Consistory 2016
Thursday, December 1, 2016
Farewell to Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin
Click on the image above to see the full contents of our 60-page special edition of The Criterion.
Thanks again to all who followed this blog; this will be our last post, but the whole site will remain up for you to browse through any time.
Tuesday, November 29, 2016
Special edition of The Criterion
The staff of The Criterion has been busy working the last couple of weeks, including the Thanksgiving holiday, on a special edition of the newspaper to thank Cardinal Tobin for his service to the Archdiocese of Indianapolis and to recall the time he spent here.
At 60 pages, it will be the largest issue of the newspaper we've ever produced. Check back here in the coming days for links to all of it!
At 60 pages, it will be the largest issue of the newspaper we've ever produced. Check back here in the coming days for links to all of it!
Wednesday, November 23, 2016
Round-up of posts
For those who haven't followed this blog live over the weekend of November, here are links to some of our more popular posts and photo galleries (from most recent to oldest):
- Cardinal Tobin's first homily
- Report from Rome: "I would go anywhere in the world to be where my children are"
- Cardinal Tobin's titular church
- Photo Gallery: Mass at St. Alphonsus Church in Rome
- Report from Rome: Cardinal Tobin at the closing of the Year of Mercy
- Photo Gallery: Cardinal Tobin at the Closing of the Holy Year of Mercy
- Photo Gallery: Mass for the Closing of the Holy Year of Mercy
- Who are the U.S. cardinals?
- Voices from Columbus parish ring through St. Peter's
- Photo Gallery: Images from the Consistory, Part 2
- On an extraordinary day, an extraordinary man became a cardinal
- Photo Gallery: Images from the Consistory
- Pope Francis' homily from the Consistory
- Photo gallery: Screenshots from the live video coverage of the Consistory
- Joseph Tobin: The great American success story -- with a twist
Cardinal Tobin will say ‘thank you’ and ‘farewell’ with Dec. 3 Mass, reception
By John Shaughnessy (Assistant Editor, The Criterion)
Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin will share his gratitude with the people of the archdiocese on Dec. 3, beginning with a Mass at 11 a.m. in SS. Peter and Paul Cathedral, 1347 N. Meridian St., in Indianapolis.
The Mass—and the reception that follows it—will also serve as an opportunity for him to say farewell to the Church in central and southern Indiana he has served and grown to love since his installation as its shepherd on Dec. 3, 2012. The date is also the feast day of St. Francis Xavier, principal patron of the archdiocese.
On Nov. 7, Cardinal Tobin shared the news that Pope Francis had reassigned him to become the archbishop of the Archdiocese of Newark, N.J.
That news came less than a month after Pope Francis had named him as one of 17 new cardinals on Oct. 9.
Because Cardinal Tobin’s reassignment to Newark came before he was installed as a cardinal by Pope Francis on Nov. 19 at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, the Archdiocese of Indianapolis has no official or historical claim to him as a cardinal. But the spiritual and emotional bond between Cardinal Tobin and the Archdiocese of Indianapolis has become deep in the four years he has served as the spiritual leader of the Church in central and southern Indiana.
“What four years has done for me is that this wonderful Catholic community spread across 39 counties has gone from ‘the archdiocese’ to ‘my people,’ ” Cardinal Tobin said on Oct. 10, the day after Pope Francis announced him as a new cardinal. “They have a claim on me, and I have a claim on them.”
Cardinal Tobin plans to celebrate that mutual bond and deep connection on Dec. 3. After the Mass, a reception and a receiving line with the cardinal will follow in the Archbishop Edward T. O’Meara Catholic Center across the street from the cathedral. The Mass and the reception are both open to the public.
No tickets or reservations are required for people to attend the Mass and/or the reception, which is being sponsored by Franciscan Health.
The Mass will be live-streamed at www.archindy.org/streaming. †
Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin will share his gratitude with the people of the archdiocese on Dec. 3, beginning with a Mass at 11 a.m. in SS. Peter and Paul Cathedral, 1347 N. Meridian St., in Indianapolis.
The Mass—and the reception that follows it—will also serve as an opportunity for him to say farewell to the Church in central and southern Indiana he has served and grown to love since his installation as its shepherd on Dec. 3, 2012. The date is also the feast day of St. Francis Xavier, principal patron of the archdiocese.
On Nov. 7, Cardinal Tobin shared the news that Pope Francis had reassigned him to become the archbishop of the Archdiocese of Newark, N.J.
