The Faith is alive in this diocese. At no time is that more evident than Holy Week and Easter, the greatest of Christian holy days.

Catholics turn out in large numbers to participate in street processions and liturgical celebrations, culminating with the joyous celebration of Light at the Easter Vigil. There were so many newsworthy events happening during Holy Week, that it took the entire editorial staff to cover a cross section of them.
One of the toughest seats during the week always is at St. James Cathedral-Basilica for the Chrism Mass that takes place on Holy Thursday, the day Jesus instituted the Eucharist and the day generally observed as the feast of the priesthood.

Thirteen bishops and more than 350 priests and deacons joined another 350 laypeople for the 10:30 a.m. liturgy. If you were there, you might have been fooled into not believing there really is a clergy shortage affecting the Church.

It’s at this time the priests renew the promises they made on the day of their ordinations. And it’s also a dramatic moment when the bishop has the opportunity to speak directly to the priests of the diocese. This year’s talk can be read on Page 4 of this week’s edition. It’s well worth the time! In fact, the homily was so well received that there was a spontaneous burst of applause as Bishop DiMarzio completed his remarks.

The bishop’s talk was supportive, personal and instructive. He told the priests that they lead heroic lives and encouraged them to continue to strive to be even better than they are.

Prior to the Chrism Mass, the bishops and priests gathered in St. James Pavilion, across Jay St. from the Cathedral, to videotape a welcome for Pope Benedict when he arrives in the United States on April 18. In it all of the clergy, gathered as one, said, “Welcome Pope Benedict.” It will be added to recorded greetings from priests from all over the country and presented to the Holy Father during this historic visit.

Good Friday Crowds

The largest crowds of the week come together on Good Friday as parishioners walk in outdoor processions and assemble in their churches to observe the Passion of the Lord. A huge crowd of hundreds begins at St. James Cathedral and walks over the Brooklyn Bridge to ground zero, where those who died at that modern day Calvary seven years ago are remembered in prayer. Along the way, the Stations of the Cross are conducted by the spiritual movement known as Communion and Liberation.

In midtown Manhattan, Stations of the Cross also are held by the Catholic peace movement Pax Christi.

In our neighborhoods, Good Friday comes alive with street processions, the largest of which takes place in Bensonhurst. More than 5,000 people from the surrounding parishes marched for more than an hour, with a chilly wind in their faces, from Regina Pacis Church to St. Finbar’s Church. They processed behind parish banners with many participants carrying plain black wooden crosses. They followed Auxiliary Bishop Frank Caggiano who carried a cross at the head of the procession, stopping periodically at designated sites to pray in Italian.

Similar ceremonies took place in Ridgewood and Borough Park and other neighborhoods where Catholics did not hesitate to put their faith on display.

Holy Saturday is a fairly quiet day in the life of the Church as Christians await the Resurrection of the Lord. The Polish people use the day to bring food to church for a blessing. Hispanic youth take advantage of the day to parade in a walk known as the Caminata. (See story and photos on Page 23.)

The Easter Vigil is the most dramatic of Church liturgies. Occurring in the dark of night, candlelight pierces the void to symbolize the light, which Christ brought to the world by His Resurrection. Nowhere was it more dramatic than at St. James Cathedral where Bishop DiMarzio celebrated with more than 500 members of the Neo-Catechumenal Way. The celebration went on for four hours and was followed by a social in the Pavilion.

On the boardwalk in Brighton Beach, the parish community of Guardian Angel held its annual sunrise service and Mass. The people professed their faith that as sure as the sun appears over the horizon, the Son rose from the dead, bringing a new day and new life to a people who were thought to be lost in sin.