Cathedral a 'living testament'

Rev. William Pape said that when he was appointed rector of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in 1994, Rev. Leo O'Brien, then vicar general of the Albany Diocese, directed those words to him.

Nearly nine years later, Father Pape readily agrees with that description of his job.

"I really enjoy taking care of this church," he said, referring not only to the building but also to the hundreds of families in the parish.

Multi-tasking

That means he has to balance operating the Cathedral on a diocesan as well as on a parish level. Currently, heavily involved with the Cathedral's restoration process on the diocesan level, he meets with architects, engineers, union representatives, board members and diocesan teams.

On the parish level, there are Masses to celebrate, babies to baptize, marriages to witness, sick to visit and funerals to hold.

Teamwork

"The parishioners are wonderful people," he remarked. "They understand the responsibility that goes along with being a diocesan church. They always respond so beautifully each time they are called upon to fulfill that role.

"When I came here, I found that Msgr. Jones [see separate article] had virtually held this place together. I inherited a wonderful parish family. If it weren't for him, I don't think there would have been a parish left here.

"It is definitely a challenge, but I do enjoy this work. When I came into this parish, I was warmly welcomed by everyone. It really was a blessing to me and a great gift. I have always felt at home."

Dual purpose

"The people here are very flexible, very welcoming," he said. "We maintain our liturgies and our everyday parish life. We have a lot of really fine parish programs -- social service and outreach to the community, a solid religious education program and many active volunteers."

On top of that is the massive restoration of the Cathedral building, a process that will take years to complete.

"This is a great undertaking," he said, "but I look forward to the future, and try to get a vision of this building and this parish -- what it will be like for Catholics 500 or 1,000 years from now.

"I believe that if there is human life on this earth, this Cathedral will still be here. The work we are doing now must be of good quality, and it really is. I believe that if we restore this Cathedral properly, then, in the future, people will bless us for our dedication, just as today we bless those that dreamed of this Cathedral and this Diocese 150 years ago. This is all about stewardship, about faith, about preserving this treasure that has been handed to us."

More than bricks

"It is a place where one can attend a quiet early morning Mass or a great celebration with thousands, a place to sit quietly and pray, or to worship together with others.

"It is not just a building. It is the living testament of a living Church."

(11-14-02) [[In-content Ad]]