RALEIGH – A small bell rang, and the congregation stood. The sounds of brass instruments bellowed. A 16-minute procession that ended with Church leaders from around the world began with the steps of two local students. Each carried a five-foot pole, painted gold, with a sign affixed to the top.
One sign read: “St. Patrick, Fayetteville.” It recalled the 203-year-old Catholic community that predates the Diocese of Raleigh. The other sign read “Knights of Columbus Honor Guard” and eight members of the Catholic fraternal organization walked behind it in their regalia.
More representatives followed. Forty more signs were carried. Their words were visible reminders of the seminarians, schools, parishes, orders and ministries that make up the diocese.
The Mass of the Faithful, held Friday, Nov. 8, 2024 at Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral, was a culminating piece of the year-long celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Diocese of Raleigh.
Men and women religious belonged to the procession, too. As they walked, they waved and shook hands with people they knew and had served. The same was true for 30 deacons and more than 100 priests who walked toward the altar, which featured arrangements of sunflowers, burgundy Gerba daisies, green bells of Ireland and hydrangea in a deep purple color.
The entrance hymn had multiple verses representing traditions including Hebrew, Arabic and Armenian. A feeling of homecoming and friendship was as palpable as the shakes of tambourines in the choir loft.
Bishop Luis Rafael Zarama, who has led the Diocese of Raleigh for the past seven years, processed near Cardinal Wilton Gregory, who leads the Archdiocese of Washington. They served together in the Archdiocese of Atlanta from 2005 until 2017.
Close to them in the procession were Bishop Michael Burbidge, bishop of the Diocese of Arlington, who led the Raleigh diocese from 2006 until 2016, Bishop Ned Shlesinger, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Atlanta, who was ordained for Raleigh in 1996 and served as a Raleigh priest until 2017 and Bishop Michael Martin, O.F.M. Conv., bishop of the Diocese of Charlotte, who served in the Raleigh diocese at the Duke University Catholic Center from 2010 until 2022.
They joined Bishop Luis and other Church leaders, including Archbishop Gregory John Hartmayer, O.F.M. Conv., who leads the Archdiocese of Atlanta, and Abbot Placid Solari, O.S.B., chancellor of Belmont Abbey College, on the altar. Also present there for Mass were Bishop Herbert Bevard, bishop emeritus of the Diocese of St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands; Bishop J. Kevin Boland, bishop emeritus of The Diocese of Savannah; Bishop Jacques Fabre-Jeune, C.S., bishop of the Diocese of Charleston; Bishop Robert Guglielmone, bishop emeritus of the Diocese of Charleston; Bishop Joel Konzen, S.M., auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Atlanta; Archbishop Joseph Kurtz, archbishop emeritus of the Archdiocese of Louisville; Bishop John Noonan, bishop of the Diocese of Orlando; and Bishop Stephen Parkes, bishop of the Diocese of Savannah.
Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States, shared remarks from the ambo. He congratulated Bishop Luis on 100 years, expressed joy at the milestone and shared a greeting from Pope Francis.
Cardinal Pierre garnered the congregation’s smiles and laughter each time he said “Raleigh” in his native French accent and when he recalled the dedication of the cathedral in 2017 and asked the congregation, “You know, Bishop Burbidge?”
The congregation applauded because Bishop Burbidge led the diocese during the time Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral was planned and constructed.
“He was so proud to have built that church, with you, of course,” Cardinal Pierre said to those present. “Today he is still proud, and you are also proud. So it’s a real moment of happiness and I think it’s good to celebrate the history of our Church … the Church is the instrument that Jesus created in a mysterious way to communicate … the Good News.”
He thanked the congregation for their presence, noting that beautiful buildings, without people, would be useless.
During the Mass, Bishop Luis thanked Cardinal Pierre for his words, and reminded the congregation that “the Good News always brings joy.”
From the ambo, Binh Nguyen shared the first reading in Vietnamese; Nora Alcantar read the second in Spanish. Deacon Johan Salas, a seminarian, proclaimed the Gospel.
In his homily, Cardinal Gregory said that reaching 100 years is a lofty goal, whether for a person or for an organization. He said that when a person is 100 years old, even with relatively robust health, that they are often still treated delicately by others.
