I watched the Solemn Vespers service last night, my favorite part being the expression on the new Archbishop’s face when he knocked on the door with a hammer. He looked as if to say, “If anyone else did this the cops would have them arrested.” He seems to be having fun in these early days.
My friend Dave added this comment on my facebook wall yesterday:
Sadly, sitting in a chair isn’t much of a spectator sport, nor is gazing at a papal autograph from 300 feet away… perhaps if they made it more interesting – blindfolded him and turned him around a few times first, with the congregation calling out “hot” or “cold”… or if he had to choose the right chair from among several ones (a la indiana & the grail…).
Hysterical. Even more hysterical was when Archbishop Dolan who is always is self-deprecating about his weight said: “Thanks for opening the doors wide enough for me to get in.”
Looking back in history, I remember John Cardinal O’Connor’s installation mass well. I was in 8th grade and we got the day off from school. Later in the year I attended his first youth mass (Surprisingly, our teacher asked if anyone wanted to go and only 3 hands went up! Mine being one of them–hey it was an afternoon away from class and we got to go to the Cathedral).
What I remember most about O’C’s installation were his words at the end of mass. He simply looked out at the congregation after the final blessing with outstretched arms and said:
“For better or for worse…this is what ya got!”
Perhaps NY’s new top prelate will have a new one-liner today?
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Photo Credit: NY Daily News