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Contents Sou ☆ Diocese of Savannah ☆ hem Ooss News 1-3 Commentary 4-5 Around the Diocese 6-7 Faith Alive 1 8-9 Notices 10-11 Last But Not Least 12 Vol. 79, No. 34 $.50 PER ISSUE Thursday, October 7,1999 A “real bang” celebrates renovated facade Fireworks light up the sky over Saint Peter's Basilica in an unusual display in Vatican City September 30. The celebration marked the completion of a high-tech restoration of the facade, which was blessed by Pope John Paul II during the ceremony. By Father John J. Lyons Rome or most of past two years visitors to Rome often returned with photographs that had people ask ing “What is going on with the exterior of St. Peter's Basilica and why is it all covered over?” The answer can now not only be known but seen. All of the scaffolding and drapes are down revealing a newly renovated facade. The piazza, designed for Saint Peter’s Basilica in 1656, remains Bernini’s most eloquent masterpiece and now citizens and tourists can enjoy a newly cleaned and renovated facade. On September 30, citizens and pilgrims who were eager to get into the Jubilee spirit had their chance as Pope John Paul II blessed the newly renovated facade. Although the upcoming Holy Year kicks off this Christmas Eve, I was fortunate to be among the tens of thousands who were present as the Holy Father blessed the completed restoration project. Was the project worth the millions of dollars and the efforts of hundreds of skilled technicians, restor ers, architects, engineers, researchers and experts who worked on the project for two and a half years? In this case seeing is definitely believing! There is no doubt that the authentic and renewed facade of the Vatican Basilica has been restored to new life, ready for the great Jubilee leading the way into the third Millennium. Naturally as this two and a half year project came to an end there had to be a celebration. As citizens and tourists gathered on September 30, we were pre sented a video on large video screens that were placed throughout Saint Peter’s Square. Although the video was in Italian and my knowledge of the language is limited, almost everyone could follow as the presentation traced the many months of labor needed for such an undertaking. At the conclusion of the video Pope John Paul II rode into the Square and was enthusiastically welcomed by the crowd. He arrived and was seated for his remarks and bless ing. As the Holy Father concluded his remarks in Italian he walked into the front of the crowd to meet (Continued on page 11)