That news came less than a month after Pope Francis had named him as one of 17 new cardinals on Oct. 9.
Because Cardinal Tobin’s reassignment to Newark came before he was installed as a cardinal by Pope Francis on Nov. 19 at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, the Archdiocese of Indianapolis has no official or historical claim to him as a cardinal. But the spiritual and emotional bond between Cardinal Tobin and the Archdiocese of Indianapolis has become deep in the four years he has served as the spiritual leader of the Church in central and southern Indiana.
“What four years has done for me is that this wonderful Catholic community spread across 39 counties has gone from ‘the archdiocese’ to ‘my people,’ ” Cardinal Tobin said on Oct. 10, the day after Pope Francis announced him as a new cardinal. “They have a claim on me, and I have a claim on them.”
Cardinal Tobin plans to celebrate that mutual bond and deep connection on Dec. 3. After the Mass, a reception and a receiving line with the cardinal will follow in the Archbishop Edward T. O’Meara Catholic Center across the street from the cathedral. The Mass and the reception are both open to the public.
No tickets or reservations are required for people to attend the Mass and/or the reception, which is being sponsored by Franciscan Health.
The Mass will be live-streamed at www.archindy.org/streaming. †
Tuesday, November 22, 2016
Preview the front page of our upcoming November 25 issue
On their way home
Our staff and other Catholics from central and southern Indiana are making their way home. A big thank you to John Shaugnessy and Greg Otolski for their hard work throughout the past week. They lost a lot of sleep to send back news stories and photos from all the events in Rome as they happened.
Be sure to check back here from time to time in the coming week for additional updates, including links to our Criterion news coverage. And mark your calendar for our December 2 issue: a 60-page farewell to Cardinal Tobin that will include stories, loads of photographs, infographics and the well-wishes of many advertisers.
Be sure to check back here from time to time in the coming week for additional updates, including links to our Criterion news coverage. And mark your calendar for our December 2 issue: a 60-page farewell to Cardinal Tobin that will include stories, loads of photographs, infographics and the well-wishes of many advertisers.
John Shaughnessy, assistant editor of The Criterion, working hard during the closing Mass of the Holy Year of Mercy in St. Peter's Square. |
Greg Otolski, executive director of communications, sharing a moment of conversation with Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin. |
Monday, November 21, 2016
Some great photos from L'Osservatore Romano
In his waning time in Rome, our executive director Greg Otolski sent a few pictures from the Vatican newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano. Enjoy!
(C) L'Osservatore Romano |
(C) L'Osservatore Romano |
(C) L'Osservatore Romano |
Cardinal Tobin's first homily
By John Shaughnessy (Assistant Editor, The Criterion)
Cardinal
Joseph W. Tobin chose a place in his heart to share his first homily as a
cardinal—the Church of St. Alphonsus Liguori in Rome. (Click here to see photos from the Mass)
The
church is named for the founder of the Redemptorist order—the order in which
Cardinal Tobin was ordained a priest in 1978. It’s also the home church of the
general headquarters of the Redemptorists—the place that was his home when he
served as the superior general of his order from 1997 to 2009.
The Church
of St. Alphonsus Liguori is also meaningful to him because it’s the home of the
icon of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, and the Blessed Mother has always been a
major influence in his life.
In the
beautiful, small church packed with people for Sunday evening Mass on Nov. 20, Cardinal
Tobin delivered his homily first in Italian and then in English, accommodating
Catholics from the local community, members of the Redemptorist order, and his
friends and family from the United States, including a huge contingent from the
Archdiocese of Indianapolis.
For his
homily, Cardinal Tobin drew upon the experience of the outdoor morning Mass of
Nov. 20 in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican. During that Mass, Pope Francis
closed the Holy Doors of Mercy at St. Peter’s Basilica, symbolically closing
the Church’s Holy Year of Mercy around the world.
“I think
for most of us perhaps, at least the question crossed our mind, ‘What does it
mean to close the Door of Mercy?’ Is it possible that mercy is now beyond our
reach? Perhaps that’s why our Holy Father chose to close the Year of Mercy
today, on the feast of Christ the King—because the feast reminds us of the
story of the King who dies from love.
“People make fun of it. They say, ‘What sort
of God would allow his Messiah to die the way Jesus died?’ But he dies with his
arms open, nails in, to remind us that there are some things more important
than life. And one of those things, perhaps the only thing more important than
life itself, is love. The true grace of God that we see in Jesus crucified is a
clear sign that mercy was not ended.
