|
By Erika Anderson, Staff Writer
ATLANTA—In a spirit of brotherhood and service, Archbishop
John F. Donoghue joined the priests from the archdiocese on Tuesday of Holy
Week to bless the oils used for the administration of the sacraments and renew
the priestly vows made at ordination.
Nearly 150 priests from all corners of the archdiocese attended
the Chrism Mass April 18 at the Cathedral of Christ the King.
As the congregation, which consisted of lay Catholics and many
Religious, sang “Laudate Dominum,” archdiocesan as well as Religious
order priests assigned to the archdiocese joined the archbishop and Dom Bernard
Johnson, OCSO, abbot of the Monastery of the Holy Spirit, as the priests
processed into the church, two by two. Many priests, anxious to see one
another, greeted their brother priests with a wave or a hug.
Deacon Whitney Robichaux and Deacon Ray Egan served at the Mass,
as well as Rev. Mr. Robert Frederick, soon to be ordained to the priesthood,
who proclaimed the Gospel. Archdiocesan seminarians assisted with the Mass.
In his homily, the archbishop spoke of the beauty and importance
of the Chrism Mass.
“For the seventh year, God has brought me to this moment, of
standing before you at this Chrism Mass—a moment wherein all the
solemnity, the seriousness, the truth about our priesthood—individual and
collective—is presented—before the appraising gaze of the Lord Jesus
Christ,” he said. “For He is our chief priest, and He measures us,
even as He uplifts us with His love, giving us the most rewarding of labors,
the forgiveness of sins, and the consecration of His Body and Blood.”
“And because he has linked these sacramental labors to the
service of His Faithful people, in whom we see the true face of Faith, it is
not amiss on this day, that we measure ourselves, and see how we stand up
against what He asks, and having received our promise, what He requires.”
The archbishop encouraged the priests to continuously work in
Christ’s name and to prepare the people for “the reality which awaits
us all, the coming of our own end, and the coming of the end of all
time...” because that is a priest’s most important service.
“This proposition is easy enough to formulate and recall, but
our lives are so complicated, that I fear that we often forget the importance
of this theme, and that because of the profusion of projects and endeavors
which fill our daily lives, we sometimes forget to preach the first reason for
obtaining grace,” he said. “The celebration of the Eucharist can
become the smallest duty of the day, its Light confined to the single hour in
which it is celebrated, its Presence clouded more by our busy distractions,
than it ever was by tabernacle or veil.”
“And the granting of Penance and Absolution, to penitents who
should be encouraged to seek this Sacrament’s grace, suffers even more
from the immense preoccupations of our modern priestly lives,” the
archbishop continued. “And with these distractions sore about us, it is
even sadder that so many have abandoned what formerly kept our minds and hearts
centered on the true message, the recitation of the Church’s daily
prayer.”
Though daily life can be difficult and trying, the archbishop
encouraged the priests to seek the strength of Christ and to persist even when
faced with despair.
“...We have come here to promise God, to promise the Lord,
our Chief Priest and truest friend, that we are now going to try to do it all
better, as His years unfold—this year, and whatever years are left to
us-to see and to hear and to touch, with the eyes, ears and hands of His
perfect compassion, all things which seek His perfect healing,” he said.
“And we are here to make this same promise to the people we serve, the
Lord’s Faithful People, who have joined us at the special Mass, and whose
place in the Church is solemnized by the oils we consecrate today, oils used
for their anointing, as a priestly people, a people baptized and confirmed in
holiness, and worthy of all our service.”
“This promise we make is not now, nor will it ever be easy to
keep and fulfill—the struggle is life-long, and the priesthood is
life-long,” the archbishop said. “But there is reason enough for us
to persist, and that is what we intend to do, beseeching God for His help, and
uniting our entire wills, in purity, poverty and obedience to the will of His
Holy Spirit.”
Following the homily, the priests stood and renewed their
commitment to the priesthood and their bishop. The resounding words “I
am” filled the Cathedral as the priests responded to the archbishop’s
questions of whether they were committed to serve their brothers and sisters in
Christ.
The archbishop also asked the congregation to pray for him and for
the other priests. The congregation responded “Lord Jesus Christ, hear us
and answer our prayer.”
The procession of the oils followed as three large silver urns
containing the oil of the catechumens, the oil of the sick and the chrism were
brought to the altar.
The archbishop first blessed the oil of the sick, used in the
sacrament of anointing to bring comfort and healing, and then the oil of the
catechumens, used to prepare them for baptism. Lastly, he prepared, consecrated
and blessed the chrism, which is used to anoint the newly baptized, seal
candidates for confirmation and anoint the hands of priests at ordination. It
is also used to anoint and dedicate new churches and altars.
The many priests then joined the archbishop in the sanctuary,
filling it to capacity for the Liturgy of the Eucharist, their voices joining
to become one.
Music for the Mass was led by the Cathedral of Christ the King
Choir and included works composed by Hamilton Smith, the cathedral’s music
director.
After the Mass, the archbishop hosted a luncheon for priests of
the archdiocese in Christ the King’s Hyland Center.
The Chrism Mass is a meaningful event for many of the priests,
such as Father John Welch, MS, parochial vicar at St. Thomas the Apostle Church
in Smyrna.
“I see the power of God’s love and an outpouring of that
love into weak and human men who love God and who are willing to say yes in
service of the church to others,” he said.
Father Kevin Hargaden, a parochial vicar at St. Joseph’s
Church in Marietta, enjoys getting together with his fellow priests.
“They’re a great group of men,” he said.
“It’s great to see them, to catch up with them, and especially to
join in prayer with them.”
Like Father Hargaden, who was ordained last summer, this is the
first Chrism Mass as a priest for Father Jack Durkin, parochial vicar at St.
John Neumann Church in Lilburn, who was ordained last June.
“It’s beautiful,” Father Durkin said.
“It’s great when everyone comes out because you see the incredible
diversity in the priesthood and you really see the universality of the
church.”
“It makes you realize that that’s what happens every
day, not only in our archdiocese, but around the world,” he said.
“Our voices are united as one.”
OIL BLESSING--Archbishop John F. Donoghue blesses the oils of the
sick and catechumens and consecrates the chrism, to be used by parishes
throughout the archdiocese during the April 18 Chrism Mass at the Cathedral of
Christ the King, Atlanta. (Photos by Michael Alexander)
A MULTITUDE OF CLERGY--Archbishop John F. Donoghue welcomes the
large number of priests in attendance for the Jubilee Year Chrism Mass to join
him on the altar for the Liturgy of the Eucharist |
