ARTICLES

150th Anniversary of the laying of the cornerstone

At the 150th anniversary celebration of the laying of the cornerstone for St. Patrick’s Church in Richmond Bishop Emeritus Walter F. Sullivan gave the following homily.

On June 12, 1859, Bishop John McGill laid the cornerstone for the present St. Patrick’s Church on Church Hill. Catholic immigrant families of Irish descent settled in the east end of Richmond. They were invited to come in order to build the Kanawha Canal. Pope Pius XI was Pope and James Buchanan was President of our country. A certain Father Teeling was your first pastor. He became famous in the City of Richmond because he refused to testify in a murder trial after hearing the death-bed confession of a dying woman. Father Teeling upheld the secrecy of the confessional and his silence became popularly known as the Teeling Law. 1859 became a significant date because your church was consecrated in November of 1860 on the very eve of the Civil War which turned disastrous for the City of Richmond.

I come to extend the congratulations of the Diocese of Richmond as we celebrate this significant moment in the history of your parish. By my calculation yours was the 6th oldest parish in the then existing Diocese of Richmond. The two oldest parishes were St. Mary’s, now Basilica in Norfolk, and St. Mary’s in Alexandria. They were founded in the year 1791. St. Peter’s here in Richmond, our first cathedral, was founded in 1834, St. Paul’s in Portsmouth in 1824, St. Joseph’s, Petersburg in 1842. Holy Cross Parish in Lynchburg, like St. Patrick’s, was also founded in 1859. In those days Catholics were few in number but staunch in faith. They lived in a rather hostile environment.

I should mention that back in 1859 Bishop John McGill purchased four lots along 25th Street in Richmond. One lot cost $950, the second two lots together cost $850. Times have changed so that today we no longer speak of dollars but we speak of millions and even trillions. Significant in those early days was the arrival of the Daughters of Charity from Emmitsburg, Maryland. In 1866 they established St. Patrick’s School. The Visitation nuns also came to Church Hill at a place just down the street known as Monte Maria overlooking the City of Richmond. A book called Sentinel on the Hill reflects the 100th Anniversary of our cloistered Sisters who in this our day live in Rockville, Virginia.

St. Patrick’s and the two communities of sisters provided a significant Catholic and spiritual presence in the east end of Richmond. Yours is a longstanding history of families dedicated both to the church and to the welfare of the Richmond community. It is not for me to list the 20-plus pastors and the 22 priest associates who served with zeal to the spiritual needs of the parishioners. I have had the honor and privilege to be a part of your history for the past 50 years. The names of families are certainly found in the book of life; they are numbered among the saints who stand before the throne of God.

Today, we have a wonderful feast formerly called Corpus Christi, now known as the Body and Blood of Christ. Just think for a moment the number of Holy Communions received at St. Patrick’s during these 150 years. On today’s feast, we proclaim that we are a eucharistic people and that the eucharist is the center of our spiritual lives. The word “eucharist” means thanksgiving and whenever we gather we come to say thanks to Almighty God for the gift of Jesus our Lord and Savior so freely given to us in the eucharist. The scripture readings of today’s Mass emphasize the word “covenant” or our oneness with God. In the Book of Hebrews we profess that Jesus is the mediator of the new covenant. At the Last Supper Jesus gave his very self to us as a memorial of his death and resurrection. He told his followers in the context of a meal, “This is my body being given up for you; this is my blood being poured out for you. Do this in memory of me.” In another passage, St. Paul writes, “As often as you do this, you proclaim the death of the Lord until he comes.”

And thus we speak of the eucharist as both a sacrifice and a sacrament. At the Sacrifice of the Mass, Jesus once again, in what is called an unbloody sacrifice, offers himself in an act of worship to his heavenly Father. As a sacrament the eucharist is a means of grace, God’s life within us. As previous Popes have clearly stated, “We become what we eat” when we receive Holy Communion, unlike human food that we eat for nourishment. We become assimilated into Christ. When we approach the table of the Lord, we make an act of faith to the words spoken by the eucharistic minister, “The Body of Christ.” Not only do we receive the Body of Christ, but we become and are the Body of Christ. In a special and sacred way we grow into the likeness of Christ because of our communion with him.

Hence, we can truly say that the eucharist makes demands upon us. Our communion not only brings us into a special relationship with the Lord, but also our relationship with one another who are also the living Body of Christ. In communion we grow in communion with others. We can apply to ourselves the words of Jesus at the Last Supper, “This is my body being given up for you; this is my blood being poured out for you.” Just as we believe in the real presence of Jesus in the eucharist, so we must become like Jesus, a real presence to others, especially those in need, the less fortunate, the sick and the homebound, the poor and those who suffer in one way or another.

This then is the legacy of St. Patrick’s Parish for 150 years. Yes, you are a beacon of light on Church Hill. May we continue the Spirit of those who have gone before. May we be the living presence of Christ to others.

May God bless you abundantly as we look to the future filled with faith and love and be a source of hope to others. Amen.

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