Liturgy Closes Sesquicentennial

There came a moment during the vespers service that closed the Diocesan Sesquicentennial Dec. 7 when the hundreds of Catholics in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany began to look around at one another, sensing they were part of something special: an experience of deep and shared holiness.

That moment came when a thousand candles were held by the congregation, the lights in the church were dimmed, the magnificent stained glass windows were illuminated from outside and a hymn hung overhead.

It was a moment that summarized the year-long celebration of the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Diocese, a celebration described by Bishop Howard J. Hubbard in his homily as "a time of grace."

Throughout the 100-minute service, an air of parting with the glories of the diocesan past mingled with an atmosphere of expectant welcome for the challenges in the Church's future. In his 45-minute homily, the Bishop spoke about that past and how the Diocese had spent 12 months celebrating it in a variety of ways. Then he called the assembly to contribute its part to the progress of the Faith in the coming millennium.

The service at the Cathedral included a microcosm of the diocesan Church as the African rhythms of Black Catholic musicians and dancers mixed with classical music by Mendelssohn and familiar hymns like "Immaculate Mary." Among the hundreds in attendance were babes in arms, teenagers and young adults, those in their middle years and senior citizens.

At the end of the liturgy, three blessings were offered: The congregation blessed the Bishop and then joined him in blessing parish and diocesan leaders; then it was the congregation's turn to be blessed by the leadership.

The vespers included passages from the Gospels, several songs and many prayers. But it was the lighting of the candles that formed the centerpiece. Each person had been given a candle upon entering, and the Bishop processed down the middle aisle of the Cathedral, lighting candles randomly from the Sesquicentennial candle that had been lit during the opening service a year earlier. The people holding the candles he lit then passed the flame to others in their pews until the entire church was aglow with soft yellow light.

When the artificial lights of the Cathedral were extinguished and searchlights outside the building illuminated its many stained glass windows, the effect was breath-taking, and the lesson was clear: The literal lights in the Cathedral were to become the figurative lights of the world called for by Jesus.

(CLICK HERE for the complete text of the Bishop's homily. The full text also appears as part of The Evangelist's 12-page coverage of the closing liturgy, and it begins on page 9 in this week's issue.)

(12-11-97) [[In-content Ad]]