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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