The Roads to Emmaus
I’ve just returned from the lovely Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral during which Archbishop Timothy Dolan was festively installed as the new Pastor of the Catholics of the Archdiocese of New York.
The dominant impression was the personal warmth of the Archbishop and the enthusiasm of the participants in the Liturgy. Significantly, the cloudy morning yielded to a gloriously sunny afternoon.
Rocco posted Archbishop Dolan’s homily before the liturgy had ended. Here is the conclusion:
For three weeks in July, 1992, I was on pilgrimage in Israel. I had a wonderful Franciscan guide who made sure I saw all the sacred places in the Holy Land. The day before I departed, he asked, “Is there anything left you want to see?”
“Yes,” I replied, “I would like to walk the road to Emmaus.”
“That we cannot do,” he told me, “You see, no one really knows where that village of Emmaus actually was, so there is no more road to Emmaus.”
Sensing my disappointment, he remarked, “Maybe that’s part of God’s providence, because we can now make every journey we undertake a walk down the Road to Emmaus.”
My new friends of this great archdiocese, would you join your new pastor on an “adventure in fidelity,” as we turn the Staten Island Expressway, Fifth Avenue, Madison Avenue, Broadway, the FDR, the Major Deegan, and the New York State Thruway into the Road to Emmaus, as we witness a real “miracle on 34th street” and turn that into the road to Emmaus?
For, dare to believe, that:
From Staten Island to Sullivan County
From the Bowery, to the Bronx, to Newburgh,
From White Plains to Poughkeepsie…He is walking right alongside us.
“For why do we look for the living among the dead?”
“For He is risen as He said, alleluia, alleluia!”
“Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, for His mercy endures forever.”
Nice touch! This is your new boss, correct. So, do you need his blessing to continue to teach outside the home archdiocese?
Per common friends of mine and Dolan, this is what they said to expect. They also reminded me that he is orthodox, conservative, and will not go out on a limb. So, would expect the usual party line in terms of issues around same sex marriage, the pending window legislation in NY, abortion, stem cell research, etc. In their words, he does mean to share the journey on the road to Emmaus; but he will not stray too far off that road nor will he allow others to roam.
Fr. Imbelli, I was struck by your comment:
It is indeed a sign of hope that is engendered when the sun shines on us or an event.
Mr. Borst,
I think that “hope” was the “cantus firmus” of the day.
The heart of the homily was that Jesus Christ himself is the foundation of who we are as Church, and his resurrection our true hope.
Many have commented on the personal warmth of the new Archbishop, apparent in how he greets people and thanks them for what they do and who they are. But one of the things I have noticed (picked up by the unforgiving TV cameras) is his attentive involvement as he listens to the readings of the liturgy: yesterday the reading from the Acts of the Apostles in Spanish, and the chanting of the gospel in English. He is caught up in his listening, smiling or nodding “amen” at phrases like “they recognized him in the breaking of the bread.”
Mr. DeHaas, I always identify myself, when writing for Commonweal or America, as “a priest of the Archdiocese of New York.” So it was a particular happiness to be among the New York presbyterate at the cathedral, and to receive the heartfelt recognition from our Archbishop — the “elder brother” who for the first time in my priesthood is younger than I :-)!
As per your last comment, I still cannot get my head around the fact that the President of the US is younger, just barely, than I am. People my age shouldn’t be in charge of anything, in my view.
I guess the next stage will be when I too am older than the Archbishop of NY, which will not happen for a bit, I trust, so guaranteed he’ll be younger than I will be then.
BTW, it is striking (to me, at least) to recall that Cardinal Cooke was, I belive, 48 years old when he was named to the post. He was one of theose men who always looks the same age, more or less, but still, imagine a 48-year-old named to that job. The avergae age of bishops has been rising, though I’m not sure why. But also interesting to realize the Cooke (b. 1921) was younger than Cardinal O’Connor. Leukemia (I believe) took him at the age of 62, or he could have been around a long time. As will Dolan, God willing–perhaps 20 years or so.
Basta. It looked like a fine liturgy, and fine coverage from what I’m reading.
Fr. Imbelli – following in the footsteps of the good Andrew Greeley – “only a priest of the archdiocese of Chicago”….where he has not lived or worked in 30+ years.
Fr. Imbelli, yesterday’s reading from Luke is one of my favorites. Thanks for the copy of Archbishop Dolan’s homily. It was a hopeful sign of what is to come. This probably is a little off topic but this reading from Luke always reminds me of James Alison and the insights and encouragement he gives us from Luke 24:13-35.
http://www.jamesalison.co.uk/texts/eng49.html
And Cardinal Spellman (1939-1967) was just short of fifty was he was named archbishop of New York.
I had the honor and pleasure of working under the great Archbishop of Durban, South Africa, Denis Hurley (1915-2004). He had just turned thirty-one when he was named a bishop in late 1946.
John Page: I met and interviewd Hurley a few times in the 1980s at the height of the apartheid sanctions push etc. I was profoundly impressed.
It seems bishops in “missionary” lands (as the US was until a century ago, I believe) tend to be younger. Maybe there’s a parallel for the modern day US.
Bill: You’re mistaken about Andrew Greeley.
The good Abp is definitely following in the steps of Uncle Fultie whose speaking style he claims to admire. As a kid I was mesmerized by Sheen and, acceptable churchy political statements aside, I would like to see Dolan try the same thing.
Could you imagine “The Timothy Dolan” show on TV these days? Lord have mercy!