• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Catholic Review

Catholic Review

Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Menu
  • Home
  • News
        • Local News
        • World News
        • Vatican News
        • Obituaries
        • Featured Video
        • En Español
        • Sports News
        • Official Clergy Assignments
        • Schools News
  • Commentary
        • Contributors
          • Question Corner
          • George Weigel
          • Effie Caldarola
          • John Garvey
          • Father Ed Dougherty, M.M.
          • Guest Commentary
        • CR Columnists
          • Archbishop William E. Lori
          • Rita Buettner
          • Christopher Gunty
          • George Matysek Jr.
          • Father Joseph Breighner
          • Father Collin Poston
          • Robyn Barberry
          • Hanael Bianchi
          • Amen Columns
  • Entertainment
        • Events
        • Movie & Television Reviews
        • Arts & Culture
        • Books
        • Recipes
  • About Us
        • Contact Us
        • Our History
        • Meet Our Staff
        • Photos to own
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • CR Media platforms
        • Electronic Edition
  • Advertising
  • Shop
        • Purchase Photos
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
  • CR Radio
  • News Tips
  • Subscribe
Cardinal Robert Sarah answers questions following his talk as part of the closing celebration for the 200th anniversary of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary May 15, 2022, in Baltimore. (Kevin J. Parks/CR Staff)

At Baltimore Basilica, Cardinal Sarah says holiness is possible

May 16, 2022
By George P. Matysek Jr.
Catholic Review
Filed Under: Baltimore Basilica, Feature, Local News, News

Holiness is possible, and the Catholic Church provides the tools for attaining it.

That was the theme of an address delivered May 15 by Guinean Cardinal Robert Sarah at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Baltimore.

The evening talk, which was preceded by a morning Mass celebrated by Cardinal Sarah, was part of the closing celebration of the 200th anniversary of the dedication of the Baltimore Basilica, the first Catholic cathedral built in the United States.

Cardinal Robert Sarah, a special guest speaker for the closing celebration of the 200th anniversary of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, greets parishioners from the Archdiocese of Baltimore following his presentation May 15, 2022. (Kevin J. Parks/CR Staff)

The neoclassical cathedral, designed by U.S. Capitol Architect Benjamin Latrobe and envisioned by Baltimore Archbishop John Carroll as a beacon of religious liberty, was dedicated in 1821 by Baltimore Archbishop Ambrose Maréchal.

“Holiness is nothing other than living exactly as God wants us to live, by being conformed more and more to his son,” said Cardinal Sarah, former prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.

Prayer, fasting and penance can be invaluable aids for helping individuals in the pursuit of holiness, Cardinal Sarah said.

Prayer fashions one’s true identity, he explained, and fasting helps discipline hearts and free them from distraction. Through daily meditation on Scripture, he said, “we allow God to shape our minds and we learn to recognize his voice.”

“These practices are nurtured in the community of the church,” Cardinal Sarah said. “In community life, we need to surround ourselves with brothers and sisters, and good mentors, who reinforce our daily rhythms of prayer, penance and meditation upon the Word of God and who encourage us in the pursuit of holiness. Furthermore, we receive the sacraments in community, and in the sacraments, we encounter Christ most powerfully.”

The pursuit of holiness requires believers to “quiet” their hearts, Cardinal Sarah said.

“In time, we discern the contours of our hearts,” he said. “We learn to recognize temptations more quickly. We uncover and correct subtle habits toward evil and deceptions that we accepted in years past. Over the course of years, each systematic tendency toward evil can be overcome with the help of God’s grace.”

A prolific author whose books include “The Power of Silence,” Cardinal Sarah said the quieting of one’s heart makes possible silence. He defined silence not simply as the lack of noise, but as “quiet chosen.” Silence is a “word in the soul, a participation in the Word of God,” he said.

Cardinal Robert Sarah answers questions following his talk as part of the closing celebration for the 200th anniversary of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary May 15, 2022 in Baltimore. (Kevin J. Parks/CR Staff)

“In silence,” the cardinal said, “we discover the most intimate prayer, the holy and eternal presence of God within our hearts.”

