Thundering drums greeted me as I sat in my pew. Turning, I witnessed the Procession of Nations, led by American Indian dancers, all clothed in traditional garb, with massive feathered headdresses and brilliant colors. Following these dancers were people of many diverse descents. There were Vietnamese, Hispanic, Polish and many other peoples represented in their beautiful traditional clothing. Dakota hymns, Spanish songs, and Kenyan hymns were just a few of the sounds we were treated to. Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, various Christian denominations, Buddhist and secular leaders were all gathered together in peaceful dialogue and mutual respect.
What could have brought all of this diversity together? This was all in celebration of the Installation of Archbishop Hebda as the ninth Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. I was privileged to have been able to attend both the Prayer Service on May 12 as well as the Installation Mass on May 13. These two celebrations, while very different, were so very complimentary that those only able to participate in one of these events missed out on the whole.
The first event, the Prayer Service, is what was described above. The various different ethnic groups as well as the different civil and religious leaders were an excellent demonstration of the meaning of the universality of the Catholic Church. The very term “catholic” means universal and there have been few times in my life that I have understood the truth of that word as much as I did during the Installation of Archbishop Hebda. This prayer service showed that the Catholic Church is not just a place for a certain type of people; it is a home for all peoples to live, learn and love together. No matter the differences in race, in age, or station in life, the Catholic Church embraces all. Even solely in our Archdiocese, the diversity of the faithful in the local church was beautifully witnessed to in this celebration.
The following day was the Mass itself. This Mass was begun by another procession, this one containing the amazing priests of our beloved Archdiocese as well as Bishops from across the nation, the Knights of Columbus, the Knights and Ladies of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre, and others. It was during this Mass that I truly felt the universality of the Church not just in our local Archdiocese or our day and age, but also the unity of the Church throughout the centuries and across the oceans. That Mass, rooted in Tradition and Scripture, celebrated by hundreds of priests, is the same Mass that has been celebrated since the beginnings of Christianity.
Now, with this incredible enormity of the Catholic faith so clearly revealed to me, it was when I shook hands with our new Archbishop that another aspect of the Catholic Church also took on flesh; it is a home, my home. Archbishop Hebda greeted me warmly and complimented my little brother on his bow-tie. He treated us as friends, as family, with a smile and a laugh. The Archbishop is in charge of this Archdiocese, he manages it and communicates with the Vatican. He has important obligations, but even with all of his responsibilities and his position, he is our brother in Christ, a pilgrim just like the rest of us here on Earth.
Thus, my take away from all of this was that the massive, world-wide and diverse Church is at the same time my local Archdiocese. It is global and has breathtaking Cathedrals, but it is also my little country parish where I know every face that comes to Mass. It is composed of many different people with many different languages and many different stations in life; it is also my family and friends. It is a place where I know that I have an Archbishop who is praying for me as I journey towards heaven and it is also a place where I can pray for him, too. God bless you, Archbishop Hebda!
(L to R): Caz Schindler, Emma Schindler, Archbishop Hebda & Olivia Schindler
