His
Eminence, Timothy Cardinal Dolan, the Archbishop of New York, celebrated Mass
this morning at Holy Trinity Seminary.
He was in Irving for a meeting hosted by the National Catholic Bioethics
Center.
Cardinal Dolan has a long history of supporting the work of seminaries. He served as the Vice Rector at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in St. Louis and was later appointed as Rector of the North American College in Rome. As the Archbishop of New York, Cardinal Dolan plays a prominent role in promoting vocations in the United States.
In honor of the Feast of Saint Paul Miki and his Companions, Cardinal Dolan’s homily focused on martyrdom. He called to mind Pope John Paul II’s famous words, “If something is not worth dying for, it's not worth living for.” He noted that most of us will not die from religious persecution otherwise known as Red Martyrdom. However, he called to mind White Martyrdom and spoke of the sacrifices and suffering that can still occur as a result of one’s dedication to his faith. His words truly hit home with the seminarians.
The 6th of February also happened to be Cardinal Dolan’s birthday. After Mass, he joined the seminarians for breakfast where they surprised him with a candle in his French toast and sang “Happy Birthday!” Many seminarians had the opportunity to talk with him and take pictures before he left to catch a plane back to New York.
