The Solemnity of the (Re) Dedication of The Cathedral of the Madeleine

Today at The Cathedral of the Madeleine, the parish I am privileged to serve as a deacon, is a Solemnity because it was on this day back in 1993 that the Cathedral was rededicated after two years of renovation. Over on our parish blog, Gregory Glenn, our Director of Liturgy and Music, who was instrumental in the renovation and who planned the re-dedication liturgy, as well as founding, along with Msgr. M. Francis Mannion, then the rector, our Madeleine Choir School, has been documenting this week's build up to today's noon Mass.

Next year we will mark the centennial of our lovely lady. Mr. Glenn posted a picture yesterday of the Cathedral as it was nearing completion in 1908, taken one hundred years ago yesterday. I am excited to see the contents of the time capsule, which we put on display. I have to admit being a little nervous this morning due to the 6.0 Richter scale earthquake just west of us this morning in Nevada, which was centered 11 miles southeast of Wells near the Nevada-Utah line, according to the Associated Press. For those of us who are life-long residents of the Intermountain West, we know that earthquakes release pressure off of fault lines, which is a good thing. Better slight shifts than sudden, massive ones.

Bishop Lawrence Scanlan
Please keep us, the people of St. Mary Magdalene, in your prayers today. If you feel so inclined, in addition to asking for your prayers, we can also assist you in making good on pledges of Lenten almsgiving by making a secure electronic donation to the Cathedral. I assure you that none of it goes to the Deacon Retirement Fund and it is, of course, tax deductible.

It always bears mentioning that our lovely Cathedral is largely the result of the efforts and dedication of one man, Bishop Lawrence Scanlan, our founding bishop. Bishop Scanlan, as per his wishes, is entombed beneath the old main altar of the Cathedral. I am always reminded of Bishop Scanlan's dedication, love, and determination by our Vicar General, a native Utahn and, like our pioneer bishop, also an Irishman, Msgr. Fitzgerald. Bishop Joseph S. Glass, CM, who succeeded Bishop Scanlan, is the man responsible for the interior grandeur of the Madeleine and for re-naming it the Cathedral the Madeleine, which is simply French for the original name, The Cathedral of St. Mary Magdalene.

I also want to post the link to the entire article Ron Yengitch (sic): Why We Defend the Guilty, by Barbara Stinson Lee. I have also made the update to my original post, Making justice our aim.

St. Mary Magdalene- pray for us.