Our visit started with Mass celebrated by Fr. Sean Ralph the cathedral's administrator. The readings were Isaiah 25:6-10; various verses from Psalm 23; and Philippians 4:12-14, 19-20. The Gospel reading was Matthew 22:1-14.
In Fr. Sean's homily he encouraged us to respond positively to God's invitation to His heavenly feast. He laid out who was excluded from heaven and who was included in heaven. Responding positively to God's invitation means being one with His Church and living a holy life, which we are all CALLED to do. This sometimes includes things that are not easy to understand or follow.
Following Mass we received a tour of the cathedral from Fr. Sean. We began in the sacristy where we were shown the different vestments and the significance of the different colors. We are also shown where the bishop's staff is kept along with a relic of the Cross.
After the sacristy, we entered the sanctuary where we learned about the bishop's cathedra (chair, Latin) and his coat of arms. We also learned about the statues behind the altar and who they were. We were taught about the various symbols and their origins and meanings.
Once we exited the Sanctuary we learned about the two wings on the sides of the church. We were told about the significance of the imagery around the Mary. The statues around Our Lady are of her family (Sts. Joseph (husband) and Anne (mother), and the Christ Child). The painting on the wall above and around her depict her life ending with her coronation at the top.
Opposite Mary is the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The Pieta next to Christ, where we learned about the significance of that scene. Above and around Christ is the depiction of the Apocalypse as described in the Book of Revelation.
One of my personal favorite parts of the cathedral is the crypt. In the crypt lye the predecessors of Bishop Perez. The reason I consider it one of my favorite parts of the cathedral is because I am able to see the Apostolic Succession of the Diocese of Cleveland. The bones of St. Christine of Bolsena are below the altar in the Resurrection Chapel. She was a very young martyr who was martyred when she was only about 13 or 14 years old.
Once out of the chapel we learned some Latin. We learned the words Laudamus te, Benedicimus te, Adoramus te (We praise you, we bless you, we adore you). The words are from the Gloria in the Mass. We are CALLED to praise, bless, adore, and glorify God at Mass and in the world.
The last stop of the tour was in the choir loft upstairs. We were able to look at the entire church and truly take in its beauty. Overall the visit to the cathedral was one of prayer, worship, fellowship, and learning. We celebrated Mass with different people and we saw the center of the diocese. All the authority of the priests comes from that place (the Bishop sitting on his cathedra).
God is good.
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