Silence becomes a place of refuge, Cardinal Sarah said, the place in which persons may offer to God every experience and every detail of their day.

“There is no better place to encounter God in silence than in eucharistic adoration,” Cardinal Sarah said. “There, we begin to resume the posture of right relationship with our creator. Adoration is evidence of our desire for an astonishing intimacy with God.”

Cardinal Sarah urged his audience to yearn to suffer with Christ. He also called on Catholics to reflect deeply on the vocations to which they are called by God and to recognize that vocations require ongoing formation.

“Our habits, our desires, our expectations will not remain the same as when we entered seminary or religious life or married life,” he said. “This change in us is part of God’s plan.”

Approximately 250 people attended the lecture, which was also livestreamed on archdiocesan social media.

Earlier in the day, Cardinal Sarah noted in his homily at Mass that the basilica’s architecture – most prominently its grand dome that lets in natural light via a series of skylights – highlights the call to walk in God’s light.

The alternative to God is nothing, he said, noting that the world must choose light or darkness.

“The challenges of our times are not an excuse to recreate, to manufacture the church according to the image of post-modern society in the illusory hope of not losing numbers by changing her doctrine and moral teaching,” he said. “Rather, our times demand from us greater love for the light we receive from Christ, and renewed fidelity to the Gospel.”

Archbishop William E. Lori, left, leads a round of applause for Cardinal Robert Sarah following Cardinal Sarah’s talk as part of the closing celebration for the 200th anniversary of the the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary May 15, 2022, in Baltimore. (Kevin J. Parks/CR Staff)

Baltimore Archbishop William E. Lori and Father James Boric, rector of the Baltimore Basilica, thanked Cardinal Sarah for being present to celebrate the basilica’s anniversary. Father Boric noted that the basilica marks the one-year anniversary of the dedication of a perpetual eucharistic adoration chapel in the church’s undercroft May 31. He urged Catholics to spend time in prayer inside the chapel.

“If we had everyone in this archdiocese committing to one hour of prayer in the mother church of the country, I can’t imagine what would happen,” Father Boric said.

Angelus Virata, director of evangelization for the basilica, said Cardinal Sarah’s talk reminded her of the importance of making prayer the foundation of everything she does – especially in parish ministry, Virata said.

“Prayer is the work for the work for evangelization,” she said. “Without prayer, without that connection with God, who can you evangelize?  We need to be completely in lockstep with God because he’s the one who is going to give me the words to speak when people ask me questions that I may not know how to answer.”

Connor Schmidt, a seminarian at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg studying to become a priest for the Archdiocese of Baltimore, said he was inspired by the cardinal’s commitment to discipleship. The cardinal is a model of holiness, he said. 

“Seeing someone who has lived out his priesthood so joyfully for so long and who has been so grounded in Christ leads me to be more convicted about prayer,” he said.

Email George Matysek at gmatysek@CatholicReview.org

To watch recorded livestreams of the anniversary Mass and lecture with Cardinal Sarah, click here. 

VIEW MORE PHOTOS BELOW OR AT https://catholicreview.smugmug.com/

 

Cardinal Robert Sarah was a special guest speaker for the closing of the 200th anniversary of the The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary May 15, 2022, in Baltimore. (Kevin J. Parks/CR Staff)
Cardinal Robert Sarah was a special guest speaker for the closing of the 200th anniversary of the The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary May 15, 2022, in Baltimore. (Kevin J. Parks/CR Staff)
Cardinal Robert Sarah signs a book for Holy Redeemer parishioner Arina Grossu following his talk as part of the closing celebration for the 200th anniversary of the The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary May 15, 2022, in Baltimore. (Kevin J. Parks/CR Staff)
Timothy King was among many who intently took notes during a special presentation given by Cardinal Robert Sarah as part of the closing celebration for the 200th anniversary of the The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary May 15, 2022, in Baltimore. (Kevin J. Parks/CR Staff)
Hundreds from the Archdiocese of Baltimore attend a special presentation given by Cardinal Robert Sarah as part of the closing celebration for the 200th anniversary of the The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary May 15, 2022, in Baltimore. (Kevin J. Parks/CR Staff)
Father James Boric, left, listens as Holy Redeemer parishioner Arina Grossu asks a question to Cardinal Robert Sarah following his talk as part of the closing celebration for the 200th anniversary of the The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary May 15, 2022, in Baltimore. (Kevin J. Parks/CR Staff)

