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Events > Texas Catholic Herald Article
Joyous celebration marks dedication of new
Co-Cathedral
By ERIK NORIEGA
Herald Staff Writer
HOUSTON – As the 23 bells of the campanile at the new
Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart called forth the
faithful for its Mass of Dedication, the special choir
gathered specifically for the occasion sang “The
Church’s One Foundation.” Truly this was a special
moment in the 160-year history of the Mother Church of
Texas.
Not only were the day’s events the culmination of years
of planning; not only did the dedication mark the birth
of a new central place of worship for the 1.3 million
faithful within the borders of the Archdiocese of
Galveston-Houston but perhaps this Mass of Dedication
served to permanently mark the significance of the
Catholic Church in Texas and the entire southern
hemisphere of the United States.
A bold statement indeed, but one most evident in
conjunction with the elevation of the See of
Galveston-Houston to Metropolitan See in December 2004,
and the elevation of its shepherd Daniel N. DiNardo to
the College of Cardinals this past November.
With media coverage and fanfare rivaling recent athletic
events such as the Super Bowl and the World Series, the
entirety of the Galveston-Houston area was inundated for
weeks prior with the upcoming historic moment.
As most present attested to – the day’s events did not
disappoint.
The doors to the new Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart
opened promptly at 10 a.m. and the nave of the new
church began to fill with representatives from every
parish in the archdiocese, chancery staff, major donors
and special dignitaries.
Outside, media crews captured the beginning of the
procession – both from street level and from the sky as
KTRH Channel 13 documented the events on the ground with
SkyEye 13 helicopter. The station broadcast the
three-hour Mass live and uninterrupted for those unable
to attend, with the one-time “Voice of the Vatican”
Cardinal John Foley offering running commentary for the
event.
 At
approximately 11:15 a.m., deacons of the archdiocese
began to spill into the new Co-Cathedral taking their
place in the East Transept of the church. The priests
of the archdiocese, including the Presbyteral Council,
followed the deacons into the new place of worship.
Immediately following the priests in procession were
more than 20 bishops of the United States, in addition
to Bishop Robert Patrick Camilleri of the Diocese of
Comayagua, Honduras and Coadjutor Archbishop J. Michael
Miller, C.S.B., of Vancouver, Canada.
 At
almost exactly noon, Cardinal DiNardo entered the new
Co-Cathedral and received the final architectural plans
for it from R. Scott Ziegler of Ziegler-Cooper
Architects as part of the Rite of Dedication (for more
on the rite, see page 24).
 Mark
Gore, project manager for Linbeck, presented the keys to
the new building to Cardinal DiNardo.
“It’s a great honor and a privilege for us to have built
this cathedral for the City of Houston, the people of
the archdiocese and the state of Texas,” Gore said.
“Welcome to your new cathedral.”
 Rolf
R. Rohn, from Rohn Design Group, presented the cardinal
with all of the research and plans utilized in the
creation of many of the liturgical furnishings in the
new Co-Cathedral.
 Deacon
Gerald DuPont was at the head of the last part of the
procession as he carried a box containing the relics of
11 different saints, as well as a sizeable fragment of
the True Cross which St. Helena, the mother of the
Emperor Constantine, brought back to Rome from
Jerusalem. (see sidebar on page 19 for more information
on the relics)
Following the relics were bishops from the state of
Texas, including Archbishop Jose Gomez of the
Archdiocese of San Antonio.
Cardinal DiNardo was the main celebrant. Cardinals
concelebrating the Dedication Mass included William
Henry Cardinal Keeler, Baltimore; Roger Cardinal Mahony,
Los Angeles; Adam Cardinal Maida, Detroit; and Theodore
Cardinal McCarrick, Washington.
Also concelebrating were local bishops, Archbishop
Emeritus Joseph A. Fiorenza, Auxiliary Bishop Joe S.
Vasquez, and Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus Vincent M.
Rizzotto.
Immediately after reaching the altar, Cardinal DiNardo,
along with the other three local bishops, returned to
the front of the baptismal font in the center of the
nave for the Blessing and Sprinkling of Water.
 “Bless
this water; sanctify it. As it is sprinkled upon us and
throughout this church, make it a sign of the saving
waters of baptism by which we become one in Christ, the
temple of your Spirit,” Cardinal DiNardo prayed.
The local bishops proceeded to bless the walls of the
Co-Cathedral with holy water, along with those gathered
to celebrate within these walls.
Throughout the Mass, the new worship space was filled
with music from the choir loft courtesy of the more than
70 singers and musicians who comprised the special choir
and orchestra for the event.
