MILWAUKEE — With rituals and celebrations dating to the early 16th century, Catholics will welcome a new archbishop beginning January 3, the feast of the Epiphany, and culminating with the installation Mass on January 4, as Archbishop Jerome E. Listecki becomes the 11th archbishop of Milwaukee.
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The by-invitation celebration starts with the Solemn Vespers Vigil of Welcome at 6 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 3, at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, Milwaukee. According to Dean Daniels, director of the office of worship for the Milwaukee Archdiocese, both celebrations are expected to be deeply rooted in Church traditions.
‘Quiet liturgy’
“It’s a very quiet, very contemplative liturgy, focusing on the psalms and on one Scripture reading,” Daniels said about the vespers service. “It’s not a big bombastic liturgy; it’s a very contemplative evening prayer liturgy, and that begins the whole celebration of the installation.
“The liturgy will begin with the Native-American community, the Congregation of the Great Spirit,” Daniels explained about the vespers service. “They are going to have a drumming circle in the center of the cathedral, which, in their tradition – a Catholic Native American tradition – is a call to prayer. It’s a calling of the four winds, of the four corners of the earth, to come together and to praise God.”
As the drumming begins to fade, Archbishop Listecki will be outside and give a resounding knock on the cathedral doors, which will be opened by Fr. Carl A. Last, cathedral rector. Father Last will present Archbishop Listecki with a crucifix to kiss and will then lead him to the baptismal font, where Archbishop Listecki will bless himself and then proceed to bless those around him in a sprinkling rite, including Bishop William P. Callahan, who will preside at the service, and Bishop Richard J. Sklba, who will deliver the homily.
Where to watch, listen to installation Jan. 4While attendance at Archbishop Listecki’s January 4 Installation Mass is by invitation only, Catholics in Wisconsin will have an opportunity to watch and/or listen to the Mass: • In the Milwaukee area, WISN-TV Channel 12 and WTMJ-TV Channel 4 will telecast the Mass, beginning with the procession at 1:30 p.m. • Channel 12 will also provide a live stream of the video on its Web site at www.wisn.com A link to WISN’s Web site will be posted on the archdiocesan site www.archmil.org • Relevant Radio will broadcast the 1 p.m.Mass, with Fr. Frank Hoffman (Father Rocky) hosting, on Milwaukee, 100.1 FM; La Crosse, 1570 AM; Eau Claire, 1050 AM; Wisconsin Rapids, 93.9 FM; Wausau, 92.9 FM; Green Bay, 1050 AM; and Madison, 1240 AM. • Catholic TV will broadcast the Installation Mass. Go to www.catholictv.com for air times. • EWTN is also exploring the possibility of airing the Installation Mass. Check local listings for more information. |
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The vespers music will be provided by the cathedral choir and some members of the archdiocesan choir, guided by cathedral music director Michael Batcho, with songs chosen especially by Archbishop Listecki. Two psalms will be chanted and one canticle will be sung, according to Daniels, although most of the music will not be determined until closer to the date of the celebration.
Guide to planning
Daniels noted that the “Ceremonial of Bishops,” the book that lays out the liturgy for the installation of a bishop, notes that the celebration is intended to take place all in one day, but that the archdiocese generally chooses to expand it over two days as a way to allow more people into the cathedral to witness and share in the celebrations. Most dioceses in the United States have adopted that approach, he added.
Because the cathedral cannot accommodate all who might wish to attend the vespers service and/or installation Mass, each parish has been invited to have one member represent its congregation, said Daniels. All priests are invited to concelebrate the Mass.
Installation Mass
Beginning at 2 p.m. January 4, the installation takes place in the cathedral.
Approximately 45 people will comprise the opening part of the procession into the cathedral, according to Daniels. Civic and ecumenical leaders, deacons, and vested concelebrating clergy, including nearly 70 bishops, will process into the cathedral.
An honor guard comprised of the Knights of Columbus and the Knights and Ladies of St. Peter Claver will lead the remainder of the procession, according to Daniels. Following them will be the main procession, which includes Father Last, Bishops Callahan and Sklba, Archbishop Listecki, papal nuncio Archbishop Pietro Sambi, and the cardinals. The procession alone can take as long as 45 minutes, Daniels noted.
The opening part of the liturgy is specific to the instillation process, according to Daniels. After the procession, the papal nuncio will begin with the Sign of the Cross, and Bishop Callahan will welcome everyone to the ceremony. The College of Consulters — archdiocesan priests who have been consulting Bishop Callahan during his time as archdiocesan administrator — will come forward and stand in front of the presider’s chair where Archbishop Sambi will be seated. The apostolic letter that appoints Archbishop Listecki to the Archdiocese of Milwaukee is then brought forward.
After the reading of the apostolic letter, Archbishop Sambi will walk over to Archbishop Listecki and escort him to the cathedra — the archbishop’s official seat in the cathedral. Bishop Callahan will then present the shepherd’s crosier to Archbishop Sambi, who will then give that staff to Archbishop Listecki.
Soon after, Archbishop Listecki will formally be presented to representative leaders of parishes and Catholic schools, other Catholic and ecumenical communities, as well as Milwaukee civic leaders.
The remainder of the liturgy will proceed as would any other Mass, with a few atypical aspects taking place.