Thank you to all who attended the parish assembly in August and submitted questions. The following is a summary of the answers based on the questions…
We are currently working on the new Mass schedule. For the first several months after the cathedral is open, daily Masses will generally be celebrated in the Arboretum to allow for the installation of the Hazel Wright organ during the week. Once the installation is complete, daily Mass will normally be in the cathedral. Smaller Masses may take place in the Large Gallery, Chapel in the Sky, Chapel of Unity and Reconciliation and the St Callistus Chapel once it is constructed (second phase). The Arboretum will be used as a multipurpose space for events and meetings. We will continue to have Mass in English, Spanish and Vietnamese. On special occasions, there could be a Mass in Tagalog if there is a priest available who speaks Tagalog. We will continue to have a multi-lingual Mass on Thanksgiving.
The Blessed Sacrament Chapel in the cathedral will be located at the east end of the building. The baptistery will be located on the west end. It is proximate to the cemetery which has strong symbolic relationship to baptism. Both chapels will have separate entrances from the main sanctuary. The Blessed Sacrament Chapel will be open during the hours that the campus is open, which is currently 6:00 am to 10:00 pm.
We have just hired a coordinator for the Confirmation program and are in an active search for a Director of Youth Ministry with the hope of building a far-reaching and robust youth ministry. Hopefully this will lead to the development of a ministry reaching out to young adults. The only other change in relation to the parish ministries is the training of liturgical ministers in the new cathedral building and the development of a hospitality corps. More information will be presented early next year at the hospitality assembly.
The music will continue to be predominantly in the language in which the Mass is being celebrated. From time to time, we include music with some English verses at Masses in other languages because many people also speak English, especially the younger people. This is a helpful way to include all. Also, some Latin is used at many Masses because it is the universal language of the Church. It is important that we honor our musical heritage as the Roman Catholic Church and that future generations are familiar with it.
The construction in the cathedral is about 60% complete. The quatrefoils have been installed and the scaffolding has been removed. The new parking lots will have standard-sized parking spaces, rather than compact, and will include parking for handicap guests. Community outreach will always be part of Christ Cathedral campus. At some point it may be relocated from the helping house to another site on campus. The Our Lady of LaVang shrine will be made out of Carrera marble and will be 12 feet tall.
While no specific plans have been solidified regarding the dedication liturgy or guest list, we know that due to space limitations every parish, including Christ Cathedral Parish, will have a set number of parishioners who will be given tickets to attend the dedication. The number of parishioners will be the same from each parish and has not yet been determined. Christ Cathedral Parish will have its own Mass celebrating the dedication on Saturday, July 20, 2019. All parishioners are invited and welcome to that Mass.
There is no papal visit envisioned in the immediate future. It is possible that once the cathedral is open and we have some experience behind us in the smooth functioning of the building the Pope could be invited. This would be the decision of Bishop Vann.
We are currently in the process of updating the parish website.
A detailed account of answers in response to each question is available upon request at the parish office. Thanks again to all who participated in the Parish Assembly and to all who submitted questions.
Together in Faith,
Very Rev. Christopher Smith, Rector