America's Church

Inside Twenty Something Slowing down and saying thank you, Criterion page 12. Serving the Church in Central and Southern Indiana Since 1960 CriterionOnline.com November 13, 2009 Vol. L, No. 7 75¢ Cardinal praises vote for health America’s care reform with CNS photo/Nancy Wiechec federal ban on church abortion funding ‘Nation’s parish’ WASHINGTON (CNS)—Cardinal Francis E. George of Chicago, president of the celebrates 50 years U.S. bishops’ conference, praised as place of prayer the House of Representatives for approving a reform and pilgrimage bill that provides WASHINGTON (CNS)—The Basilica of the National “adequate and Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington—the affordable health care largest Catholic church in North America and one of the to all” and “voting 10 largest churches in the world—is a familiar place to overwhelmingly” for a U.S. Catholics who regard the immense structure as prohibition on using their own. federal money to pay The basilica, which marks the 50th anniversary of its Cardinal Francis E. George for most abortions. dedication on Nov. 20, is not a parish or a cathedral. An amendment to Instead, it was designated by the U.S. bishops as a national ban abortion funding sponsored by Rep. Bart place of prayer and pilgrimage, something the basilica’s Stupak, D-Mich., and other House members 1 million annual visitors know well. passed 240-194, and led to passage of the The book America’s Church, published by Our Sunday Affordable Health Care for America Act in a Visitor in 2000, describes the basilica as having “no parish 220-215 vote. community as its own; but rather counts every American In a statement issued late on Nov. 9, the Catholic among its members. No single bishop claims it as cardinal lauded the Nov. 7 vote and urged the his cathedral; rather it is the church of all the nation’s Senate to follow the House’s example. bishops. ... In every way, the national shrine is America’s The House “honored President [Barack] Catholic church.” Obama’s commitment to the Congress and the And as a church for all Catholics, its doors are always nation that health care reform would not open—seven days a week, 365 days a year. Every day, for become a vehicle for expanding abortion five hours, priests administer the sacrament of reconcil- funding or mandates,” he said. iation and celebrate at least six Masses. Weddings and The Senate is expected to take up its baptisms—sacraments that are to be witnessed by a version of health care reform later this month. worshipping parish community—do not take place there. Above, fall colors highlight the The House and Senate bills differ significantly On any given weekday, the basilica is often relatively exterior view of the Basilica of so any version the Senate passes will have to quiet—aglow with flames of votive candles and often with the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in be reconciled with the other, and each body the lingering scent of incense in the air. Groups go on tours CNS photo/Bob Roller will vote again on the final legislation. The and individuals pray in chapels tucked in nooks of the Washington on Nov. 6. Plans for Senate bill does not include language on huge stone, brick and concrete church. building the shrine began as abortion similar to the Stupak amendment. On weekends, holy days and special celebrations or early as 1910. Cardinal George said the U.S. Conference dedications, the basilica is often filled to capacity and then of Catholic Bishops “will remain vigilant ... to some, and the quiet calm is replaced with music and Right, a woman prays near a assure that these essential provisions are overflowing crowds, sometimes in native dress and holding statue of the Infant Jesus of maintained and included in the final aloft flags. Prague in the Crypt Church at the legislation.” During the annual National Prayer Vigil for Life each Basilica of the National Shrine of The Stupak amendment prohibits the use of January, hundreds of pilgrims from youth groups around the Immaculate Conception in federal funds to pay for abortion, including the country spend the night on the floor on the basilica’s Washington on Oct. 30. The barring abortion coverage from insurance lower level. shrine will mark the plans which consumers purchase using During the spring and fall, dozens of diocesan 50th anniversary of its dedication government subsidies. The USCCB and other groups make pilgrimages to the basilica, and Msgr. Walter on Nov. 20. pro-life organizations had threatened to Rossi, the basilica’s rector, makes it a point to personally oppose any final bill that did not include such See BASILICA, page 2 See HEATH CARE, page 8 Importance of endowments in tough economy emphasized at Catholic Community