“The
words of Jesus to that dying thief, who simply wanted to be remembered when
Jesus entered his kingdom, should give all of us hope: ‘Today you will be with
me in paradise.’ Today—because love is always in a hurry. Love always wants to
go where it should go—to the beloved. To be with me. I want you in paradise.
“And so we close a door today, but we recognize
a King. And our mother Mary, who is given to us as the mother who is always
ready to help us, presents us the reason for our hope. Those elongated figures
of hers in the icon point to Jesus, the only savior in the world, the more
simple face of God.”
Marie Tobin: "I would go anywhere in the world to be where my children are"
By John Shaughnessy (Assistant Editor, The Criterion)
ROME—On
the morning when the oldest of her 13 children became a cardinal of the Church,
Marie Tobin started her day with a simple prayer.
“I woke
up this morning saying, ‘This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and
be glad.’ ”
At 93, Mrs.
Tobin had two main reasons to rejoice as she waited for the start of a
memorable ceremony on Nov. 19 in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican.
Within an
hour, her son “Joe” would be installed as one of 17 new cardinals by Pope
Francis. And just as meaningful to her, she was surrounded by so many members
of her family who had traveled to Rome to do what she says the Tobin clan does
best—be there for each other.
“I would
go anywhere in the world to be where my children are,” she said. “And if they
think it’s going to be fun, we’re all there.”
On this
day, all but one of her children—he had a scheduled surgery—was there to
witness the installation of Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin. Their mother never
imagined that scene or that possibility all those years ago when she and her
late husband Joe were married. Back then, their goals were to create a large
family, a family based on faith and love.
“I was a
teacher,” she recalled as she sat mere feet from where her son’s red
biretta—one of the symbols of being a cardinal—rested on a gold plate, waiting
for the moment when Pope Francis would place it on her son’s head. “I wanted a
whole roomful of kids. And he loved kids, too.”
John Shaughnessy, assistant editor, interviewing Marie Tobin. |
They
named their first son Joseph, a boy who was a gift from the beginning, she
said.
“He’s
been loving since day one. He’s so proud of his brothers and sisters. When each
of them started parochial school, he escorted them to meet their teachers. And
even though he was far away, he knew everything about their report cards. He
was the leader, and he’s still the leader.”
It’s a
role he learned from his father, who died at the age of 54 of a heart attack he
suffered after helping people stranded in a blizzard.
“He’s
here,” she said about her husband. “He’s residing in heaven. He’s looking down
on us every day. He’s been taking care of us for 40 years since he’s been in
heaven. I never felt I was raising the kids alone.
“He’s
been with his oldest son all the time. An old Redemptorist priest told me when
he died, ‘One of you had to be in heaven because your kids will be all over the
world someday.’ And that’s been true. Their work has taken them all over.”
On this
day, her oldest son’s life has led her to Rome and St. Peter’s—a trip she wasn’t
going to miss.
“It’s
really brave of her at 93 to cross an ocean,” said her oldest child on the
evening before he became a cardinal. “Mom always appreciates the times when the
whole family is together. And it can be anywhere. I think this is a big deal
because she’s a woman of faith. She sees this in the larger picture of her own
engagement with God and the Church.
“She’s
really kind of dazzled by the whole thing because she loves the people I serve
in Indiana, and she loves the Redemptorists who are my brothers.”
Perhaps
the most touching displays of love on this morning started inside St. Peter’s before
the ceremony—as Cardinal-to-be Tobin waited anxiously for his mother to arrive,
followed by how he embraced and kissed her when he found she was there.
Then came
the moment when she watched her son walk up the steps to the central altar
where Pope Francis waited to give him his cardinal’s ring and place his red
biretta on his head.
“Oh, my
heaven!’ she said later, in recalling that moment. “It’s totally unbelievable.”
That
feeling of joy led her to think of her husband again.
“I
married the most wonderful man. All I can say is, ‘Thank you, thank you.’ God
is very good to me.”
Cardinal Tobin's Titular Church
Each cardinal in the Catholic Church is considered to be a part of the clergy of the Diocese of Rome, and as such they receive a title to a parish church. While that church still has a normal pastor and administration, it now has a special relationship with it's cardinal.
Cardinal Tobin's titular church is Santa Maria delle Grazie al Trionfale (read more about it here). While it doesn't look like he'll have a chance to celebrate Mass during his current time in Rome, Dan Conway generously provided some photos from the church, as seen below. Conway is a member of the editorial board of The Criterion.
