Since the pandemic, The Basilica of Saint Mary has been steadily making its way back to its more vibrant former self. Each year we see more and more folks attending Mass, new people joining the Catholic Church, new volunteers, new programming, and more financial support for our mission and for the preservation and restoration of our historic church. I am grateful for all these signs of new life and to the people who make all of it happen.
Sometimes it takes someone from outside our community who can say – “wow – what a parish!” A few years ago a friend of mine was in town who serves on the the advisory board of the Initiative on Restorative Justice and Healing, which I direct at St. Thomas Law. Upon reading the bulletin, she found the diversity, breadth, and presumed quality of our programming remarkable. Of course, I could not take much credit for this, as I was still a relatively new pastor. But as someone from outside our community, I took note of her impressions and was grateful.
As we prepare to restore our historic church in the coming months and years, we have also articulated the attendant goal of a renewed parish. What does this look like? Together, we will discern the characteristics and contours of a renewed parish and how to best traverse this path. In the meantime, I would like to briefly highlight a sampling of the great opportunities and programs in the coming months at The Basilica, all of which are consistent with renewal and life.
Our Pilgrims of Hope series continues this fall, including a talk from our own Fr. Joe Gillespie who will wax poetic on what gives him hope in life and literature. Dr. Carolyn Woo will join us in October for the second annual Link Lecture Series. Dr. Woo is former CEO of Catholic Relief Services and former dean of the Notre Dame business school – she is one of the most impressive Catholic leaders I have met. I encourage you to attend her talk – you will not regret it.
In late October, two national restorative justice leaders – Sr. Janet Ryan and Kay Pranis – will be at The Basilica to help form and educate those who attend on how to build and integrate a restorative justice culture into our communities. Also, this fall Luminiscence will make its North America debut at The Basilica. This integrative experience of light, music, and architecture has taken Europe by storm. There is much more on tap this fall at The Basilica for parishioners, friends, and visitors of all ages as we together experience a vibrant parish that is on a path to greater renewal and new life.
Fr. Daniel Griffith, Pastor and Rector