The Catholic New World: Cardinal's Column, Calendar & Appointments

The dark time of the year has begun, but it is illuminated by family gatherings that lift our spirits and brighten our homes. This week, Thanksgiving will bring families all over the country together to thank God for each other and for our blessings. Christmas with its promise of hope and life will soon follow.

The Catholic family of the Archdiocese of Chicago has already had its reunion with the Festival of Faith at Navy Pier from Oct. 30 to Nov. 2. It surpassed my hopes as an occasion of solidarity, of hope and encouragement for the Archdiocese after what has been a dreary time for the Church in our country. We still have difficulties to face and we need reassurance, but the Festival was a heart-warming reminder that there is a future in the long perspective of the life of the Church, not least in this Archdiocese, and in the perspective of God’s plan of salvation.

That is why I should like to reflect a little on the Festival; if you were there, it will revive happy memories; if not you will enjoy hearing the good news about it.

Perhaps most striking was the atmosphere of delight and joy among people of all ages who were there. A priest who was there said, “I was struck by the friendly peacefulness of the attendees throughout the Festival. Youth Day was particularly powerful.” On the first day of the Festival, thousands of young people came, and one had an experience of youth and the hope it offers in the Church. The young people entered into the whole experience and were forthcoming in their reactions. “It’s cool to be a Catholic” and “I love being Catholic” were comments they made to me and to others. Of course, it did not all happen by chance. The singer and songwriter, Jesse Manibusan, challenged the young people: “You’re Catholic, so what?” He put them on a high and then gently led them to the Mass with an intense participation and reverence. It was as if the young people began to discover that being holy is who they are.

One priest tells how impressed some of the employees at Navy Pier were by the politeness and good behavior of the young people. One of them said, “You can tell they come from Catholic schools—they are so polite, neatly dressed and happy.”

Overwhelmingly, people have told me that at this Festival they came to know the Archdiocese in a new way, that the diversity and variety of the people who make it up is no longer abstract information, but in those four days became a real experience. For those who took part, the Asian Gala and the Noche de Gala were quite special events. The presence of so many persons who are disabled in various ways was highly important—no one was left out. Across many languages, cultures and conditions, Catholic people were together and able to talk and enjoy each other’s company. It was an experience of the whole Church in her unity and diversity. That was accentuated as we celebrated the feasts of All Saints and All Souls. The singing of the Litany of the Saints had special impact since on this occasion it was a list of the patrons of all our parishes, and people were delighted to invoke their parish saint. All parts of the Church were gathered in prayer, including our beloved dead. The words “communion of saints” came alive, those on earth and those who have passed through death, all belonging to one another and to the whole Church. So strong was the sense of participation that the security guards employed at Navy Pier, many not Catholics, were happily joining in the singing and the applause for the various events.

Beyond the hopes of the organizers, the three themes of the weekend—reflect, renew, rejoice—were realized in many ways. The collective impact of the presentations—talks, homilies—was major. Comments were: “I had a sense of the whole faith being presented.” “The full Catholic truth was there for everyone.” “The Gospel was not short-changed.” It was a valuable opportunity for me to speak very directly to a lot of people, including the youth, as well as to meet very many informally as I went about the pier during the four days.

There was nothing purely self-congratulatory about the occasion, even though it was a powerful affirmation of Catholic identity. As Professor Mary Ann Glendon reminded us in the talk she sent but was unable to present [reprinted beginning on Page 15 of this issue of The Catholic New World], it was a healthy moment of pride in being Catholic. At the same time, at many levels, a challenge to do better was sounded, a call to the conversion that is a continuing part of being a disciple of Jesus Christ; it was a call to become the Catholics we are baptized to be. “It was a challenge to change,” someone said to me. Numbers of people told me they felt the need to begin doing some things differently. Several people made known they plan to become Catholics; some who had been inactive Catholics said the Festival gave them courage to want to come back to the faith.

A packed program of talks, especially the keynotes by Jeff Cavins of Starboard Radio, Father Bryan Massingale of Milwaukee, Archbishop Jozef Zycinski of Lublin and our own Bishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller, all gave a powerful inducement for Chicago Catholics to face with new courage the problems of the Church in the secular society of the United States. “It made me realize that being Catholic has to win out over being American,” said one listener. Many grasped that some things in our lives and the way we are Catholic need to change. “As Catholics there are some things we need to un-learn—for instance the pragmatism that weakens the practice of our faith.”

This self-criticism was positive and hopeful, because the Festival stimulated the will to witness to the faith. One experienced the Catholic potential, a sense of what we have as Catholics that we must share with others. “We cannot stay hidden as Catholics; we have to come out into the open.” The Festival was like a deepened remembering of who we are, where we have come from. It was a new challenge to relate to the world of today. Someone said, “It made it seem we could make a difference in the world because we are Catholics.”

Among the unforeseen bonuses was the personal encounter that marked the weekend. People felt like part of the one Catholic family. No one was a stranger, whether old friends or the people who just happened to sit next to each other. This was helped by the presence of so many priests and religious who generously spent a great deal of time there, available and ready to talk. The many exhibition stalls, including those of archdiocesan organizations, of Catholic universities and religious communities provided a focus for people to be together as well as to get to know the local church. Of particular note was the open session with the auxiliary bishops who head the six vicariates. People felt they were informed, listened to and given good responses as well as having the opportunity to speak informally with the bishops who were present throughout the weekend.

The Masses each day in the great assembly hall brought everything in the Festival together in the action of the Eucharist. Here again the rich diversity of the Church in Chicago was evident and celebrated. On the Sunday, the concluding Mass was a great act of gratitude for the whole Festival, as we Catholic people of Cook and Lake counties gathered in faith to worship God.

This Festival was full of promise for the future. I am ready to be convinced that it should take place again in two or three years’ time. Already those who organized it so well and successfully have begun a process of reflection and evaluation with a view to offering me plans for the next Festival. This year about 20,000 people took part. Next time I hope for 40,000. I hope to see you there.

May you and your family and friends and neighbors have a joyous Thanksgiving and experience abundant blessings as the Catholic people of the Archdiocese of Chicago. God bless you.