April 3, 2005

The Liturgy celebrates "this Easter Season" until Ascension Day. So I may still wish you a Happy Easter. It was a profound joy at the Easter Vigil to greet the new catechumens as they were baptized in the various languages of their origin, for they came from many races and speak many tongues, as do our parishioners. I bear in mind lines of G. K. Chesterton, that "the Catholic Church is too universal to be merely international." The Church exists on earth, in Purgatory, and in Heaven.

This Easter has been the grandest and most glorious in memory. During Holy Week confessions were heard for very many hours non-stop and several confessionals were in use simultaneously. Even with closed-circuit television in the undercroft, people were standing in the church and out on to the street. It seemed to be right to deny the request of the media networks to televise this, for worship is not a spectacle, but it was gratifying that many were aware of the phenomenon of the devotion of our people. We pray that those who made their first Profession of Faith and joined the Catholic Church will prosper as fruitful disciples of the grace they have received. The Easter offerings were the most generous in the history of the parish and will enable us to further our work to promote the Gospel and help the needs of the poor more than ever.

At 4 A.M. on Easter Tuesday the new organ arrived. This has involved nearly a year of legal and financial work as well as the best classical craftsmanship. For two weeks we will be slightly inconvenienced during the installation and then for the rest of the month the great instrument will be voiced. God willing, the dedication will be at 6 P.M. on Ascension Day as a fitting part of our Fiftieth Anniversary year and all are invited to celebrate. Those who attend the morning weekday Masses are using the undercroft, which was used as our church for two years while the upstairs was being completed. Our undercroft is more beautiful than many churches and, as part of our Restoration Program, I hope that the latest acoustical and lighting techniques will enhance the architectural splendor of this space for future social use.

This week there are baptisms, funerals, and weddings. Anne DeGregory went to the Lord on Holy Tuesday and as funeral Masses are not permitted in the Sacred Triduum, her Requiem was celebrated on Easter Friday. For many years Anne directed our lectors and in her final illness she gracefully provided for successors to continue the work she so faithfully did. Thanks to all the departed souls who have brought the parish to this point, and to all those staff and volunteers who in their several capacities helped in this holiest of seasons.

Christus resurrexit. Vere resurrexit.

Fr. George W. Rutler