A low buzz permeated the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen as people from all corners of the archdiocese gathered for the annual chrism Mass April 3.
More than 1,000 joined the celebration – including more than 140 priests, 70 deacons and 60 seminarians and candidates for the permanent diaconate.
The annual Mass marks the beginning of Holy Week in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. At the Mass, Archbishop William E. Lori blesses the Oil of the Sick and the Oil of Catechumens, and consecrates the Holy Chrism, a ritual that unites the church because parishes, schools and chaplaincies use oils throughout the year that have all been blessed during the cathedral liturgy.
He was accompanied in the liturgy by Baltimore Auxiliary Bishops Adam J. Parker and Bruce A. Lewandowski, C.Ss.R., and Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus Denis J. Madden.
The priests of the archdiocese renewed their vows at the Mass, pledging to be more united with the Lord and more closely conformed to him, as well as to be faithful stewards of the Eucharist and teaching the faith.
Father John A. Williamson, pastor of St. John the Evangelist in Frederick and St. Joseph on Carrollton Manor in Buckeystown, said that being with other priests at the Holy Week liturgy is special. He was ordained at the cathedral and served as an associate pastor in his early years of priesthood, where he said the chrism Mass was always a highlight of Holy Week.
Renewing their ordination vows is “poignant, surrounded by my brothers. It’s a powerful moment,” he said.
He said more than 2,900 people attended the seven Palm Sunday Masses at his parishes the day earlier, 700 more than last year.
Attendance has tripled at the parishes in the last three years, Father Williamson said. The parish conducted a door-to-door campaign, handing out flyers and inviting people. He said it helps that they are in an area that is growing in population.
The congregation that gathered to nearly fill the cathedral expressed their support for their priests when Archbishop Lori thanked those in attendance for their commitment to the faith. When he thanked the priests for their dedication, the congregation responded with a standing ovation.
Sharon Barksdale, a parishioner of St. Bernardine, said the chrism Mass helps her “realize the meaning of the journey of Holy Week and the blessing of the oils reminds us that we are part of a greater church.”
The Mass is very spiritually powerful, she said, adding, “We are all good Catholic Christians. We have to remember we are the Body of Christ – and we should act like it.”
About 80 members of the Catholic Parishes of Washington County – St. Joseph in Hagerstown, St. James in Boonsboro and St. Augustine in Williamsport – gathered at the Hagerstown church to board two buses to attend the Mass – which was easier than carpooling, according to Diane Jones, who volunteers as coordinator of the parishes’ RCIA program and was scrambling before the Mass to secure eight pews for the group. The parish has 30 members of the Hispanic community in the RCIA program and four from the Anglo community, most of whom attended the chrism Mass.
She said the Mass is beautiful, especially the 15-minute procession where the clergy and seminarians enter the cathedral to the sound of music, a chorus and trumpet flourishes. “It’s so inspiring to see the priests renewing their vows.
“You never leave disappointed. You’re always glad you came,” Jones said.
Emily Kosloski, a sophomore at the University of Maryland Baltimore County and a member of the campus ministry leadership, said the Catholic Retrievers also came to the chrism Mass last year. “This is one of our many Holy Week events. Father Matt (Himes, chaplain) is trying to make it intentional.
“It’s really amazing to see all the different people come to the same church,” said Kosloski, who is also on the pastoral council at her home parish, St. William of York, Ten Hills.
In his homily, Archbishop Lori reflected on a question from a friend about how he can find something new to preach about every year with the same Scripture readings and the same congregation.
“But then it dawns on us afresh,” he said. “Scripture is not mere sacred literature. Scripture is God’s Word, the voice of Christ, speaking to us and through us in the Holy Spirit, shedding a ray of light that is ever new, as we and our people try to make sense of our lives, seek a love that will not fail, and strive to come together as one, in the Church, as the Lord’s disciples.”
He noted that when Jesus stood before the congregation in Nazareth to read from the scroll, times were tenuous and tensions were high, but Jesus brought “hope, anchored in the truth, goodness, beauty and reality of God – and not just any god but a God with a human face, the God who became one of us, the God who loves us to the end.”
Referring to the impending release of the Maryland Attorney General’s report on an investigation into sexual abuse of minors by clergy in the archdiocese, he added, “Without putting too fine a point on it, we must admit that the church we love, the archdiocese of which we are all a part, is undergoing a time of trial, a time of tribulation, brought on by past failings but also by various present challenges, both from within and without.
“In the face of such challenges, it is easy to be angry or cynical, … but Jesus stands in our midst as our hope,” he said.
After the homily and the renewal of the priests’ vows, deacons brought forward large jars of the oils to be prepared, plus balsam which would be added to the chrism.
The archbishop first prayed over and blessed the Oil of the Sick, and then the Oil of Catechumens. Putting on his miter, he then added the balsam to the vessel containing the chrism and stirred it. Then, after removing his miter, he blew over the vessel in the shape of a cross, calling on the breath of the Holy Spirit to sanctify the chrism.
He then extended his hands over the vessel, as the priests in the congregation extended their hands at the same time. He invoked the prayer of consecration over the chrism, which will be used for the ordination of deacons, priests and bishops, as well as for the sacraments of baptism and confirmation.
Email Christopher Gunty at editor@CatholicReview.org.
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