The archdiocese commissioned three new pieces of music
for the special event. They included: “In the Temple of
the Lord” by Father Dao Kim Nguyen, “Happy Are All Who
Fear the Lord” by David Ashley White and “Megalynarion
of Pascha” by Naji Hakim.
During his homily, Cardinal DiNardo thanked those
responsible for making the new Co-Cathedral a reality,
beginning with Archbishop Fiorenza.
 “If
we could, in our imagination, combine Ezra and Nehemiah,
we would find a person of spiritual insight, a shepherd
and master of practical matters. We have that in
Archbishop Fiorenza,” Cardinal DiNardo said. “I want to
express my deepest gratitude for the long labor of love
that Archbishop Fiorenza has performed in bringing this
cathedral to completion.” (For excerpts from Cardinal
DiNardo’s homily, please turn to page 3)
Following the Homily, the relics gathered especially for
the dedication of the new Co-Cathedral were lowered
under the altar by Father Gately. The reliquary was
sealed by Mark Gore from Linbeck.
Assisting Cardinal DiNardo during the anointing of the
altar was Archbishop Fiorenza.
 After
pouring a generous amount of chrism oil on the altar,
the past and present shepherds of the archdiocese
anointed the altar with the oil, as local and visiting
bishops assisted in anointing the plentiful walls of the
new church.
 Cardinal
DiNardo then incensed the altar. As smoke billowed
upward toward the Holy Spirit window at the center of
the dome, the rest of the church was incensed by a group
of permanent and transitional deacons.
 Four
discalced Carmelite nuns from the archdiocese proceeded
to dress the altar with new brilliant white cloth,
preparing the altar for the Feast that was to follow.
Immediately after preparing the altar, members of the
Sacred Heart community adorned the altar and transepts
with greenery. At this point, the lights of the new
Co-Cathedral were turned on.
After the first Eucharist celebrated in the new
Co-Cathedral, the Blessed Sacrament was carried in
procession with incense and candles and placed for the
first time in the tabernacle which sits majestically in
the Reservation Chapel in the West Transept of the
church.
Before the close of Mass, Archbishop Fiorenza approached
the ambo to say a few words.
 “If
my words are not brief, then I think I would follow in
the tradition of St. Thomas of Becket who was murdered
in his cathedral,” Archbishop Fiorenza said, drawing
laughs from the congregation.
“I want to thank his eminence, Cardinal DiNardo, for his
most gracious words that he spoke on my behalf. Thank
you so much in which you have also been a very important
part in the building of this cathedral church,” the
retired archbishop added.
Archbishop Fiorenza extended special thanks to the
Knights of Columbus whose fundraising efforts helped
make the Reservation Chapel a reality.
 A
few moments after processing out of the consecrated
church, Cardinal DiNardo explained he was “exhalent,
delighted and a little relieved” to have the Mass of
Dedication finished.
Asked how he felt the liturgy (which had been planned
out for months by a special committee) went, the
cardinal said, “Magnificently.
“You always hold your breath in certain moments in the
liturgy where there are certain transitions that
everything goes well. We have to thank the masters of
ceremonies and all the planners. They even made me look
good,” Cardinal DiNardo jested.
Present with a first row seat was transitional Deacon
Chris Plant, who will be ordained to the priesthood this
May. His will be the first class ordained in the new
Co-Cathedral.
“Just walking into this beautiful place for this
celebration is amazing. Seven years ago when I landed
in the seminary I didn’t imagine (my ordination) would
be in a place like this, but at the old Co-Cathedral,”
Plant said. “That would have been beautiful enough – the
ritual would have been beautiful enough. But even more
so in this new cathedral, there is just so much energy
and enthusiasm.”
Rae White, who generously donated to make the bells in
the campanile a reality, smiled broadly at the beginning
of Mass as the bells rang out. After Mass, she shared
her thoughts at the moment.
“It was so moving and it was absolutely touching. It was
really pretty awesome,” White said after gathering her
thoughts.
“I think the entire community of Houston recognizes what
a magnificent building this is and place to worship, and
thank God that we are able to (build it),” White added.
Representing St. Joseph in Stoneham was Katy Wetuski.
“It was an absolute blessing to be able to be here
today,” Wetuski said. “I think it is an example of the
openness the Catholic faith has always had. I think the
Co-Cathedral is a good expression of that welcoming.”
Offering closer perspectives were Louis and Lillie
Fontenot, Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart parishioners,
who were married in the old Sacred Heart Co-Cathedral 44
years ago.
“The choir was exceptionally wonderful. The cardinal is
extremely dynamic. The whole service was just great,”
Lillie said.
“It is a church where people can
come and assemble with God. And it should have a great
impact – not only the Co-Cathedral parish, but the
entire Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston,” Louis added.
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