As usual the bishops began with Mass and then breakfast. Our bus left at 9:00 for the first meeting, which was with the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life. Archbishop Franc Rode is the Prefect. He and his collaborators walked us through a number of common issues that bishops deal with each day with regard to religious life. He is very concerned, as are we, with the decline in vocations to religious communities. I had a chance to tell him how blessed we are to have wonderful women and men religious in our diocese.
Our second meeting was with Cardinal Walter Kasper at the Council for Christian Unity. He is a very energetic man, whom I had met some years ago when he came to the Josephinum to give a lecture. He brought us up to date on the dialogue with various Christian groups and encouraged us to take new initiatives in our own dioceses that foster unity of Christians. We had a very lively discussion on a wide range of topics and most of the bishops considered this visit one of the best while in Rome.
For lunch, Bishop Dennis Schnurr and I joined one of the officials of the Holy Office for lunch. Father Augustine DiNoia,OP, is a friend from our Washington days together. It was good to be with him again and renew friendship.
The rest of the day is free and our ad limina is over for the most part. The bishops of the region decided to stay an extra day to take a pilgrimage to Assisi in thanksgiving for the blessings of the trip. We leave tomorrow and will return Monday night. I then fly back on Tuesday with a late arrival, but in time to get ready for the work that awaits me in the office.
I have really enjoyed sharing these days with you. I see from the counter we keep on our site that a good number of people have been reading my reports. I will give everyone an update on the visit at my luncheon this coming Friday at the Cathedral. Mass is at 11:45 and lunch will follow.
Until then, I wish you and all your loved ones every blessing.
Peace be with you.
Bishop Blase Cupich
This sixth day of our ad limina visit began with a Mass at which Bishop Pates presided. Our schedule had to be rearranged since the Pope asked to see all of the bishops from the province as a group at eleven this morning. This meant that we had to reschedule our meeting for the Secretariate for Christian Unity for tomorrow.
We went by bus to the Vatican and entered directly into the Piazza San Damaso,which leads to the papal apartments. Before our visit we ran into Cardinal Szoka, the former Archbishop of Detroit and now the Governor of Vatican City. He had an audience with the Pope just before us. Around 11:15 we were ushered in to see the Holy Father. Archbishop Flynn offered a greeting on our behalf and then the Holy Father spoke. I hope to send a copy for reproduction on this site of the Pope's words to us.
At 12:30 we went to the Congregation for Clergy and met with Cardinal Castrillon. We excused ourselves at 1:30 so that we could get back to the College for lunch at 1:30. The weather continues to be pleasant, although a bit cloudy today. After a brief rest I took a very long walk, and then made it back in time to get ready for dinner with the Province. Archbishop Flynn has been more than gracious in hosting us and will do so this evening.
I continue to remember all of your intentions and your families' needs while I am in Rome. I have to admit I am looking forward to getting back home. We have only one more day of visits with Roman officials.
Bishop Blase Cupich
P.S. The words of the Holy Father to the Bishops of the Province are posted here and the words of Archbishop Harry Flynn are posted here.
I just returned from my visit with the Holy Father, but before I write about that, I will start at the beginning of the day.
After breakfast our group left the College for our meeting with the Congregation for Divine Worship, which was scheduled for 9:30. Cardinal Arinze, the Prefect, hosted us. We had a very fruitful discussion about the life of the Church in the United States. He and his collaborators were most helpful in clarifying some questions and they also offered encouragement in our episcopal ministry.
Five of the bishops had to leave at 10:30 for the meeting with the Pope. I was among them and I was joined at the Bronze Door entrance to the papal apartments by Monsignor O'Connell and Father Biegler. I had asked that they be received with me by the Holy Father. Around 11:10 we were ushered in and after a photo with our two priests I had about a 20 minute visit with the Pope. He was interested in hearing about the diocese. In particular he asked about our seminarians and I assured him that we have a fine quality group of men. I showed him the prayer card that many parishes use each Sunday to pray for vocations and he blessed a group of them, which I plan to send to our parishes upon my return home.
