On Sunday, September 21, we celebrated the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the Archdiocese of Washington.
Three-quarters of a century ago, Archbishop Michael Curley of Baltimore walked into and across the sanctuary of Saint Matthew the Apostle Cathedral and, in the presence of the Apostolic Delegate, Archbishop Amleto Giovanni Cicognani, proceeded to the chair we see today with his personal coat of arms and took possession of his new responsibilities.
Those few short steps of Archbishop Curley were part of a much longer journey with many markers along the way. We are part of the great pilgrimage that began when Jesus commissioned the Apostles and disciples to go out into the world. “All power in heaven and earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:18-19).
Peter and Paul traveled to Rome, the center of a vast and coherent empire. From there the faith spread to all those lands evangelized by a litany of later day Apostles: Saint Augustine to England, Saint Boniface to Germany, Saints Cyril and Methodius to the Slavic lands as well as Saint Patrick to Ireland, Saint Francis Xavier to India and Matteo Ricci to China. And the list – the litany – can go on and on. These were the markers that were the sign posts for those who then crossed the Atlantic Ocean to reach the New World.
On Sunday, June 29, I had the privilege of celebrating Mass at Saint Clement’s Island, where on March 25, 1634, the first Catholic Mass in the English-speaking colonies was celebrated. When the Ark and the Dove landed in Maryland in 1634, the colonists held a ceremony to take possession of the land and read Lord Baltimore’s instruction aloud which included the first policy of religious tolerance in America. Father Andrew White, S.J. celebrated Mass and afterwards the settlers erected a large cross. Today a 40-foot white cross stands at the southern end of the island honoring the arrival of these brave Catholic colonists and the establishment of religious tolerance in America.
All of us, as spiritual descendants of these intrepid women and men, can rejoice and take pride in their vision, courage and faith.
Now we fast forward to another milestone on our archdiocesan pilgrimage of faith. In 1789 the first bishop for the Catholics in the English speaking colonies was selected. The designation of John Carroll as first Bishop of Baltimore took place in Sacred Heart Chapel in Bowie, Maryland, a part of this archdiocese. Earlier in the spring we commemorated that event that took place 225 years ago because it became a cornerstone of the hierarchy for the United States. In a sense, the Catholic Church in the United States had come of age.
Our celebration of the 75th anniversary, therefore, is not confined to looking back to our history, however inspiring it may be. This anniversary year gives us opportunity to renew our mission and ministry. We are committed to being the heralds of the New Evangelization and the agents of a new Pentecost. The outpouring of the Spirit upon the whole Church happened in a dramatic and visible way on Pentecost. The Church continues to receive that great Pentecostal outpouring of the Spirit. Indeed, our very identity as Christians, as members in communion in the one Body of Christ that is the Church, comes only through the power of the Holy Spirit.
With this and the challenges of our day in mind, participants in the first Synod of the Archdiocese of Washington were asked to assess just exactly how well we, as a Church, are doing and help formulate a plan for the future in light of, among other things, the New Evangelization. The enduring fruit of our long preparation work was a celebration this year of the first Synod.
The outcomes of our Archdiocesan Synod are both tangible and spiritual. Among the spiritual results we must include the many graces and blessings bestowed by God on all those who participated in the entire synodal process. The tangible outcomes include an affirmation of our Catholic faith, directives for future pastoral programs, and statutes promulgated at the closing Mass to guide our common effort.
In the now that is ours, we are challenged to continue along this pilgrimage path of faith and love.
Finally, as we turn our face to the future we can do so with great abiding and serene confidence.
The Holy Spirit is working in our age just as he has in every age. But there is much to do. So we continue to voice the prayer, “Come Holy Spirit,” today and every day, asking that the Spirit empower us as we implement the fruits of the Synod. We pray that we may continue to be a part of a renewal that will ensure for generations yet to come the ability of this Church to manifest the kingdom of God in our world.
As we celebrate our 75th anniversary as an archdiocese, we do so with gratitude for the past, with resolve for the present moment and with confidence as we look to the future.
We are convinced that as God was with those who went before us and on whose shoulders this Church stands, so, too, will God continue to be with us.
