Cardinal Timothy Dolan Attends, Gives Homily at Archdiocese of St. Louis’ 200th Anniversary

Cardinal Timothy Dolan Attends, Gives Homily at Archdiocese of St. Louis’ 200th Anniversary By: The Good Newsroom The archbishop emeritus of New York cited both the city’s deep Catholic roots and its namesake St. Louis native Cardinal Timothy Dolan joined Archbishop of St. Louis Mitchell T. Rozanski, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, and thousands of others to mark the 200th anniversary of the Archdiocese of St. Louis on Saturday, July 18, concelebrating the bicentennial Mass and offering the homily at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis. “This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it,” Cardinal Dolan said, speaking from the cathedral’s pulpit. “Here we gather in honor of St. Louis IX, King of France, and in honor of the victorious Christ, the center of our bicentennial celebration. Here we gather to praise God our Father, his Son, our victorious Christ, and the Holy Spirit, the very soul and energy of over 200 years as a diocese here in our beloved St. Louis,” the archbishop emeritus of New York said, quoting words written by late Archbishop of St. Louis John J. Glennon, who oversaw the cathedral’s construction, and are chiseled on its cornerstone. A baseball message for Pope Leo XIV Addressing Archbishop Caccia, he said, “Dear Archbishop Caccia, we sure appreciate your company with us. And would you let Pope Leo know how much we love him, and while you’re at it, would you remind the Holy Father that his home Archdiocese of Chicago is a daughter see of St. Louis. That we’ve given Chicago two of our own priests as bishops. And that our St. Louis Cardinals are a lot better than his Chicago White Sox.” Historically, the St. Louis Cardinals have won 11 World Series titles, compared to the Chicago White Sox’s three. The White Sox are currently in first place of the American League Central division. The Cardinals are in third place in the National League Central division. St. Louis to host Archbishop Sheen’s beatification Cardinal Dolan also mentioned Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, who will be beatified in St. Louis on Sept. 24. “A priest once approached Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, who was so renowned for the number of converts he had instructed. ‘Hey, Bishop Sheen,’ the young priest exclaimed, ‘I’ve only been a priest for a year, and I already got nine converts. Do you have any advice?’ And the soon-to-be blessed Fulton J. Sheen replied, ‘Yes, Father. Quit counting.’” Cardinal Dolan concluded by quoting words that St. Louis the IX said to his son. “’I impart to you every blessing that a loving father might bestow. May the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, our Blessed Mother, and all the saints guard you. May the Lord grant you grace to do his will, so that he may be served and honored, so that after this life we might come to see him, love him, and praise him forever. Amen.’” READ MORE: Cardinal Dolan Named to List of Top 100 People Influencing Jewish Life Attending and concelebrating the Mass with Archbishop Rozanski, Cardinal Dolan, and Archbishop Caccia were the three living Archbishops Emeritus of St Louis: Archbishop Emeritus Robert J. Carlson of St. Louis, Cardinal Raymond L. Burke, and Cardinal Justin F. Rigali. They were joined by Bishop Edward M. Rice of Springfield-Cape Girardeau, Archbishop Mark S. Rivituso of Mobile, Alabama, Archbishop Emeritus George J. Lucas of Omaha, Archbishop Emeritus Joseph F. Naumann of Kansas City, Kansas, Bishop Emeritus Robert W. Finn of Kansas City-St. Joseph, Missouri, and Bishop Emeritus John J. Leibrecht of Springfield-Cape Girardeau, according to The St. Louis Review. The bicentennial Mass took place 200 years to the day after Pope Leo XII established the Diocese of St. Louis. Bishop Joseph Rosati became its first bishop in March 1827. The Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis was begun in 1907 and completed in 1914.