William Lori installed as Baltimore's 16th archbishop
The nations oldest archdiocese welcomed its 16th archbishop, who committed to protecting religious liberty and the church's priorities and to serving the community.
About 2,000 people attended installation services Wednesday for Archbishop William Lori, who has said he's grateful and humbled to lead the historic church. He reached out to all corners of the archdiocese, specifically mentioning sometimes-overlooked areas and groups of people."I sense your ardent desire for an ever-deeper sense of solidarity and unity; and also your desire that the church remain a strong and compassionate presence in the city of Baltimore and in all parts of the archdiocese, including western Maryland, including the blessing of a wonderful African-American community and the blessing of a growing presence of Spanish-speaking Catholics in our midst," Lori said.
Lori's parents and about 50 relatives joined hundreds of priests, bishops, archbishops and parishioners for the Mass of installation at the Cathedral of Mary our Queen in north Baltimore.
Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, Pope Benedict XVI's representative to the United States, wished Lori well, thanked former Archbishop Edwin Cardinal O'Brien and read the Apostolic Mandate pronouncing Lori, a Kentucky native, leader of the 500,000 Catholics worshiping in the Archdiocese of Baltimore.
Reading from the letter, Vigano said, "Among the Sees (dioceses) located in the United States of America, the Archdiocese of Baltimore occupies a special place, for it is the oldest in the history of that distinguished nation."
"For this reason, in the faithful exercise of our office as the vicar of Christ and the Shepherd of the Universal Church, we take particular care to assign a suitable man of great pastoral experience, capable of succeeding our venerable brother, Edwin Frederick O'Brien, cardinal of the Holy Roman Church," he continued.
Lori graciously thanked his predecessors, saying, "I want to express the common debt of gratitude to William Cardinal Keeler, who so loved and fostered the living heritage that is ours. Cardinal Keeler, thank you so very, very much. Edwin Cardinal O'Brien, who, in challenging times, gave to this Archdiocese of Baltimore the care of a good, wise and loving Shepherd. Thank you so, so much, Cardinal O'Brien."
Later during his homily -- a portion of which he delivered in Spanish -- Lori told the faithful, "You and I must be loyal Americans by being bold and courageous Catholics."
Lori asked those interested in consecrated life to step up and to do so without delay. Lori outlined the key priorities for which the faithful must remain steadfast in keeping with the church's teachings: "to defend the sanctity of life from conception to natural death and to uphold the institution of marriage as between a man and a woman and to serve effectively those in great need with convictions born of the moral law."
Applause interrupted Lori when he referred to marriage.
Lori spoke of a need to uphold religious liberty, citing Pope Benedict XVI's remarks when he said earlier this year the church need not remain silent on issues that would shape the future of the United States.
"We do not seek to defend religious liberty for partisan purposes, as some have suggested; though we do this because we are lovers of a human dignity that was fashioned and imparted not by the government but by the Creator," Lori said.
"We defend religious liberty because we are lovers of every human person, seeing in the face of every man and woman, the face of Christ, who loved us until the end," he added.
Lori said one challenge for the church is knowing how to remain a strong and vital presence in a time of change.
The new archbishop called Baltimore a strong archdiocese, although, he said, it has some challenges. He said he is grateful to be there and anxious to get started, and many parishioners share the same sentiments.
Lori has served on high-profile committees for the Catholic Church, involving doctrine, the sexual abuse of children, anti-abortion and opposing same-sex marriage.
"I think he's one of the greatest human beings that God has put on Earth. He's a hard worker; a very dedicated man to his faith. He has done an outstanding job for when he was auxiliary bishop for (James) Cardinal Hickey in Washington, D.C.," said Joseph Froio, who knew Lori while he served in the nation's capital.
"We're here to welcome and to wish him good luck, to pray for him, to seek his prayers for us so that all of his efforts will be successful in the diocese, and to have faith grow in the Archdiocese of Baltimore," said Everett Jacobs, who attended the Mass.
"It's not only beautiful and everything, it's spiritual. And of course, he's my nephew. I love him, and that's the biggest part of it," Skelton said.
"It's such a privilege to have him as our archbishop. We believe that we need somebody to shepherd the flock of God's people," said Fe Patalinghhug, who attended the Mass.
School students were selected to attend and perform at the services. WBAL-TV 11 News reporter Barry Simms spoke with some of them ahead of the Mass.
"It's such an honor that my school picked me to represent Monsignor Slade in this event, and I'm very excited," said Rebecca Bahar, a student at Monsignor Slade Catholic School.
