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Pallium Mass
Ceremony made Jesus' words 'I am the vine, you are the branches' come alive, Archbishop Vigneron says
by The Michigan Catholic staff and wire reports
Published July 3, 2009
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Catholic Press Photo
Pope Benedict XVI greets U.S. Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron of Detroit after presenting a pallium, a symbol of a shepherd, to him during a Mass in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican June 29. |
VATICAN CITY— Archbishop Allen Vigneron said receiving the pallium during a special Mass in St. Peter's Bascilica on Monday, June 29, made Jesus' words in the Gospel of John, "I am the vine, you are the branches," come alive.
He said it was a "charge" to be one of 34 bishops from 20 countries to receive the pallium, the white, narrow circular band worn over a bishop's vestments. "I really think of it as a challenge, and a promise," he said. "So if I accept it, I've accepted this promise that I will live up to this vestment, which is a commitment to be a good shepherd and to do that in communion with the pope and with all the other bishops of the Church."
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L'Osservatore Romano, CNS
Pope Benedict XVI presents a pallium to U.S. Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron of Detroit during a Mass in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican June 29. During the Mass, 34 archbishops from 20 countries knelt before the pope and received a pallium, a woolen band worn around their shoulders as a sign of their authority and their responsibility as shepherds. |
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Catholic Press Photo
Archbishop Vigneron takes a few moments in quiet, reflective prayer after receiving the pallium. |
Taking part in the intimate ceremony with the pope underlined "this profound sense of the living, organic reality of the church; that Peter isn't an idea, Peter continues to live in the presence of the pope" thorough "a living chain," he said.
He said that as Mass began and he walked down the aisle, he began to recognize faces in the crowd. "That was just great, to see people, some of whom I've known for 20 or 30 years, and to know that they were with me and a part of the ceremony," he said.
Many of the archbishops were accompanied by a dozen or hundreds of friends, family and faithful for the pilgrimage to Rome. They found many opportunities to pray and celebrate with their pilgrims.
Hearing his name called "was like a litany of all the different parts of the world, and how wonderful that our diocese is part of that," he said. "And then, of course, the Holy Father blesses the pallia and then offers a prayer to God that we'll be able to live up to what it means."
The pallium "strikes me as somewhat of a wedding ring — that we are intimately bound to our people — our sheep — as shepherds," said Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan of New York, "and we're also bound to the universal pastor of the church, Pope Benedict XVI."
Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond of New Orleans said it was "a very powerful experience" to see the tremendous diversity and universality of the Catholic Church during the ceremony. "And to have that opportunity again to pledge loyalty and obedience and respect to (the pope) as the vicar of Christ is a powerful and touching event," he said.
He said he saw the many different ways members of the universal Church are connected to one another and that he was grateful "to belong to the same family as SS. Peter and Paul and do some of their same work."
Archbishop George J. Lucas of Omaha, Neb., said it felt like a dream to be able to celebrate the June 29 feast of SS. Peter and Paul above the tomb of St. Peter and receive the pallium and blessings from the pope and to feel such solidarity with him.
Archbishop Lucas said he was praying he would have the same "kind of pastoral effect that I think the Holy Father has on all of us in the church." He said he sees the pope as being "a very benevolent pastor" and he would like to imitate and share that quality with the people in his new archdiocese.
Archbishop Robert J. Carlson of St. Louis said this was his 25th year as a bishop and that St. Louis would be his fourth diocese. He most recently served in Saginaw.
"I've had a really hard time holding down a job," he joked. But he said he has been blessed with meeting and working with so many wonderful people over the years "who have touched me so deeply."
He said the Mass was "a deeply moving experience of faith for me" and that it gave him an opportunity to reflect on the faith of the people in St. Louis and how privileged he feels to be there.
Archbishop Vigneron said when Catholics come to Rome they often get a sense that Rome is their city, too.
"Romans are generally quite good at that: they have this city as a kind of trust and that anybody who belongs to the church has kind of a citizenship in Rome and I think that's a beautiful experience," he said.
Being the archbishop of Detroit means he leads the other dioceses in Michigan, as well. "It's trying to be a leader for the other bishops," Archbishop Vigneron said. "Really, the metropolitan archbishop is in some ways like the oldest brother in the family. You don't run the family, that's very clear. But you're supposed to try to help things work harmoniously."
Stay in touch
Archbishop Vigneron's blog, A Shepherd's Mission, started to help those in the archdiocese stay in touch and in prayer leading up to the pallium ceremony, will continue. Visit his blog at http://AODonline.wordpress.com/
See it
CTND, the Catholic Television Network of Detroit, offers two different shows centered around Pope Benedict XVI's imposition of the pallium on Archbishop Allen Vigneron.
• The Mass on the Solemnity of SS. Peter and Paul, where Archbishop Vigneron and other new archbishops receive the pallium, airs:
Saturday, July 4, 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, July 8, 4 p.m.
Friday, July 10, noon
• A special "Dialogue," taped in the Vatican, airs:
Monday, July 20, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, July 21, 11 a.m.
Wednesday, July 22, 1 p.m.
Friday, July 24, 9:30 p.m.
Saturday, July 25, 7 :30 p.m.
Monday, July 27, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, July 28, 11 a.m.
Wednesday, July 29, 1 p.m.
Friday, July 31, 9:30 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 1, 7:30 p.m.
Monday, Aug. 3, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 4, 11 a.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 5, 1 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 7, 9:30 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 8, 7:30 p.m.
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