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http://southerncross.diosav.org Vol. 86, No. 36 Thursday, October 19, 2006 $.75 per issue
First annual“Red Mass” celebrated in Cathedral
Savannah
ishop J. Kevin Boland cele
brated the first annual “Red
Mass,” a votive Mass of the Holy
Spirit, for the legal community of
Savannah on October 14 in the
Cathedral of Saint John the
Baptist.
Although Patty Schreck, organist
for the Cathedral for more than 60
years, recalled that the diocese
used to celebrate a Red Mass to
initiate the judicial year, none of
the 73 lawyers in the Catholic
Lawyers’ Guild, established last
year in Savannah, remember those
years. But on October 14, some of
them gathered to pray for justice,
and for the wisdom and guidance
of the Spirit in their hearings and
deliberations.
In his homily, the bishop recalled
the Freedom Riders who demon
strated for civil rights in 1961, two years after he had arrived in this
country as a newly ordained priest. Their appeal to conscience led to
Federal laws, already on the books, finally being implemented for the
protection of African American citizens and the enactment of new laws to
protect the dignity of the human person. Bishop Boland identified the
current legal questions about immigration as significant considerations
that will affect our nation for years to come. He defined the function of
law as defending basic human rights.
Bishop Boland reflected on the
laws of physics that enable human
beings to explore outer space and
even build space stations hundreds
of miles from the earth. He noted
that the Founding Fathers of this
nation recognized the same God who
established the laws of nature as the
source of inalienable human rights.
While he called the “separation of
Church and State” a “healthy institu
tional development of civil law,” the
bishop noted that the nature of the
human person cannot be separated
into civil and religious parts, for the
whole person, body and soul, is
God’s creation. “All law must build
its structures on the nature of man.
As spiritual entities, they are essen
tially God’s agents of love and jus
tice,” the bishop said.
Prayers were offered for all
members of the Courts, elected officials, the police, fire and emergency
personnel.
Father Thomas Healy, pastor of Saint Joseph Parish, Waycross, spoke
at the luncheon held after the Mass. Some years ago, as an attorney, he
initiated a legal clinic in Macon staffed by Mercer Law students. Citing
the prophet Jeremiah, he encouraged the lawyers to be attentive to the
spirituality of their calling.
The Honorable Mary Kathryn Moss, Chief Magistrate, Chatham County
Magistrate Court proclaims the Old Testament reading of Isaiah 11:1-5 to
those gathered in the Cathedral for the October 14 “Red Mass.”
Special Mass to feature 150-voice youth choir
By Jan Schmidt
I n a rare opportunity, Catholics from the South
east are invited to attend a special Mass on
October 22 at 3:00 p.m. at the Cathedral of Saint
John the Baptist, Savannah. Evoking the sounds of
a grand European church, singers from Pueri
Cantores choirs in the dioceses of Savannah and
Charleston will join together to sing as one large
combined choir, singing music spanning 1500
years, from Gregorian Chant through 20th-Cen
tury Church music.
The music for the Mass, celebrated by Bishop J.
Kevin Boland, will be directed by conductor /
composer Mark Thomas, music director at the
Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist in Charleston.
Two of Thomas’ compositions will be included in
the Mass music.
Pueri Cantores, the official student choral or
ganization of the Catholic Church, organizes
regional, national and international liturgies and
events for youth choirs, singers ages 7-18. It cur
rently has 110 member choirs in the United States.
Around the world, 60,000 choristers sing in
Pueri Cantores choirs in 30 countries. Two of the
choirs participating in the Savannah Mass were
among 400 American singers who joined in
singing for a Papal Mass at Saint Peter’s Basilica
last January 1.
Margaret Knapp and Cecilia Langley sing at the
Pueri Cantores Festival and Mass on November
6, 2005, at the Cathedral of Saint John the
Baptist, Savannah.
Catholic Minorcans
and the diocese
-page 3
Dying teen raises over
$65,000 for hospital
—page 6
Aaron Killips ordained
deacon
-page 7
Photo fby Dan Russell.