Cardinal Timothy Dolan is welcoming people into his “spiritual home' with a serious of open-house tours of St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York.
He explains different areas inside the Catholic Church, why they exist and their purpose in the faith.
CARD. TIMOTHY DOLAN
Archbishop of New York
“We're trying to help you understand our home as the family of the Church. You can learn a lot about the faith if you visit a Catholic Church.”
The Archbishop of New York shares the importance of relics, saints, candles, and of course, the Blessed Mother.
CARD. TIMOTHY DOLAN
Archbishop of New York
“Just like any home has pictures of the moms, the grandmas, a Catholic Church will always have images of our Blessed Mother.”
Cardinal Dolan also says that just as a house has pots and pans for the table, the liturgy of the Eucharist also needs items during Mass.
CARD. TIMOTHY DOLAN
Archbishop of New York
“We need the chalice, which is the cup in which we put the wine here in the cruets, the water and wine. We put the water and a little bit of wine in the chalice. That will of course become our Lord's blood. This is the paten, the plate on which we put, right now it's just plain bread, it will become the Body of Christ during Mass, the paten. We also use the ciborium everybody, the smaller sacred vessel, where we would put the smaller altar breads that would become the Body of Christ for distribution.”
He even gives a step-by-step for going to confession, showing the reconciliation room and how to come prepared for a sacrament many fear.
CARD. TIMOTHY DOLAN
Archbishop of New York
“You would come in, as I hope you do (by the way it'd be good as we get back to church after three or four months, the sacrament of penance)... This is where the penitent would come to confess his sins to the priest who represents Jesus, Divine Mercy.
He also shows the sacrament from the priest's point of view.
CARD. TIMOTHY DOLAN
Archbishop of New York
“Here's where the priest is. See the wine cellar and hot tub? I'm just teasing of course! This is where the priest is. Of course it's anonymous, it's confidential, always. The secret of the confessional is sacred.”
His sense of humor makes these short videos enjoyable for every age, whether one is a devoted Catholic, simply curious about the faith or returning home after a period away from the Church.
Melissa Butz