“Institutions that last for a hundred years become important signs of stability, but in truth there are still some comparisons that might be made between people who are 100 and institutions who celebrate a centennial,” he said. “A hundred years … is a moment that deserves to be celebrated. Living to be 100 years means that a person or an institution has witnessed a lot of life … many changes have occurred. Some of those changes were life giving and some were filled with sorrow.”
The congregation listened as Cardinal Gregory noted that when the Diocese of Raleigh turned 50, Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, “one of the most eloquent and saintly bishops in American Church history” preached to the congregation.
“Well today your luck ran out,” said Cardinal Gregory, who was met with laughter from those in attendance.
The homily was heartfelt as he discussed how much people in eastern North Carolina had to be proud of and grateful for, considering their faith and social outreach. He also reflected on Bishop Luis, Bishop Burbidge and Bishop F. Joseph Gossman, who led Raleigh from 1975 until 2006.
“It has been my very good fortune to have known and worked closely with the last three shepherds of Raleigh as cherished friends and important colleagues. I know your most recent shepherd best of all. He is a tremendous blessing for you as he was for me in the Archdiocese of Atlanta and I thank you from the heart, Bishop Luis, for being such a wonderful brother,” Cardinal Gregory said as the congregation began to applaud.
Prayers of intercession were offered in six languages by Savariyar Innasimuthu (Tamil), Chueng Ji (Korean), Mafarida Adoro (Tagalog), Lady Bridger Duru (Igbo), Gabriel Hernandez, (Spanish), and John Cerqueira and Sister Carol Marozzi, S.S.J. (English).
Gifts of bread and wine were carried to the bishop by representatives of the orphanage that once stood on the Nazareth Property, where the cathedral sits today. Those representatives included Frank Prevo, Portia Prevo and Mary Demolli. The orphanage, which opened in 1899 and closed around 1970, was founded by Father Thomas Frederick Price, the first native North Carolinian to be ordained a priest, and his sister, Sister Mary Agnes Price of the Sisters of Mercy.
The diversity present in prayers and readings was reflected in music, too. It was organized by Jeff Rice, who directs liturgy and music at Holy Infant in Durham, Jim Wahl, director of liturgical music at St. Francis of Assisi in Raleigh and David Danielson Eaton, the cathedral’s organist and director of music. About 20 musicians and 45 volunteer singers from diocesan parish choirs joined Rice, Wahl and Eaton for the Mass.
During the preparation of the gifts, Nhi Dinh, of Our Lady of La Vang Parish in Raleigh, sang a hymn, Tin Chua Voi, or Boundless Love, that captured the emotions of the moment.
During Communion, Michael Accurso, director of music and liturgy at the Cathedral of Christ the King in Atlanta, directed musicians and singers for a setting he composed of the Te Deum. Accurso dedicated his work to Bishop Luis and the faithful of the diocese, whom he worked with and served during his 2015 – 2022 tenure in Raleigh.
At the end of Mass, Bishop Luis thanked the Church leaders present, including those who are known as provincial superiors and elected by their order to a leadership role. At the Mass of Thanksgiving, those included Father Shawn Aaron, L.C.; Anthony Bonela, M.S.F.S.; Father Dan Dorsey, G.H.M.; Father Michael Heine, O.F.M. Conv.; Father William Kaliyadan, M.S.; Father Andre Kazadi, C.I.C.M.; and Father Joseph O’Keefe, S.J.
Father Alfredo Hernández, president and rector of St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach, Florida, where many Raleigh seminarians discern the priesthood, was present as well.
Bishop Luis continued with thanks for the religious men and women present, as well as the deacons. He was almost speechless and needed to pause when he turned toward his brother priests of the Diocese of Raleigh.
“My brothers … to share what we love is to share who we are,” he said to the priests he called his team. “I love you. You are such a great gift to me and to the diocese. You help me to make the Gospel present.”
The bishop thanked the faithful who were present and the young people, many of whom traveled to cathedral, shared the history of the diocese before Mass and participated in the 2.5-hour event with patience. He was grateful to the clergy and staff of cathedral for accommodating the event, complete with beautiful flowers and music.
“This explosion of music … it’s an explosion of what we are celebrating today … love,” he said. “To be together, as diverse as we are … that cannot be contained in our hearts. And that is why we are the best one in the world. The best diocese. I think you are starting to believe that!”
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