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A special
day for our Local Church
PRAISED BE JESUS
CHRIST!
(Now and Forever)
Last year at this time, I was privileged to lead a pilgrimage to Italy
for the canonization of St. Theodore Guerin. Her feast day is Oct. 3. I
will be celebrating Mass with the students and staff of St. Theodore
Guerin High School in Noblesville.
Since becoming diocesan bishop in 1984, there have been many privileged
moments in my life. Concelebrating Mass at the papal altar with Pope
John Paul II at the beatification of Theodore Guerin in 1998 and then
with Benedict XVI when she was canonized ranks near the top of the list.
Never did I dream when I was ordained a priest that someday I would
participate in a canonization Mass.
St. Theodore Guerin is just the seventh “person” from the United States
to be canonized. Two of these seven were native born. The others
migrated from Europe, coming to North America as missionaries. They are:
• The eight North American Jesuit martyrs, whose feast day is celebrated
on Oct. 19 as the memorial of St. Isaac Jogues, John de Brebeuf and
their companions. French born, six of these eight were priests. One was
a lay brother and one a lay volunteer. Three were martyred in what today
is New York State. The others were martyred in Canada.
• St. Francis Xavier Cabrini, whose feast is Nov. 13. She was an Italian
immigrant who came to America in 1889 and became a U.S. citizen in 1909.
She founded more than 50 convents.
• St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, whose feast is Jan. 4, a convert to
Catholicism, who was American born.
• St. John Nepomuecene Neumann, fourth bishop of Philadelphia and a
missionary from Bohemia, canonized in 1977. His feast day is Jan. 5.
• St. Rose Philippine Duchesne, who migrated from France and worked
among Native Americans. Her feast day is Nov. 18.
• St. Katharine Drexel, American born, who established more than 60
schools for Native American and African-American children. Her feast is
March 3.
The road to canonization is a meticulous one. The first step takes place
at the diocesan level and requires that the candidate for sainthood be
declared a “servant of God.” Simon Brute, the first bishop of Vincennes
(which included the entire state of Indiana) currently is the only
Hoosier recognized as a “servant of God.” Once the “cause” (as it is
termed) is transferred to the Sacred Congregation for the Causes of
Saints in Rome, intensive scrutiny of writings and the establishment of
heroic virtue must be completed before that individual is identified as
“venerable.” A miracle (certified by medical experts as beyond
scientific explanation and spontaneous) must then be accepted by the
Sacred Congregation for the Causes of Saints before the candidate for
sainthood is declared “blessed.” After beatification, a second miracle
is required before canonization.
All this raises a question: Did Mother Theodore Guerin look upon herself
as holy? If I may be so bold, I don’t think that entered her mind. Holy
people don’t think in those terms. Quite the opposite. They have a
heightened sense of sin and of their unworthiness to stand before the
holiness of God.
The media recently made a great to-do about Mother Teresa of Calcutta
and the doubts of faith, even of God, which are revealed in her
writings. Some concluded she was a troubled and miserable fanatic (an
insulting reflection by Christopher Hitchens in Newsweek), while
others wanted to know if revelation of the doubts would eliminate
canonization.
There is no hint that Anne Therese (Mother Theodore) Guerin suffered the
doubts that plagued Mother Teresa. (One could add St. Therese of Lisieux
to those who have felt abandoned by God, as well as Jesus who on the
cross moments before his death cried out, “My God, my God, why have you
forsaken me?”) Perhaps there were sustained doubts, perhaps not. Yet,
for Mother Theodore there were years of heart-wrenching sorrow and
soul-wearying trials. Her life was far from easy.
The point is that both women were faithful. Whether they experienced
doubts has no bearing on the reality that they were women of heroic
virtue and exceptional holiness.
I recently was asked to talk about the highlight of last year’s
canonization pilgrimage to Italy. There was surprise when I didn’t point
to the canonization itself. Rather I responded it was time spent in a
little place on the Adriatic side of Italy called Lanciano. It is the
site of a Eucharistic miracle that dates back to the eighth century. A
priest had serious doubts about the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the
Blessed Sacrament. (This was before the explanation of
transubstantiation given by St. Thomas Aquinas.) The priest begged God
to remove his doubts. One day while celebrating Mass, the host in his
hands turned to human flesh and the consecrated wine to human blood.
Needless to say, he never doubted again.
Mythology, the skeptic would say. Not so if you have an opportunity to
study the extensive scientific evidence. It is persuasive.
As Mass was celebrated in Lanciano, the little congregation from Indiana
faced the relics. It was a special moment, especially after receiving
holy Communion, when each person had an opportunity to step up to the
reliquary.
There is a link to St. Theodore Guerin. She was very devoted to Mass and
the Blessed Sacrament. Her biographer reports that in 1840 when she and
her five companions arrived in what today is St. Mary-of-the-Woods they
had agreed to speak to no one until first visiting the church and the
Blessed Sacrament. They were surprised when they were taken to a little
log cabin, 13 feet wide and 15 feet long, and told that was the
“church.” It was in less than good repair. And, there was no tabernacle.
That was soon remedied. Theodore Guerin was to spend many hours before
the Blessed Sacrament during the 16 years God gave her here in our
Hoosier State.
We are so privileged to have ready access to Mass and the Blessed
Sacrament. Devotion to Mass and the Blessed Sacrament was part of the
lives of both Mother Teresa of Calcutta and St. Theodore Guerin.
What about us? If a person is truly devoted to Mass and the Blessed
Sacrament, it impacts how they dress when they go to the church, the
reverence with which they approach the Blessed Sacrament, the enthusiasm
they bring to the celebration of the Mass, their fidelity to Mass week
after week. It also nudges that person to look for opportunities to pray
before the Blessed Sacrament.
There is no doubt in my mind that Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, St.
Theodore Guerin and the American saints who preceded St. Theodore would
urge us to treasure that which so often is taken for granted. In their
lives, Mass always was given priority. It was never taken for granted.
The time they spent in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament was the
source of their strength.
When I think of the canonization and Lanciano and the ready access we
have to the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and the Blessed Sacrament here in
Northcentral Indiana, I praise God. |
