Newspaper Page Text
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Diocese of
Savannah
hern
(tross
Vol. 80, No. 43
Thursday, December 07, 2000
Renewing the
MIND OF THE
Media
—PAGE 1 I
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Well over a thousand people fill the restored
Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist for the Ses-
quicentennial and Dedication Mass.
Photos by Jonas N. Jordan.
Cathedral dedicated
By Father Douglas K. Clark
unrounded by church and civic digni
taries, his clergy and the religious and
laity of the Diocese of Savannah, Bishop J.
Kevin Boland celebrated a Mass commem
orating the Sesquicentennial of the Diocese
and the Dedication of the restored and
reopened Cathedral of Saint John the
Baptist on November 29.
An honor guard of cadets from Benedic
tine Military School lined the steps, while
representatives from the Cathedral Parish
Council and the contractors, the diocesan
Jubilee Committee, ecumenical guests, two
cardinals, 30 bishops and abbots, 80 priests
and 20 deacons took their places.
As the restored bell rang out two o’clock,
the ceremony began in brilliant sunshine on
the plaza outside the main door. Workers
had finished laying the plaza’s new bricks
only hours before. Walter B. Murphy, III,
of Rives E. Worrell Co., Inc., presented a
book detailing the restoration and the key
to the Cathedral to the bishop. Father Wil
liam O. O’Neill, rector, then explained the
more significant aspects of the restoration.
The procession entered the church to the
strains of “So Many Doors,” composed
especially for the celebration. Mrs. Joseph
C. Schreck was organist, as she had been
50 years ago at the diocese’s centennial cel
ebration. Oliver Douberly conducted the
Millennium Choir assembled for the occa
sion. Members of the Savannah Symphony
Orchestra added instrumental music.
When the bishop reached his chair, he
explained that the Rite of Dedication of a
Church treats the building “as if it were a
person being initiated into Christianity by
baptism (sprinkling of walls and people),
confirmation (anointing of the altar) and
then celebrating the Eucharist for the first
time at the newly dedicated altar.” He then
asked Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua,
Archbishop of Philadelphia, to extend
greetings from his archdiocese, which has
supplied many priests and bishops to
Savannah over the past century and a half.
Cardinal Bevilacqua also read the letter
from the Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop
Gabriel Montalvo, expressing the Holy
Father’s best wishes for the occasion.
Assisted by Deacons Rich Hart, Adam
Kasela and Jacek Szuster, who are sched
uled to be ordained to the priesthood in
June, Bishop Boland, former Savannah
Bishop Raymond W. Lessard and Father
O’Neill sprinkled the people and the
walls with water taken from the new bap
tismal font.
During the Liturgy of the Word, read
ings were proclaimed from 1 Maccabees
(on the rededication of the Temple in
Jerusalem), 1 Corinthians (on the people
(Continued on page 3)
Left: Bishop J. Kevin Boland anoints the new altar with sacred chrism in the most solemn moment of the Rite of Dedi
cation of a Church. Right: New Prelate of Honor, Monsignor William O. O’Neill, rector, shows both surprise and joy.