Archbishop Caccia visits the first Catholic Cathedral in United States
By Jenny Kraska – Baltimore
Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, celebrated Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Baltimore for the first time on October 25.
Archbishop Caccia reflected on the historic significance of America’s first Cathedral and the responsibility of every Christian to be a witness to Christ through love.
The Archbishop was the principal celebrant of the Mass, joined by Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore; Bishop Adam Parker, Auxiliary Bishop of Baltimore; Bishop Denis Madden, Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Baltimore; and several priests.
Known as America’s First Cathedral, the Baltimore Basilica holds a distinctive place in the history of the Catholic Church in the United States. Designed by Benjamin Henry Latrobe and dedicated in 1821, it was the first Cathedral built in the United States after the nation’s founding.
Archbishop Caccia began his homily by pointing to the Basilica as the starting point of a remarkable history of Catholicism in America.
While its walls bear witness to that history, he reminded those gathered that the Church is more than its historic buildings.
“We are the living stones of the Church,” he said, emphasizing that Christians are called to be witnesses and signs of Christ’s presence in the world.
That calling, he explained, carries with it a responsibility to live in a way that makes Christ visible to others.
Drawing on the readings for the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Archbishop Caccia focused on the central Christian obligation of love.
The first reading from Exodus outlines what God’s people must not do, warning against oppressing strangers, mistreating widows and orphans, and exploiting the poor.
The second reading, from St. Paul’s First Letter to the Thessalonians, calls believers to imitate Christ and become examples of faith to others.
The Gospel from Matthew brings these teachings together when Jesus identifies the greatest commandments: to love God with all one’s heart, soul, and mind, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself.
The Archbishop explained that Jesus was doing more than answering an academic question about the law.
In revealing the heart of the commandments, Christ was also revealing his own identity. Jesus embodied perfect obedience and a willingness to serve, loving humanity so completely that he accepted suffering and death on the cross for all.
The readings, Archbishop Caccia said, offer both a warning and a positive mission: Christians must avoid injustice and harm, but they must also actively love.
It is through that love that the faithful fulfill their responsibility as members of Christ’s Church and witnesses to His presence.
Following Mass, Archbishop Caccia visited the tomb of Archbishop John Carroll, the first Bishop of the United States.
Archbishop Carroll was appointed Bishop of Baltimore in 1789, establishing the nation’s first Diocese just as the young republic was taking shape.
The visit brought together the Church’s historic beginnings in America and its continuing mission today.
From the Basilica’s storied walls to the faithful who gather within them, Archbishop Caccia’s message was a reminder that the Church’s history is not simply something to preserve and remember. It is a living mission, carried forward by those who make Christ present through love.
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