Recently, at the Symposium that preceded the 50th International Eucharist Congress which was held in Dublin, Ireland, this past June, Cardinal Marc Ouelett delivered an address that was entitled The Ecclesiology of Communion, 50 Years after the Opening of Vatican Council II. In this address I found several quotes which can furnish a background for the latest entries on this blog post. Cardinal Ouelett said in one place that “The starting point of the ecclesiology of communion can be found in the first paragraph of Lumen Gentium: ‘the Church is in Christ like a sacrament or as a sign and instrument both of a very closely knit union with God and of the unity of the whole human race’ and “The oneness of the Eucharistic Body of the Lord implies the oneness of His mystical Body, which is the one and indivisible Church. This principle of unity leads to the openness of each community and of every particular Church to all the others that celebrate the Eucharist in the Lord.”
These past few weeks I attended two gatherings that were miles apart, and very different in size: great and greater! Yet, both were visible expressions of the communion of Faith that we share, along with the words of Cardinal Ouellet. The first was the 130th Supreme Convention of the Knights of Columbus in Anaheim, California, and the second was a parish visitation at Sacred Heart Parish in Comanche, Texas. This parish is probably the farthest south and southwest parish community in the Diocese of Fort Worth.
The Supreme Convention of the Knights of Columbus drew members, along with their wives and families, from all over the United States, Mexico, the Philippine Islands, Poland and elsewhere. Father Jonathon Wallis and I attended with a sizable delegation from Texas. Besides the main banquet dinner, with its national and international flavor, and the States separate dinners, we had the privilege of celebrating two very beautiful Masses with the music provided by their choir from the National Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. At the start of the business meeting, Supreme Knight Carl Anderson gave a well written and well delivered address that included, among other points, the life and vitality of the Knights of Columbus around the world, and the state of the question of religious liberty, especially here in the United States. The entire convention was a visible expression of ecclesial communion, most especially when all were gathered for the Eucharistic celebration: particular churches joined together at this Liturgy all singing and praying together with the Eucharistic Lord in their midst.
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| The Texas delegation to the Supreme Convention of the Knights of Columbus in Anaheim, California |
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| A picture from the States Banquet. |
130th Supreme Convention of the Knights of Columbus:
Addresses and Homilies, Information, Pictures, Resolutions and More...
Homily of His Eminence Thomas Cardinal Collins, Archbishop of Toronto
at the Knights of Columbus Supreme Convention
Catholic News Service:
Challenges to marriage, religious liberty among Knights' top concerns
We were welcomed in these days of celebration of Faith by the Diocese of Orange, California. The presence of Bishop Tod Brown, the Bishop of Orange, who was the principal celebrant for the Opening Mass, is an equally important sign of ecclesial communion. This Mass, in particular, reflects the words of Cardinal Ouellet when he said in his address that “Concretely she [the Church] subsists in each local community presided over by a bishop in communion with the college of the successors of the Apostles and its head, the successor of Peter.”
A particularly enjoyable part of the days in Anaheim was a tour of the “Crystal Cathedral” complex which will be known as “Christ Cathedral” after the Diocese of Orange officially takes over the ownership of the Cathedral next year, as well as the various buildings and property. This can lead to a reflection on the importance of the Cathedral as a visible sign of the communion of the Bishop, the local Church and the Universal Church.
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| The Crystal Cathedral in the Diocese of Orange. |
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| Another picture of the Crystal Cathedral. |
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| The bell tower of the Crystal Cathedral. |
The following week, I began a series of parish visitations, which will continue into the months ahead, by celebrating Sunday Mass at Sacred Heart parish in Comanche, Texas. The congregation has outgrown this small Church, which was originally built years ago by the parishioners, and with the help of the Catholic Extension Society, I believe. The neighboring parishes in this rural area are in the Dioceses of San Angelo and Austin, Texas. The Mass was led by the children’s choir, as was a very joyful celebration in English and Spanish. This was equally an expression of ecclesial communion in a rural area of Texas, which was joined to its brothers and sisters in the Knights of Columbus, and their families just a week earlier. The community, under the leadership of Fr. Philip MacNamara, SAC, is planning and hoping now to build a new and bigger “House of God” to accommodate everyone!
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| The children's choir singing during Mass. |
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| Parishioners coming up to receive communion. |
