Come meet Bishop Wester at annual Bishop's Dinner

Intermountain Catholic

+ Enlarge

SALT LAKE CITY – The care and maintenance of the Cathedral of the Madeleine, the Diocese of Salt Lake City’s mother church, is very much like taking care of the family home, said Father Joseph M. Mayo, rector of the Cathedral of the Madeleine. "We have to look after the plumbing, the woodwork, the exterior, and the interior of this beautiful structure, and we have to look as well to her future."

The annual Bishop’s Dinner, a fund raiser for the care and maintenance of the Cathedral of the Madeleine is slated for Sept. 25 at Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City. "It will be a time for people to reflect on the role of the cathedral in the life of the Utah church and to meet Bishop John C. Wester, our new bishop, whose home church is the Cathedral of the Madeleine."

The year, the dinner’s emphasis will be on the cathedral bells, Fr. Mayo said. There are four large bells in the cathedral’s two towers – each one carrying a major musical tone. Named Mary, Joseph, Michael (after St. Michael the Archangel) and Cecilia (after the patroness of music) the bells call the faithful to Mass, toll the hours, and mark significant events like funerals and civic messages. They tolled the nation’s grief on Sept. 11, 2001, and they marked the city’s mourning after the shootings at Trolley Square. They ring joyfully at every Christmas and Easter vigil Mass, and they peeled the excitement of a grateful church at the announcement of the election of Pope Benedict XVI.

"When the cathedral was renovated from 2002 to 2004, the bells were silent," said Fr. Mayo. When they rang again at the rededication, the two newest bells, Michael and Cecilia had been added, thanks to generous donors, including the Knights of Columbus."

One of the goals of the annual Bishop’s Dinner is to add funds to an endowment established for the future care of the cathedral, something every parish should think about, said Fr. Mayo. "We encourage support of the Cathedral through generous estate planning, wills, trusts, and grants."

"The people who came before us in Cathedral Parish, the Cosgriffs, the Kearnses, John and Mary Judge, the McCartheys and others whose names grace the cathedral’s stained glass windows, sacrificed a great deal to build this church and maintain it for us. Now it is our turn to assure that the cathedral will stand, remarkable and beautiful, for those who come after us."

This year the dinner will recognize the O’Donnell family, owners of Neil O’Donnell and Sons Mortuary, for their dedication to and support of to the Cathedral of the Madeleine.

"The O’Donnells symbolize so many cathedral families who constantly give of their time, talent, and treasure to keep the cathedral and the parish going," said Fr. Mayo. "In the past we have honored such people as the Leary family and Irene Sweeney. They are doing for us now through sacrifice and generosity what others have done for the cathedral and the parish in the past."

Although the Cathedral of the Madeleine is the mother church of the diocese, Cathedral Parish is significantly smaller than other parishes in the diocese. Located in the heart of downtown Salt Lake City and surrounded by businesses, the cathedral invites other downtown churches and parishes throughout the diocese to assist them by purchasing tables at the Bishop’s Dinner.

"Father Rick Lawson of St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral often refers to the Cathedral of the Madeleine as one of the great ladies of the historic district of downtown Salt Lake City," said Fr. Mayo. "Bishop Scanlan wisely chose the site for the cathedral, and churches of other faiths also enhance the area. The most historic of these churches are 100 years old or older, and the Cathedral of the Madeleine will celebrate the 100th anniversary of its dedication. With First Presbyterian Church, the Cathedral of St. Mark, and Ensign Stake Center, the Cathedral of the Madeleine is one of the historic churches of downtown Salt Lake City. People say the city just wouldn’t be the same without them."

Fr. Mayo said Bishop Scanlan’s building of the Cathedral of the Madeleine in an area that had so few Catholics illustrated his faith and consciousness of the corporate faith life of the emerging diocese. "As we prepare for the 100th anniversary of the dedication of the cathedral in 2009, I encourage all pastors to think of the preservation and the long-term care of their churches. It is now our responsibility to think wisely about the future of the church in the same way we think about our families, our homes, and our businesses."

He said the Cathedral of the Madeleine needs an endowment of at least $5 million, and as the O’Donnell family stresses in their business the necessity of pre-need planning for death and burial expenses, Fr. Mayo also plans to meet needs before they arise.

"It is much wiser and less expensive to replace old pipes now, rather than wait until one bursts and we incur thousands of dollars in repairs to floors, walls, carpeting, and electrical wiring. It’s much worse when we’re caught in unexpected situations."

Bishop Wester, in an interview Sept. 10, said he recalls vividly the first time the doors of the Cathedral of the Madeleine were opened to him when he arrived in Salt Lake City.

"It took my breath away," he said. "It wasn’t just the enormous beauty of the cathedral, but it was also the deep symbolism the structure holds.

"The people who came before us have done us a great service in leaving such a beautiful and spiritually uplifting cathedral. Now it is up to us to make certain the cathedral and its surrounding buildings are in good shape for those who come after us. The responsibility for this wonderful cathedral is ours now."

For further information about the Bishop’s Dinner or to make reservations call 328-8941.