Foundation’s annual meeting By Sean Gallagher Members of the Catholic Community Foundation (CCF), which manages 368 endowments that support parishes, Sean Gallagher Photo by schools, agencies and other ministries across the archdiocese, had their annual meeting on Nov. 4 at the Archbishop O’Meara Catholic Center in Indianapolis. The gathering occurred in the midst of a continuing economic downturn that has had a significant impact on the CCF’s assets. As of June 30, the assets stood at $126.7 million, a 20 percent drop from the previous year. Still, because the stock market has been performing better in recent months, it was noted at the meeting that, at the end of September, those assets had grown back to $140 million. Archbishop Daniel M. Buechlein speaks to members of the board of directors of the Catholic In remarks made at the meeting, Community Foundation and other guests at the foundation’s annual meeting on Nov. 4 at the See CCF, page 3 Archbishop O’Meara Catholic Center in Indianapolis. Page 2 The Criterion Friday, November 13, 2009 the shrine had been a The Basilica of the A bronze sculpture of the BASILICA significant sacrifice, National Shrine of the chair of St. Peter is seen especially during the time Immaculate Conception at the Basilica of the continued from page 1 of the Great Depression. has more than photo/Bob Roller CNS National Shrine of the greet them. “This is your parish away from Initial work on CNS photo/Nancy Wiechec 70 chapels and oratories. Immaculate Conception home,” he tells them. “You built it. You the shrine, named a Most are dedicated to in Washington on Oct. 30. support it. We’re here for you.” basilica in 1990, began Mary in the many cultural The miniature sculpture He said the basilica is often described as in the early 1900s. and national expressions. is an exact copy of the the nation’s parish because Catholics from Although the basilica’s Pictured is the Chapel of original in St. Peter’s across the country contributed to building it cornerstone was laid in Our Lady of Pompei, Basilica at the Vatican. as a monument to Mary. He still receives 1920, the featuring a mosaic of notes from people who remember how their Great Depression and Mary and the Infant schools and parishes sent in donations— World War II delayed Jesus holding a rosary. including collections of pennies—to help completion of the upper raise funds for this huge undertaking. church until 1959. “Fifty years later, it still has a national Since that time, the Mosaic detail is from the A couple visits Our Lady impact,” he told Catholic News Service on shrine has always Chapel of Our Lady of of La Vang Chapel at the Nov. 4, noting that many people who remained a work in Guadalupe at the Basilica of the National contribute say they have never even been to progress with the continual Basilica of the CNS photo/Bob Roller Shrine of the the basilica, but they believe in the work it additions of stained-glass CNS photo/Nancy Wiechec National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception does. windows, mosaics, statues, Immaculate Conception in Washington on The names of the founding contributors, dome work and chapels. in Washington. Oct. 30. The chapel, and those they wanted remembered, are not One dome in the interior which was dedicated in just tucked away in yellowed record books, of the upper church still 2006, was a gift from but etched in the walls and marble pillars on remains unadorned. Vietnamese-Americans. the basilica’s lower level. More than 70 chapels Geraldine Rohling, the basilica’s and oratories—which are archivist, said the pillars, and the names similar to chapels but do upon them, literally and figuratively support not have altars—are the church. located throughout the “These are the sentinels of our faith—the shrine. Periodically, new generation that came before us,” Rohling ones are dedicated by told CNS. She also described the chiseled various ethnic groups and religious Gospel of John: “In my father’s house there In 1976, then-Cardinal Karol Wojtyla names as a “roll call of the American communities. These chapels relate to the are many rooms” (Jn 14:2). visited the shrine’s Polish chapel to Church,” noting that they do not just shrines of the regions they represent, such as She also said they demonstrate the Our Lady of Czestochowa, and he paid a include Church leaders, but also members Our Mother of Africa, Our Lady of diversity of the universal Church. repeat visit to the chapel three years later as of Congress, Civil War veterans, saints and Czestochowa and Our Lady of Guadalupe, to Msgr. Rossi said the ethnic chapels give pope. When Pope Benedict XVI visited the even George Herman “Babe” Ruth— name just a few.

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