Read More Local News

Mercy delivers Magic show in ‘Classic’ victory over Maryvale

Catholic Charities assists in counting Baltimore’s homeless population

Gov. Moore’s budget cuts BOOST, proposes phase-out of scholarship program

‘I love you, Papa!’: Maryland Catholics recall encounters with Pope Benedict XVI

RADIO INTERVIEW: Catholic Charities of Baltimore

UM St. Joseph Medical Center named one of 100 best hospitals

Copyright © 2022 Catholic Review Media

Print Print

Primary Sidebar

George P. Matysek Jr.

George Matysek, a member of the Catholic Review staff since 1997, has served as managing editor since September 2021. He previously served as a writer, senior correspondent, assistant managing editor and digital editor of the Catholic Review and the Archdiocese of Baltimore.

In his current role, he oversees news coverage of the Archdiocese of Baltimore and is a host of Catholic Review Radio.

George has won more than 100 national and regional journalism and broadcasting awards from the Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association, the Catholic Press Association, the Associated Church Press and National Right to Life. He has reported from Guyana, Guatemala, Italy, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland.

A native Baltimorean, George is a proud graduate of Our Lady of Mount Carmel High School in Essex. He holds a bachelor's degree from Loyola University Maryland in Baltimore and a master's degree from UMBC.

George, his wife and five children live in Rodgers Forge. He is a parishioner of the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Homeland.

View all posts from this author

For the latest news delivered twice a week via email or text message, sign up to receive our free enewsletter.

| MOST POPULAR |

  • St. Mary’s High School swimmer breaks record held by Michael Phelps
  • Long homilies are ‘a disaster,’ keep it under 10 minutes, pope says
  • Gov. Moore’s budget cuts BOOST, proposes phase-out of scholarship program
  • Catholics look to night skies as new comet reveals ‘the glory of God’
  • Mercy delivers Magic show in ‘Classic’ victory over Maryvale

| Latest Local News |

Mercy delivers Magic show in ‘Classic’ victory over Maryvale

Catholic Charities assists in counting Baltimore’s homeless population

Gov. Moore’s budget cuts BOOST, proposes phase-out of scholarship program

| Latest World News |

Catholics call for prayer, justice as video of Memphis Black man’s deadly arrest released

Where in the world is Catholic Mass attendance highest?

Former priest Frank Pavone, head of Priests for Life, faces sexual misconduct allegations

| Catholic Review Radio |

CatholicReview · Catholic Review Radio

Footer

Our Vision

Real Life. Real Faith. 

Catholic Review Media communicates the Gospel and its impact on people’s lives in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and beyond.

Our Mission

Catholic Review Media provides intergenerational communications that inform, teach, inspire and engage Catholics and all of good will in the mission of Christ through diverse forms of media.

Contact

Catholic Review
320 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
443-524-3150
mail@CatholicReview.org

 

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent

  • An open letter to Marie Kondo: Thanks for sparking my joy
  • Catholics call for prayer, justice as video of Memphis Black man’s deadly arrest released
  • Where in the world is Catholic Mass attendance highest?
  • Mercy delivers Magic show in ‘Classic’ victory over Maryvale
  • Former priest Frank Pavone, head of Priests for Life, faces sexual misconduct allegations
  • Analysis: As GOP primary season nears, will pro-lifers embrace Trump or hold out for a new hero?
  • Mission begins by meeting Jesus in the Scriptures and Eucharist, pope says
  • Catholic Charities assists in counting Baltimore’s homeless population
  • Bishop’s heroic crusade against America’s suicide epidemic is personal

Search

Membership

Catholic Press Association of the United States and Canada

Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association

The Associated Church Press

© 2023 CATHOLIC REVIEW MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED