peace offered at Mass
By Audrey D. McCombs
Savannah
F or worshiper Mary Jones Ryan, the Saint
Patrick’s Day Mass gives meaning to all the
festivities honoring Saint Patrick. She’s not
missed one in her 64 years.
“The Mass is what it’s all about to the
Catholics,” said Ryan, dressed from head to toe
in green.
“It’s in our family to go to the Saint Patrick’s
Day Mass and parade. My father took me to the
parade when I was little and my husband took
our children to the parade when they were little
and now our grandchildren go with us.”
Her granddaughter, Caroline Crider, was one of
the young Irish dancers in the March 17 parade.
The parade and Mass were even more special
to Ryan because her uncle. Bishop Andrew J.
McDonald, 75, head of the Diocese of Little
Rock, Arkansas, is “doing fine” after heart
surgery in January, she said, and was present at
Wednesday’s Mass.
Bishop Robert Nugent Lynch, bishop of the
Diocese of Saint Petersburg, Florida, was a con-
celebrant of the Mass with Bishop McDonald
and Savannah Bishop J. Kevin Boland.
Before the Mass began, the choir sang from a
loft above the entryway. People stood and
clapped as Parade Grand Marshal H.G. “Harry”
Deal and his wife, Ann, entered the cathedral.
The Irish National Anthem was sung, as was
“Faith of Our Fathers.” During certain parts of
the Mass, violin pieces of Irish music were
played.
In his homily, Lynch gave the more than 1,100
gathered to celebrate the Mass at the Cathedral of
Saint John the Baptist three key points to build
upon in their lives.
In thinking about Ireland and the struggles there
and those in everyday society, Bishop Lynch urged
worshipers to work for peace.
“In Ireland, a critical moment in the peace
process which holds such great hope is fast
approaching,” Bishop Lynch said, recalling how
Saint Patrick, saint of all Ireland, north and
south, willingly returned to the people who
enslaved him, forgiving them and bringing the
peace of Christ to them.
“The work of peace is not confined to nations
and political parties. It begins in the lives of indi-
(Continued on page 3)
Bishop Robert N. Lynch delivers the
homily at the Saint Patrick's Day Mass.
More photos on page 7.
A towering task:
Cathedral undergoing work; main sanctuary to close until 2000
By Bob Mathews
Savannah
or more than 100 years, the Cathedral of Saint
John the Baptist has been the centerpiece of
Catholic life and worship in Savannah.
Generations of families have said their final good
byes to loved ones at the cathedral or experienced
the happiness of seeing their children go through
graduation ceremonies there. They have had the joy
of receiving the sacraments of baptism, reconcilia
tion, Holy Communion, confirmation or marriage.
And thousands of people throughout the years
have attended the traditional Saint Patrick’s Day
and Christmas Eve Masses at the cathedral. But at
11:30 a.m. on May 30, the final Mass of 1999 will
be celebrated in the main sanctuary of Savannah’s
historic cathedral.
In addition, “We won’t have Saint Patrick’s Day
(at the cathedral) in 2000. We won’t have Saint
Vincent’s Academy’s graduation in 2000. We won’t
have any weddings after the first of June upstairs,”
said Father William O’Neill, rector of the Cathe
dral. That’s because the towering structure at Aber-
corn and Harris streets will be undergoing a much-
needed $5.3 million restoration through approxi
mately July 2000.
For parishioners, the building is certainly revered,
but the worship is what really counts. “We don’t
come to worship the (stained-glass) windows, we
come to worship God,” said Jeff Morris, as he, his
wife and children left the noon Mass at the cathe
dral on Thursday. “Jesus is here all the time for us.
It’s nice to have Mass in the cathedral, but it’s the
Mass that’s important.”
And while Josephine Doyle agrees, she added, “I
just hate to see it close.” That doesn’t mean howev
er, that no Masses will be celebrated at the Cathe
dral during the restoration period. After May 30, the
sacraments will be administered in the lower
chapel, called “Our Lady’s Chapel.”
And while the sacrifice parishioners and others
are making in giving up the main area of the church
is demanding, it will be well worth it. They know
that when the work is finished and the Cathedral
restored, they, and generations to come, will have a
lovely place to worship and praise God.
Father O’Neill said that on May 30 there will be a
“simple ceremony,” wherein the consecrated Host,
the body of Christ, will be transferred to Our
Lady’s Chapel. And while the main sanctuary seats
up to 1,000, the lower chapel seats 400 easily,
Father O’Neill said, adding that “there is so much
space at the back of the pews, I feel by bringing in
chairs I can put in 500.
“I’m going to try for a few Sundays our regular
schedule of Masses,” he said, “and if it turns out
that there’s not enough room for all the people, I’ll
add an extra service. “Life will go on here as
usual,” he said. “People will die, they will be bap
tized and they will live. We will just b>; working out
of a different church.
“Some people are under the impression that I am
going to be on vacation for a year. That’s not so. I’ll
be out there to watch what’s happening."
Historic preservationists, meanwhile, are thrilled
with the efforts. “It (the cathedral) is one of the
most important buildings in Savannah. It’s absolute
ly so gratifying to see the Catholic population in
Savannah taking such pride in its restoration," said
Mark C. McDonald, executive director of the His
toric Savannah Foundation.
(Continued on page 2)
Jonas N. Jordan