Bishop Donald J. Hying of Madison presided on September 15, at a Mass that marked in a formal way the installation of St. Bernard Parish as the Cathedral of St. Bernard of Clairvaux in the Diocese of Madison.
This is a way for us to give praise and thanks to God for the gift of having a cathedral again, Bishop Hying said in his homily.
Reflecting on the Gospel of the day, Bishop Hying commented that Jesus asked, “Who do you say that I am?” in a time and place in which people were basically offered a “religious smorgasbord.”
We know that Jesus is the Son of God and that in Him humanity encounters salvation, said Bishop Hying.
“He is our master and redeemer . . . He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Without Him, we are lost.”
When we come to know who Jesus is, that’s when we come to recognize our deepest identity, he said.
“We can only come to know ourselves through Christ.”
As a place for Catholics to gather around the bishop for key diocesan events, the cathedral is the mother church of the diocese and for 20 years we haven’t had one, he said, noting that a cathedral is usually located in the heart of the city because God is at the center of our community.
“The Faith is the glue that holds the culture together,” he said.
The cathedral is planted in the heart of the city to serve as a sign to the world of the presence of Christ, where the poor and the sick find solace and healing, he said.
It is through the death of Christ on the cross that we are saved, he said, noting that when we wrap ourselves up in our pain and suffering with Christ, that gives it enormous redemptive power.
“In His mercy, the Lord allows us to add our suffering to His,” said Bishop Hying. “That thing we wish would go away in our life is actually the means of our salvation.”
Bishop Hying noted that the construction of the cathedral will hopefully be completed by the end of 2025.
The reading of the official letter from the Holy See naming St. Bernard as the Cathedral of St. Bernard of Clairvaux was then met by applause.
To learn more about the project, go to madisoncathedral.org.