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Cathedral
Renovation Page 1 > Renovation Page 2 > Renovation
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Cathedral celebrates 1st mass since renovations By Becky Bowman Beaumont - 10/18/2004 — Southeast Texas Catholics gathered Sunday afternoon to dedicate St. Anthony Cathedral in the first Mass to take place there following recent renovations. Bishop Curtis J. Guillory, several visiting bishops and other clergy processed into the cathedral, which was packed by parishioners who attended by invitation. St. Anthony serves as the "mother church" for the Beaumont Diocese. "This has been a long road, and at times the road has been bumpy," Guillory said as the Mass began. Applause erupted when Guillory said the church had "done a good job" with the work, which began in 2001. Guillory anointed the altar with oil. He and other priests then used oil to make signs of the cross on the cathedral walls. They also lighted candles throughout the sanctuary. Lessons were read in Spanish and Vietnamese. A wind ensemble and choir accompanied the parishioners in singing. Visiting bishops included the Most Rev. Joseph Fiorenza of the Galveston-Houston Diocese, a Beaumont native. Cathedral to display holy relics By Jamie Reed Beaumont - 10/10/2004 — When St. Anthony Cathedral opens its doors to the public this week, parishioners and guests will see the space after a holy makeover. The mosaics, altar, side chapels and baptistry font are all new. Also -- among the holiest items here -- are a new piece of bone, new piece of cloth and sliver of wood. These items -- called relics because they are part of, owned, used or touched by a saint -- have a special place in the cathedral. The bone and fabric are illuminated inside the altar, while the wood will be kept in a side shrine. On Tuesday, the bone and fabric will be put inside an ornate gold frame, called a reliquary, and sealed inside the altar, said the Rev. Jerry McGrath, rector of St. Anthony. These relics, acquired in the last nine months from Italy and Pennsylvania, are a piece of St. Anthony of Padua's bone and a piece of St. Katherine Drexel's habit. The cathedral will also display a sliver of the cross on which Jesus was crucified, McGrath said. The cathedral has had the sliver of wood for several years, but it has not been on display. Also this week, Bishop Curtis J. Guillory will bless the cathedral doors and two jewel-crusted icons, which are holy images of Jesus and Mary. The purpose of these religious items is to remind worshippers of God, Jesus and the saints, said Bishop Curtis J. Guillory. Images have always had a greater impact than words, McGrath said. The adage "a picture is worth 1,000 words" rings true because a picture is easy to understand, he said. The church strives to show, not tell, its history and purpose through icons, relics, statues, paintings, mosaics and more, McGrath said. The bishop compared relics to photographs of deceased relatives because they both remind us of loved ones. In particular, the relics remind worshippers of how pious a human can become. "They may be gone from sight, but their presence is perhaps closer than before," McGrath said. While relics used to be sealed unseen into the top of the altar, they now are displayed prominently under the altar, McGrath said. The bone and piece of cloth will be illuminated and seen through holes. A box holding official papers from the Vatican, certifying the relics as real, will also be sealed inside. Just looking at the relics reminds McGrath that he needs to work on his sermons (to be as good as St. Anthony) and be sensitive to the poor (like Katherine Drexel). There are three classes of relics. A first-class relic is the actual part of a saint, being a bone, hair or limb. Second-class relics include something the saint wore, like a sock, shirt, glove or habit. A third-class relic is a piece of cloth touched by a saint or a piece of cloth that has touched a first- or second-class relic. Although the church prohibits the sale of first- and second-class relics, there are plenty up for bids on e-bay. The relics at St. Anthony came with sealed papers, which are stored in a vault. Copies are sealed in the altar right beside the relics, McGrath said. Relics became widespread in the fourth century, according to the encyclopedia. The wood of the cross where Christ was crucified was discovered in 318 and distributed throughout the world by 350, according to the encyclopedia. Other famous relics include the crown of thorns worn by Christ, which is at the cathedral of Notre Dame, and Christ's blood in Bruges, Belgium.
What: Celebration for the dedication of St. Anthony Cathedral
Schedule of events:
The saints linked to the relics This week, Bishop Curtis J. Guillory will seal two relics inside the altar of St. Anthony Cathedral in Beaumont. These relics, aquired in the last nine months from Italy and Pennsylvania, are a piece of St. Anthony of Padua's bone and a piece of St. Katherine Drexel's habit. Here is a bit more about these Catholic saints: St. Katherine Drexel Drexel, the second daughter of a wealthy banker, was born in Philadephia on Nov. 26, 1858. Drexel was educated at home and traveled in the United States and Europe. Early in life she became aware of the plight of Native Americans and African-Americans. When she inherited a vast fortune from her father and stepmother, she resolved to devote her wealth to helping these disadvantaged people. In 1885 she established a school for Native Americans at Santa Fe, N.M. Later, during an audience with Pope Leo XIII, she asked him to recommend a religious congregation to staff the institutions she was financing. The Pope suggested that she become a missionary, so in 1889 she began her training in religious life. In 1891, with a few companions, Drexel founded the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament for Indians and Colored People. The title of the community summed up the two great driving forces in her life -- devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and love for the most deprived people in her country. During her lifetime, about 60 schools were opened by her congregation. The most famous of them appeared in 1915; it was Xavier University in New Orleans, the first such institution for African-Americans in the United States. She also visited Southeast Texas several times and helped to start schools here. In 1935 Drexel suffered a heart attack, and in 1937 she relinquished the office of superior general. In 1955, she died at the age of 96 in Pennsylvania. St. Anthony of Padua St. Anthony, who was declared a saint less than a year after his death, was born in 1195 in Portugal. At age 26, he joined the Franciscan Order and took the name Anthony. He joined the Franciscans because he saw the mutilated bodies of the first Franciscan martyrs who died in Morocco. Anthony wanted to preach, die and become a martyr like these men. Instead, he became a renowned preacher, who attracted crowds to his sermons. His last sermons were principally directed against hatred, which established peace and prompted reconciliations among those who heard him. St. Anthony also is known for the many miracles he performed. One of these miracles took place in Padua, his final home. A young man confessed to St. Anthony that he had kicked his mother in a fit of anger. St. Anthony told him: "The foot of him who kicks his mother deserves to be cut off." The man went home and chopped off his own foot. When St. Anthony heard this, he miraculously rejoined the amputated foot to the man. St. Anthony died in 1231 at 36. When his body was exhumed 336 years after his death, it was decayed, yet his tongue was not, so perfect were the teachings that had been formed upon it. Sources: Catholic Encyclopedia online, Catholic Online Web site, The Catholic Foundation
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