Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, will lead Centennial Mass

Daniel Cardinal DiNardo of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston will be the principal celebrant at the Centennial Jubilee Mass for the Diocese of Corpus Christi at the American Bank Center on March 26.

It is from the Diocese of Galveston that the Diocese of Corpus Christi sprung forth and it is today the province to which it belongs. Cardinal DiNardo is no stranger to Corpus Christi having presided over the installation Mass for Bishop Wm. Michael Mulvey two years ago.

Bishop Mulvey, Bishop Emeritus Rene Gracida, Bishop Emeritus Edmond Carmody, bishops from Texas and other invited bishops and priests will concelebrate the Mass with Cardinal DiNardo.

Some 10,000 faithful were expected to attend the Mass, making it the largest attendance at any Mass in the history of the diocese. In 1962, four cardinals filled the now demolished Memorial Coliseum, which was a smaller venue.  Arrangements were made for a live video feed of the Mass to an adjacent conference room where the overflow from the convention center will be seated.

The Centennial Mass falls on the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord. Bishop Mulvey will make some opening remarks before the Penitential Rite and Cardinal DiNardo will issue a proclamation.

Seminarians from the Diocese of Corpus Christi as well as altar servers representing parishes from throughout the diocese will be servers at the Mass. Ushers from various parishes in the diocese will serve as ushers and hospitality ministers.

Sister Michelle Marie Kuntscher, IWBS, and seminarian Christopher Becerra will proclaim the readings. Daniel Vasquez will be the cantor. Gift bearers will be representatives from the eight deaneries in the diocese.

Lee Gwozdz, assisted by Guadalupe Rivera, will direct the Diocesan Chorus and Eddie Fernandez will direct the Cathedral Schola Contorum. The choir was organized from members of parish choirs from throughout the diocese who tried out for a place in the special choir assembled for the Mass.

Cardinal DiNardo is expected to offer congratulatory remarks to Bishop Mulvey and the faithful of the Diocese of Corpus Christi, but as chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Pro-Life Activities he will likely also address in his homily the current controversy involving the administration’s attacks on religious liberty.

On Feb. 15, Cardinal DiNardo called on Congress to solve conscience protection problems with the federal health reform law by passing the “Respect for Rights of Conscience Act.” He said resolving this “needless dispute,” would free everyone to “return to the most pressing of all the real problems—the fact that many millions of Americans still lack basic coverage for health care.”

Timothy Cardinal Dolan, who earlier in the day was scheduled to provide the keynote address to the Formation Conference, was unable to stay for the Mass. 

(Editor’s Note: This is the April issue of the South Texas Catholic, but because of the importance of the Centennial Jubilee Formation Conference and Mass, we went to press early to have the special edition available for this event.)