Salt Lake diocese to open cathedral door Dec. 13

Friday, Dec. 04, 2015

SALT LAKE CITY — The Diocese of Salt Lake City will mark the beginning of the extraordinary jubilee Year of Mercy with the Rite of Opening of the Door of Mercy at the Cathedral of the Madeleine Dec. 13.

The Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica will be opened by Pope Francis on Dec. 8, the first day of the Year of Mercy.  The Holy Door of the Basilica of St. John Lateran and cathedrals throughout the world are scheduled to open Dec. 13. The opening of the Holy Door of the Basilica of St. Mary Major is set for Jan. 1, the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, and that of the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls for Jan. 25, the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul.

The Jubilee of Mercy will conclude Nov. 20, the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, with the closing of the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica; the doors of the other basilicas in Rome and the dioceses will close Nov. 13.

“The door to Christianity is baptism; passing through the Holy Door is a sign of renewal of our baptism,” said the Very Rev. Martin Diaz, cathedral pastor. “In baptism God chooses his disciples for the work of redemption. As Saint Teresa of Avila pointed out, we are the hands and feet of God. To fully appreciate passing through the Holy Door, a person makes a pilgrimage that is a reminder of the journey of life. Mercy – compassion and forgiveness – is the work of redemption that the Holy Father Pope Francis sees is so necessary for our society and culture at this time.  By passing through the Holy Door we affirm the Holy Father and commit ourselves to mercy.”

The Rite of Opening of the Door of Mercy at the Cathedral of the Madeleine will be conducted at the 11 a.m. English Mass and the 3 p.m. Spanish Mass. For this special celebration, the people and ministers of the Mass will gather at the Madeleine Choir School 20 minutes before Mass, then process to the cathedral. 

If the weather is bad, then all will gather in the lower level of the cathedral for the procession.

“The Jubilee of Mercy is introduced by a reading from Pope Francis’s letter on the Year of Mercy, and then a procession forms to the Holy Door of the Cathedral,” said Gregory Glenn, the cathedral’s director of liturgy and music. “The procession represents the Church’s pilgrimage, a practice that has a special place in the Holy Year, because it represents the journey each of us makes in this life. The procession recalls the fact that mercy is also a goal to reach, and requires dedication and sacrifice.”

Glenn described the ceremony as follows.

At the cathedral door, the celebrant will pause and say, “Open the gates of justice, we shall enter and give thanks to the Lord.”

As the door opens, the celebrant says, “This is the Lord’s gate: Let us enter through it and obtain mercy and forgiveness.” He then presents the Gospel Book to the people in procession and within the Church, and then crosses the threshold with the Gospel Book. 

When all have passed through the Door of Mercy, the Mass proceeds with a special Remembrance of Baptism and Renewal of Vows.

The Madeleine Choir School Choristers will assist at the 11 a.m. Mass, and the Spanish Choir will assist with the 3 p.m. Mass; among other selections they will sing a new hymn for the Year of Mercy composed especially for the Jubilee Year.

During the year, diocesan parishioners will be asked “to ponder Pope Francis’ request that this year be a time for Catholics to contemplate just how merciful God has been to us, and to understand better how we are called to be merciful to others in turn,” said Susan Dennin, the diocesan communications officer.

The diocesan website will provide a host of information for individuals, schools and parishes to use for the Year of Mercy, including a calendar of events, catechetical resources, family activities, liturgy/worship resources, and social justice information. Also, on social media, local Catholics are asked to share their participation in the Year of Mercy with #SLCMercy.

“Pope Francis wrote that mercy is ‘the beating heart of the Gospel,’ and we invite everyone to participate in this living experience of encounter with the mercy of God,” Dennin said. “#SLCMercy is a commitment to follow the words of Pope Francis as he asks us to ‘go out to every man and woman, bringing the goodness and tenderness of God.’ We ask you to ponder how can you open your heart in a special way this year to share #SLCMercy with those in need around you.”

WHAT: Rite of Opening of the Door of Mercy

WHEN: Sunday, Dec. 13; 10:40 a.m. (English); 2:40 p.m. (Spanish)

WHERE: Beginning at the Madeleine Choir School, 205 E. 1st Ave. and processing to the Cathedral of the Madeleine, 309 E. South Temple, SLC.

The procession will be followed by Mass for the Third Sunday of Advent.