"I feel very excited that my school chose me out of everyone to represent us here today at the cathedral," said Jaaron Alston, a student at Cardinal Shehan School.
Lori said he will focus on the children, specifically education.
"Let us be a church that honors our elders, sustains those in the prime of life; but indeed, a church that welcomes our young with enthusiasm and joy; and partners with parents in the task of forming the next generation. I thank our parents and our educators, who [make] a considerable sacrifice to sustain our excellent Catholic schools in a time of great challenge," Lori said.
In keeping with that theme, Lori revealed his sense of humor during his homily, garnering a laugh, saying, "Doesn't this seem like a good day to reflect on what a bishop does? I guess it does."
Lori explained, saying, "a third-grader at the Convent of the Sacred Heart School in Greenwich, Conn., on the occasion of one of my visits -- [when] asked what a bishop does -- she enthusiastically put up her hand and said, 'He moves diagonally and protects the king.' So now you know."
In seriousness, Lori explained he learned who a bishop is and what he's supposed to be 17 years ago in the very cathedral in which he delivered his homily, saying, "It was here in this very sanctuary that Cardinal Keeler and Cardinal Hickey presented me to Pope John Paul II for the first time as a newly ordained bishop."
"Here I stood before Pope John Paul II, an ideal priest and a saintly bishop, whose life spoke more eloquently even than his words about my vocation. And after I had been presented, I sat down and listened as John Paul II proceeded to describe the unique heritage of this great Archdiocese of Baltimore," he continued.
The ceremony lasted for almost 2½ hours, of which, Lori's homily was almost a half-hour long.
To that end, Lori told those who gathered, "You know, in today's gospel, Jesus says to his followers, 'I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now.'"
That remark garnered a hearty laugh and applause.
"That pretty much sums it up," he said.
Lori prays with archdiocese's leaders
Tuesday evening, Lori began the installation festivities with a prayer service for about 300 of the archdiocese's leaders. The diocese said the service marked a way for Lori to reach out and interact with its leaders.
Watch Barry Simms' one-on-one interview with the archbishop-designate
In what has become a tradition for Baltimore's archbishops, Lori knelt in front of the tomb of John Carroll, the first archbishop of Baltimore, in the Basilica of the Assumption in downtown Baltimore.
Lori comes to Baltimore after having served as bishop of Bridgeport, Conn. He became a priest in 1977 and was ordained in Washington, D.C.
"Let us be a church that honors our elders, sustains those in the prime of life; but indeed, a church that welcomes our young with enthusiasm and joy; and partners with parents in the task of forming the next generation. I thank our parents and our educators, who [make] a considerable sacrifice to sustain our excellent Catholic schools in a time of great challenge," Lori said.
In keeping with that theme, Lori revealed his sense of humor during his homily, garnering a laugh, saying, "Doesn't this seem like a good day to reflect on what a bishop does? I guess it does."
Lori explained, saying, "a third-grader at the Convent of the Sacred Heart School in Greenwich, Conn., on the occasion of one of my visits -- [when] asked what a bishop does -- she enthusiastically put up her hand and said, 'He moves diagonally and protects the king.' So now you know."
In seriousness, Lori explained he learned who a bishop is and what he's supposed to be 17 years ago in the very cathedral in which he delivered his homily, saying, "It was here in this very sanctuary that Cardinal Keeler and Cardinal Hickey presented me to Pope John Paul II for the first time as a newly ordained bishop."
"Here I stood before Pope John Paul II, an ideal priest and a saintly bishop, whose life spoke more eloquently even than his words about my vocation. And after I had been presented, I sat down and listened as John Paul II proceeded to describe the unique heritage of this great Archdiocese of Baltimore," he continued.
The ceremony lasted for almost 2½ hours, of which, Lori's homily was almost a half-hour long.
To that end, Lori told those who gathered, "You know, in today's gospel, Jesus says to his followers, 'I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now.'"
That remark garnered a hearty laugh and applause.
"That pretty much sums it up," he said.
Lori prays with archdiocese's leaders
Tuesday evening, Lori began the installation festivities with a prayer service for about 300 of the archdiocese's leaders. The diocese said the service marked a way for Lori to reach out and interact with its leaders.
Watch Barry Simms' one-on-one interview with the archbishop-designate
In what has become a tradition for Baltimore's archbishops, Lori knelt in front of the tomb of John Carroll, the first archbishop of Baltimore, in the Basilica of the Assumption in downtown Baltimore.
Lori comes to Baltimore after having served as bishop of Bridgeport, Conn. He became a priest in 1977 and was ordained in Washington, D.C.
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