The Holy Father also asked about family life in our diocese. I spoke about the unique challenges our people face in the rural area, on the reservations and in the Hills. He seemed genuinely interested and asked that I bring to all of you his pledge of prayers and blessings.
We spoke about religious life and I was happy to share with him that we had a good number of religious men and women who have dedicated themselves to the missionary work in our diocese for over a century. I made mention of St. Martin's Monastery and the wonderful contribution that sisters have made to the diocese over the years.
The final topic we discussed was evangelization. He is concerned about the need to provide strong religious education at all levels. I told him about the Generations of Faith model used in many of our parishes. He asked me to commend all of those involved in religious education for their hard work and sacrifice. He especially was pleased to hear about the emphasis on parental involvement in our education programs for youth. I told him that I looked forward to coming to World Youth Day in Cologne this August with a number of our young people.
At the end of the visit he gave me a beautiful pectoral cross and other gifts. I look forward to showing these to our people upon my return, especially at the Bishop's luncheon next Friday, December 17.
By the way, I just got word that my interview at the Vatican Radio will be broadcast at 5:10 P.M. Rome time at www.105live.vaticanradio.org.
Bishop Schnurr of Duluth and I have been invited to have lunch with Cardinal Laghi. We will be leaving here shortly. You may recall that the Cardinal was present for the opening of St. Thomas More High School. Both Bishop Schnurr and I worked for him at the Nunciature or Vatican Embassy in the 80s.
This afternoon the bishops of the province go to St. Paul Outside the Walls for Mass and then to the Villa Stritch for a reception. The Villa is the home of American priests working in the Vatican.
I will dash off for now as I have to get ready for lunch. All of you continue to be in my prayers and as I celebrate Mass today at St. Paul's.
Peace be with you!
Bishop Blase Cupich
In fact, as it is the 150th anniversary of the declaration of our Lady as the Immaculate Conception, it is a special day for the universal Church and our country. Mary as the Immaculate Conception is the patroness of our country. The College celebrated with a Mass in the main chapel, where I was ordained a deacon in 1974 by then-bishop Hickey and later Cardinal Hickey. Archbishop Flynn, our metropolitan, gave a wonderful homily on the unique contribution of Mary to God and the Church.
A very festive dinner followed in the College refectory. Father Biegler hosted me, Monsignor O'Connell, who is in town this week, Father Philip DeSea of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart and Protia Prebys, who directs the program in Rome for St. Mary's College in Notre Dame, IN.
The menu was splendid and I have to admit I had a second helping of dessert! The students offered three toasts at the end, one to the Holy Father, one to the United States and one to the College. I was ready for a siesta after all of that!
The rest of the day is free but I am thinking of going down to the Spanish Steps to join the Holy Father's homage to our Lady, which is a traditional celebration in Rome on this feast day.
I will close for now and update you on the rest of the day. Unfortunately, the rains have returned.
Thank you for logging in and I will report more tomorrow, after my visit with the Holy Father, which is at 11 A.M. Rome time.
Bishop Blase Cupich
The rain seems have lifted and we have been left with very mild and sunny weather. It should be in the 60s today. The bishops began with Mass at 7:30. I ws asked to be principal celebrant. Following breakfast we loaded on the bus for the trip down to the Vatican for our meetings. The first one was at the Congregation for Bishops. Cardinal Re, the prefect, spent over an hour and a half with us. He offered some encouraging words, noting the special challenges we face in our country. He generously took time for questions and a general discussion on the life of the Church in the United States.
The second stop was at the Congregation for Education, which has charge of all Catholic schools, vocations and seminaries. Archbishop Miller, recently president of St. Thomas University in Houston, hosted us. Again, he began the discussion by noting many of the positive developments found in our reports. We had ample time for questions and I was happy to tell him about our seminarians and our Catholic schools.
