Pilgrimage to Mother Church

PATERSON  The eyes of middle school students opened wide in awe as they entered the beautiful Cathedral of St. John the Baptist here. For many of the students the visit to the Mother Church of the Paterson Diocese was their first time ever and for many, it was also the largest church they had been in.

Coordinated by the Diocesan Chancery Office, the special pilgrimage event for middle school students in diocesan elementary schools took place Nov. 10. The morning event included a brief history of the cathedral, the meaning of pilgrimage and Mass celebrated by Bishop Serratelli, concelebrated by several priests, many of whom came with the students from their parish schools.

“This is your day,” Sister of Christian Charity Joan Daniel Healy, diocesan chancellor and delegate for religious, said in welcoming the middle school students, “You are the first group of pilgrims to visit and worship in our newly renovated cathedral. You are on a pilgrimage. You are like the holy people who walked from St. Peter’s in Rome and all over the world to show love to and honor to Jesus.”

The students, ranging from fifth to eighth grade, began the special day with the Bishop explaining the importance of the cathedral.

“Every diocese has one cathedral,” the Bishop told the young people. “What makes the cathedral the Mother Church of the diocese, the place where the most special ceremonies take place, like ordinations to the priesthood and diaconate and the Chrism Mass — what makes the cathedral so important is that chair known as the bishop’s cathedra, the Latin word for seat.”

Referring to when Jesus would teach the people, such as when he gave them the Beatitudes, the Bishop spoke about how Jesus sat down and began to teach. “From the time of Jesus, the position of the teacher was always seated and so the chair where the teacher sat became a sign of his authority to teach, to govern and to sanctify the people of the diocese as Jesus’ successor to the apostles,” the Bishop said.

He spoke about some of the important parts of the cathedral such as the baptismal font, which is at the entrance of the cathedral as a reminder to all those who enter about their baptism day and the baptismal promises. He also mentioned one of the most important parts of the cathedral: the altar, the place where the celebration of the Eucharist takes place.

“The Eucharist is the most important thing because the Eucharist is the sacrifice of the Cross. When we come to celebrate the Eucharist, we are with Jesus at the Last Supper; we are with him at the cross as he gives his life to us. The Eucharist gives us the very mystery of Christ’s dying and rising,” he said.

The Bishop talked about the pulpit where the preaching of the Word of God takes place and explained the Stations of the Cross and stained glass windows, which were donated by the sacrifices of local people, who worshipped at the cathedral, to make it a beautiful place.

Explaining the most sacred part of the cathedral, the Bishop pointed to the gold tabernacle directly behind the altar at the cathedral.

The Bishop asked the young people, “What, or I should say who, is in the tabernacle?”

The young people responded, “Jesus.”

The Bishop told them, “We reserve the Eucharist. We reserve Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament in the tabernacle. That is why when we come into the church, we should always be respectful because we are in the very presence of Jesus, who is our Lord and our God.”

Following the teaching by the Bishop and the Mass, many of the students told the Beacon that they felt honored to be at the cathedral.

Matthew Cardenas, a fifth-grader at St. Anthony School in Hawthorne, said, “This was an interesting experience. The cathedral is a beautiful place to celebrate our faith. The Bishop was amazing and I learned a lot.”

Fellow St. Anthony schoolmate, Victoria DelaCroce, a sixth-grader, said, “It’s really beautiful. The Bishop is a really good speaker.”

Coming from Holy Spirit School in Pequannock, seventh-grader Jason Alcott said, “The place is great. The stained glass windows are amazing. It’s really great to be with so many people my age and to be able to grow in our faith and worship today here.”

Two students from St. Joseph School in Mendham also shared the same sentiments. Ryan Hall, a fifth-grader said, “Mass was great and the Bishop taught us a lot.”

Brianna Hetherington, a sixth-grader said, “I really loved coming here today. This place is really special.”

At the end of his teaching, the Bishop told the students, “This is a holy place. This is where the Church of Paterson comes together. We pray for you, your schools, parents and families. Pray for those who teach you, who give their lives so you can come to understand all the wisdom and knowledge that they have of our Catholic tradition. Think of whether or not God is calling you to a very special vocation of being a priest or religious. Among you here today, God is giving you that call. Ask God to open your hearts to where he wants you to be in life.”