Celebrating a Mass of Thanksgiving for the Archdiocese of Washington’s 75th anniversary, Cardinal Donald Wuerl compared the story of its journey of faith to a pilgrimage, stretching 2,000 years ago to Jesus and his disciples, and ultimately pointing to heaven.

“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,” the cardinal said at the Sept. 21 Mass at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington.

In his homily, the cardinal said that Jesus asks today’s disciples what he asked the first disciples, to be his witnesses and to manifest the kingdom of God in the world.

Cardinal Wuerl noted that the 75th anniversary year for the Archdiocese of Washington has been a time to retrace the roots of faith of Catholicism in this area, and to examine present and future challenges and opportunities in living and sharing the faith.

This summer, he celebrated Mass at St. Clement’s Island in Southern Maryland, near the spot where Jesuit Father Andrew White celebrated the first Mass in the English-speaking colonies in 1634 for settlers arriving on the ships the Ark and the Dove. That same weekend, the cardinal celebrated Mass at the reconstructed Brick Chapel in Historic St. Mary’s City, built at the site of a 1667 chapel, that stands today as a symbol of Maryland’s status as the birthplace of religious freedom in what would become the United States of America. The cardinal praised the faith of those first colonists, and their dedication to the principle of religious toleration and freedom of conscience established there by Lord Baltimore, who was Catholic, and codified in the Maryland Toleration Act of 1649.

“All of us, as spiritual descendants of these intrepid women and men, can rejoice and take pride in their vision, courage and faith,” the cardinal said.

Displayed near the altar at the 75th anniversary Mass was Pope Pius XII’s papal bull establishing the Archdiocese of Washington in 1939. The archdiocese originally included only the city of Washington, but eight years later it was expanded to include the five surrounding counties of Maryland, including St. Mary’s, Charles and Calvert counties in Southern Maryland, and Prince George’s and Montgomery counties bordering the nation’s capital.

This spring, Cardinal Wuerl also celebrated a Mass and led a Eucharistic procession to the Chapel on the Hill at Sacred Heart Parish in Bowie, where 225 years ago in 1789, Jesuit Father John Carroll was nominated to become the nation’s first Catholic bishop. Bishop Carroll headed the Diocese of Baltimore, which at that time contained all 13 original states, and included the territory which later became the Archdiocese of Washington.

“Our journey of faith has been a long one. From Jerusalem to Rome to England to Southern Maryland to Baltimore to this cathedral we trace our steps – the pathway of faith,” Cardinal Wuerl said. “While our portion of this lengthy pilgrimage is relatively short – we are only 75 years old – it is equally and fully a part of this grand march of faith that manifests God’s kingdom now and someday will glory in its fullness in the eternal realm of heaven.”

The anniversary year, he added, also provided an “opportunity to look forward as we renew our mission and ministry.” Central to that effort, he said, was the first Archdiocesan Synod that he convoked on Pentecost Sunday. Following a widespread consultative effort, 200 Synod participants including lay women and men, religious, deacons and priests from all parts of the archdiocese offered recommendations for future outreach in the key areas of worship, education, community, service, and administration and stewardship, and related statutes were promulgated. The cardinal said the Synod offered a “moment of grace” to build a better Church for the future, as local Catholics carry out the call of the New Evangelization – to deepen their faith and share it with others.

Cardinal Wuerl also praised how Catholics in the Archdiocese of Washington have witnessed to their faith. “Throughout these 75 years, our Catholic family of faith has made a significant impact on our community, manifesting God’s kingdom of truth and life, justice, love and peace. We have prayed and worked for justice by marching for civil rights and for the right to life, supporting programs for the homeless and the poor, advocating for newly arrived immigrants, and expanding housing for the elderly and ministries to people with special needs.”

Building on that heritage, the Archdiocese of Washington’s pilgrimage of faith and love continues, as today’s Catholics continue that work of manifesting God’s kingdom in the world, the cardinal said.

About 20 priests concelebrated the Mass, along with Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, archbishop emeritus of Washington; Archbishop Timothy Broglio of the Military Archdiocese of the United States; and Washington Auxiliary Bishops Martin Holley and Barry Knestout.

At the end of the 75th anniversary Mass, Cardinal Wuerl presented Cardinal’s Awards to local Catholics and to the cathedral for outstanding service to the Church. (See sidebar story.) One of the recipients, Jane Belford, retired this past December after serving as the first lay chancellor of the Archdiocese of Washington. Belford said she accepted the award on behalf of those in the archdiocese who are “living the Gospel and sharing the love of Christ with others.”

“It’s amazing to me how much this Church has done to care for the poor and vulnerable, to provide Catholic education, and to spread the Good News of the Gospel,” she said.

Jim Bishop, the director of Catholic Charities’ Legal Network for the Archdiocese of Washington, also received the Cardinal’s Award. For 20 years, he has led the network of about 700 volunteer lawyers and 60 participating law firms, who annually provide about $2 million in legal services for the poor. The award, he said, is a reminder of how he feels called by Christ to “continue to help those living on the edge, to get access to pro bono legal services” through the Legal Network.

W. Shepherdson and Kathryn Abell were among the husband and wife recipients of the Cardinal’s Award. Shep Abell, a partner in the law firm of Furey, Doolan & Abell, is a longtime volunteer at the Gift of Peace convent, where Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity sisters care for people with AIDS, and for the sick and poor. Kathryn Abell volunteers with her husband on the Order of Malta’s pilgrimages to Lourdes for people with serious illnesses, and she has also served on the board of Holy Family Hospital in Bethlehem.

“The outreach we (in the archdiocese) do to people in need, whatever their religion, their background, we meet their needs, and we find some ways to make their lives better, to instill greater faith in them, and to make them part of our Catholic family,” she said.