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Archbishop Brendan M. O'Brien
Archbishop of St. John's
Homily 150th Anniversary Celebration, September 9, 2005
A few weeks ago when I was in Cologne for World Youth Day 2005, I sought out Cardinal Egan, the Archbishop of New York. The object of my conversation with him was to let him know that one of his predecessors had a certain reputation in Newfoundland. Yes, Archbishop Hughes, a 19th century archbishop of New York and a renowned orator in his day, was invited to preach the sermon on the occasion of the consecration of this Basilica, 150 years ago today.
In his sermon, Archbishop Hughes waxed eloquent describing the cathedral as 'one which any city of Europe or of the world would be proud'. He paid tribute to the people who built it "the fishermen of Newfoundland - the hardy sons of toil, possessing little of this world's substance, but unspeakably rich in the inheritance of the Catholic faith"... He emphasized how the Cathedral was a place where the people could make known their petitions to God, listen to the words of eternal life, and find a harbour of perfect rest and tranquillity for their souls, while invoking the divine blessing and protection against the storms and the dangers of the elements that were so much a part of their lives.
I will leave it up to the historians who are taking part in the Symposium which is presently underway to present more thoroughly the motives that led Bishop Fleming to labour so hard to construct this place of worship.
What is clear both then, and ever since, is that the Cathedral-Basilica of St. John the Baptist has always been more than just a building, no matter how impressive. It is a symbol.
A symbol of the faith, dedication and charity: of the people,
A symbol of the pastoral solicitude of the bishops and clergy,
A solid reminder of the commitment of the religious communities:
especially the Presentation Sisters, the Mercy Sisters, and the Christian Brothers who have been so much a part of its life and history.
Along with the members of the Benevolent Irish Society (B.I.S.), both the Presentation Sisters and the Mercy Sisters would have been part of the original festivities in 1855 and part of the life of the archdiocese ever since. So today we celebrate not only the 150th anniversary of the completion of this building but also the fabric of a faith community which it has sheltered and symbolized.
Toward the end of his sermon, Archbishop Hughes added a point which I think is instructive for us today. He remarked that "even this grand edifice solid as it is, will perish" (Hopefully not to soon). He then reminded the congregation of what was truly important "You, dearly beloved brethren, he said, are to be living stones in the everlasting temple which is not reared by human hands".
This is the linkage that we want to make as we go forward from this year of celebration. No matter how grand or noble or historic a church building is, it becomes a museum unless it exists in relationship to a faith community, which gathers there.
This is what St. Paul emphasizes in this evening's reading from 1 Corinthians. Just as a church building is fashioned out of many stones which were brought together and assembled ( in the case of this Cathedral with great difficulty) so the Church, God's people is composed of living stones which form a living temple that is animated by God's life-giving spirit, and built upon the apostles with Christ as the cornerstone.
With respect to the church building, we know the kind of care and maintenance it requires. I am happy to say that this year we have been able to replace the roof on the ambulatories and in case you haven't noticed, the scaffolding on the West tower has finally come down. But there will be on going maintenance and repairs. For this purpose, today the Basilica Foundation is establishing the Bishop Fleming Endowment Fund to help us meet these needs. I thank the members of the Foundation for their generosity and hard work, as well as the members of the Basilica Parish who have done so much under the leadership of Father Ray Earle to beautify the interior.
Yes, the stones of the Cathedral-Basilica have to be cared for and repaired. But what of the living stones, the people of God; if they are neglected they become "rolling stones"? (not the kind that perform in Moncton), but the kind that become detached from their foundation.
Bishop Fleming and Bishop Mullock not only laboured to construct this Cathedral; they laboured to build up the faith community under the cultural, social and political situation of the mid-19th century. Our situation is much different today but nonetheless crucial. We too have great challenges and many obstacles.
Building a church out of people is much more difficult than building a church out of stone. Stones have nothing to say about how they are shaped or where they will be set. Nothing to say about how they will support and be supported. Building blocks simply fulfill the design of the architect and the placement of the worker.
Living stones, however, have everything to say about how they will be part of the living temple, what place they will take, what function they will fulfill. A church made of people can be quite fragile; it may not succumb to hurricanes or fire but can be ravaged by indifference, scandal, and lack of formation.
So tonight, we remember, we celebrate, but we must also think about how we are to go forth.
Let me briefly share four thoughts you might keep in mind:
1. Responsibility: As we go forth there is a need for more members of our Catholic community to accept their baptism as a call to responsibility for the life of the Church. In order to foster this perspective a program has been prepared on stewardship which will be introduced to parishes later this month. This will, I hope, serve to reinforce the positive attitudes that last Fall=s session on Christian Vocation helped to surface.
2. Formation: All of us need opportunities to be fed so that we come to know Christ better and His call to each of us. A good number followed the Scripture Institute this year, what other efforts can we take to form and equip the members of our communities so that they will be informed and enthusiastic about their faith?
3. Solidarity: We need to increase our solidarity and communion. This means to share ministry better among clergy and laity so that we can meet the needs of our time. While being proud of our parish, we need to be open to working with other parishes, to see ourselves as part of the bigger mission of the Church.
A special task of the new Implementation Committee, which will have its first meeting in October, will be to encourage these aspects of the Pastoral Plan.
4. Presence: We need to be present. First, to be present to the many people: children, youth, adults of all ages to invite them to come and see, to be more active members of our parish communities. To do this we have to be there among them. We need to continue to build up our chaplaincy teams, youth activities and pastoral care efforts such as parish bereavement teams so that we are where they are/which means they can question us, benefit from our support and be challenged by our witness. A second kind of presence is our social presence in the community, helping to resolve or at least improve the lives of our fellow citizens in St. John's, those who suffer from poverty and the other social ills which people have to struggle with today.
In mentioning these ways "Of going forth" I want to recognize all that is being done. To thank the priests who are being asked to take on many new responsibilities. To express my appreciation to the many religious and lay members of our parishes who have accepted ministries and work which keep our parish communities functioning as well as they do. May God bless you for your generous service.
And so tonight, as we bring the 150th anniversary to a close
"We remember, we celebrate, we go forth".
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