“If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.”
GARY – Bishop Robert J. McClory celebrated the Risen Christ with parishioners and guests at the Cathedral of the Holy Angels on Easter Sunday, April 20.
The Cathedral Parish Choir led the congregation in the hymn “Jesus Christ is Risen Today” as the bishop and co-celebrant Father Michael Surufka, O.F.M., rector at the cathedral, processed to the altar.
The bishop began his homily by speaking of people from Austria to the United Kingdom who were welcomed into the Catholic Church through baptism and confirmation at Easter Vigil services, finding “peace and serenity” in the Word of God. Included, he added, were “more than 100 baptized last night in the Diocese of Gary, nine of them at the Indiana State Prison in Michigan City. They are now Christians. Where is the hope in that? They have come to believe in Christ.”
The choice of new Catholics joining the Church shows that “something’s happening, and it should (also) be happening in our hearts,” said the bishop.
“As St. Paul said, ‘If you believe in Christ, seek what is above’; we are called to respond to all the despair (in the world),” said Bishop McClory. “Jesus is alive, I am not alone, I’m not perfect, but Jesus is. He loves me, and he forgave me.
“Whether baptized as young people or at the very end of life,” added the bishop, those who believe in Christ find mercy and forgiveness in the Lord.
The bishop told the story of a friend of his, whose grandfather he described as “a tough old bird” that came to live with his friend’s family. “They did their best to love him. He had never been baptized, but the family kept pouring the love of Christ upon him as his health continued to decline. In the middle of the night, his daughter got up and went into his room, and found him sitting straight up in bed. She asked, ‘Do you want to be baptized?’ and he said ‘Yes.’
“She got the family up, and since it was at the end of life, she poured water on her father’s head and said, “I baptize you in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.’ Then he took one breath and died, and the family celebrated. It is never too late to receive the love of the Lord,” said the bishop.
Cathedral parishioner Brian Grady, of Gary, couldn’t imagine being anywhere but his home church for Easter. “We have come to the point where Christ has risen … more than anything Holy Communion signifies that,” he said. “The cathedral just feels like home. I was baptized here, I was confirmed here, I was an altar server here. Now my nephews, Brandon and Arynald Jr. Brady, are serving today’s Mass.
Devrie Hobson, also of Gary, said while she grew up in East Chicago attending Holy Trinity and singing in the choir, she enjoys attending the cathedral every Sunday. “I love the hymns and I love to sing,” she said. “I gave up sugar and bread for Lent, so I will enjoy dinner today.”
Roxana Reyes brought her nine-year-old son, Sylvester Ortiz, to their first Easter Mass at the cathedral, saying she was “looking forward to strengthening my faith. It is a special time and a special place.”
Banner and Lea Ramos brought their young daughter, Shailene, to Easter Sunday Mass at the cathedral for the first time from their home in Hoffman Estates, Ill. “We went to The Shrine of Christ’s Passion (in St. John) for the first time on Good Friday and we were in awe,” said Banner Ramos. “(The Stations of the Cross) were very well presented and it was beyond my expectations.”
Lea Ramos added, “I wish we’d known about it before this year; it’s probably someplace we’d visit every year on Good Friday.”
After attending Good Friday at the shrine, “we decided to come here to the cathedral for Easter for the first time. We look forward to celebrating the Mass with the bishop,” said Banner Ramos. “The Lord has risen, and it’s a new beginning.”
Caption: During Easter Sunday Mass on April 20 at the Cathedral of the Holy Angels, Bishop Robert J. McClory (left) blesses a young celebrant while Father Michael Surufka, O.F.M., distributes the Holy Eucharist. (Marlene A. Zloza photo)