Around 12:30 we left the Vatican offices. Most of the bishops returned to the North American College where we are staying. I, however, walked down to the Vatican Radio Office, as I was invited to give an interview. You will be able to hear this interview over the Internet in the next few days. As soon as I get information about the broadcast time, I will put it in the blog. The questions were mainly about what challenges we face in western South Dakota and basic statistics about our size and the number of Catholics. I hope you will have a chance to listen to it.
I made it back to the North American by lunch time, which is 1:15. The pasta is always good at the College, and I had a chance to sit with Father Biegler and some students from New Ulm, MN.
At 3:30 I leave for the Casa Santa Maria, which is the gradute house for American priests studying in Rome. It was the first site of the North American College and it is situated near the Trevi Fountain. The bishops are invited for dinner, but I am going early to help arrange for the meeting of the English speaking bishops in Rome next May. This group, consisting of representatives from the English speaking Bishops' Conferences,has been meeting regularly over the past couple of years to share information on the sexual abuse crisis. The Americans have been asked to host it and Father Clete Kiley, a priest from Chicago and staff member of the U.S. Bishops' Conference, is in town to help coordinate the plans with me.
I just learned today that I will meet with the Holy Father in his apartment on Thursday, December 9 at 11:00 A.M. I look forward to that visit and to sharing with you afterwards the conversation I will have with him.
That should do it for now. Thanks for logging on and reading. Peace be with you!
Bishop Blase Cupich
Greetings
from Rome
This is our second
day of the ad
limina visit.
It began with Mass at the Altar of the Tomb of St. Peter in St. Peter's Basilica
at 9:00 A.M. Bishop Victor Balke, the Bishop of Crookston and the senior
Bishop in our Province, presided and preached. He has a great message, reminding
us that the question Jesus posed to
Peter should echo in our hearts each day as we shepherd the Church, "Do
you love me?"
The
rain has let up for now, although the forcast is
for more in the week. The temperature is in the
60s.
At
noon time I will be visiting Father Gerald O'Collins,
SJ. He lives at the Gregorian University and has
invited me to lunch. Father O'Collins is a world-renowned
scholar, who taught me during my seminary years.
He also came to the Josephinum, where I was rector
in the 1990s, to help inaugurate an academic
chair in honor of Cardinal Laghi, a good friend to
many in Rapid City and the former Nuncio to the United
States.
The
rest of the day is free. While some of the bishops
have already been scheduled for their private visit
with the Holy Father, I am still waiting word.
These are scheduled alphabetically by diocese,
so Rapid City and Sioux Falls come later in the
week.
That
is all for now. Peace be with you.
Welcome to the first installment of this report from Rome as I participate in the ad limina visit with the Bishops from Region 8.
Every five years a diocesan bishop is obliged to make a report to the Holy See on the status of the diocese. We submitted a rather large report last June, and it is on the basis of that report that I will be having discussions with various officials of the Roman Curia.
The term ad limina refers to the threshold of the Churches of Saints Peter and Paul, where we also make a visit this week and celebrate Mass. Sometime during the week each bishop from our region, that is the two Dakotas and Minnesota, ten bishops in all, will have a private visit with the Pope. At this time we have not been told which day that will be.
The bishops are staying at the North American College, where Father Steve Biegler is a faculty member in charge of pastoral formation. We began with Mass in the College's North American Martyrs' Chapel at 5:00 P.M. We then met as a group for an update on how the week will go. At 6:30 we joined the students for Solemn Evening Prayer and then had dinner with the faculty. After the long trip most of us will turn in early. It usually takes me a few days to overcome jet lag.
I will remember all of you and your families during this week, asking God's special graces on the sick and the needy,and I will offer a special prayer for an increase in vocations. That is all for today.
Peace be with you!
Bishop Blase Cupich