Cardinal Tobin's titular church is Santa Maria delle Grazie al Trionfale (read more about it here). While it doesn't look like he'll have a chance to celebrate Mass during his current time in Rome, Dan Conway generously provided some photos from the church, as seen below. Conway is a member of the editorial board of The Criterion.
Sunday, November 20, 2016
Photo Gallery: Mass in St. Alphonsus Church in Rome
On the evening of November 20, Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin celebrated Mass at the Church of St. Alphonsus in Rome. Click on the image below to see a photo gallery of the event taken by Greg Otolski:
Click here to see the photo gallery
Click here to see the photo gallery
First impressions and lasting memories
By John
Shaughnessy (Assistant Editor, The Criterion)
Some melt
your heart. Others bring a smile or a laugh. All share an insight into the
qualities that make Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin respected and loved by many
people.
As
friends and family members have traveled to Rome this weekend to witness him be
installed as a cardinal by Pope Francis on Nov. 19, here are some of the
memorable stories that were shared about Cardinal Tobin.
An unexpected song of joy
The smile
keeps growing across Carolyn Noone’s face as she recalls the remarkable moment
from the evening of Dec. 3, 2012—when Cardinal Tobin was installed as the
archbishop of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis.
As
director of special events for the archdiocese, Noone had arranged a dinner for
the archbishop, his family and some of his friends at a downtown Indianapolis
hotel. So Noone and Annette “Mickey” Lentz, chancellor of the archdiocese, went
to the hotel to make sure the dinner was enjoyed by everyone.
“After dinner, most of the family went into
the foyer,” Noone recalls. “There was a grand piano there. His sister, Ann,
went back into the banquet hall and said, ‘Joe, you have to come out to the
foyer right now!’ He said, ‘I always do what my sisters tell me to do.’ Then he
sat down at the piano and began to play.
“They
were spiritual songs. Mickey and I were looking at each other and said how
beautiful it was. Then he stopped, he got a twinkle in his eyes, and he started
playing ‘Great Balls of Fire.’ He sang every word. Mickey and I said, ‘We have
a winner.’ ”
Noone
paused as her smile gave way to her emotions. “He put a lifetime into four
years with us.”
A position of service
“I had
the good fortune of being his host,” Father Corpora notes. “One evening we sat
and talked for about two hours. Since then, we’ve had several lengthy
conversations. On two occasions, he and I went out to eat at a Mexican
restaurant in Indianapolis. He made a point of talking personally with the
waiters and the staff. In everything that he says and does, he is very human.
His very person invites confidence and trust.
“He has
taught me that power does not have to go to one’s head, as obviously it has not
in his case. He truly sees his position as one of service. He gives me great
hope for the life and future of the Church.”
A moving
story
Msgr.
William Stumpf recalls a conversation he had with Cardinal Tobin shortly after
it was announced on Nov. 7 that Pope Francis had reassigned him from the
Archdiocese of Indianapolis to the Archdiocese of Newark.
“I said, ‘We’ll get you moved out to Newark.’
He said, ‘That’s so kind of you. I was thinking I’d probably just rent a U-Haul
and take it out there.’ I said, ‘We’ll get you moved.’
“It just
shows his absolute humility. He’s a true servant, just like Pope Francis.”
First impression, lasting memory
First
impressions often last, and Loral Tansy will never forget the first impression
that Cardinal Tobin had on him. The moment occurred during the first Mass that
Cardinal Tobin celebrated in one of the parishes of the Archdiocese of
Indianapolis after he became the archbishop.
In his
role as master of ceremonies, Tansy is responsible for making sure the Mass
runs smoothly when the archbishop celebrates the liturgy. So he was intent on
getting the Mass started right as he and the archbishop processed up the main
aisle. Yet halfway up the aisle, something happened that changed Tansy’s plan.
“There
was a handicapped boy in a wheelchair midway up the aisle,” Tansy recalls. “As
the archbishop started to go by, the child raised his hand, and the archbishop
took his hand. The child started talking to him. The archbishop got down on one
knee and carried out this conversation with him.
“In that
moment, I knew how blessed we were to have him, and how much I was going to
love him.”
The family of Cardinal Tobin
By John
Shaughnessy (Assistant Editor, The Criterion)
If
there’s one thing a brother in an Irish family learns quickly, it’s that a
conversation with one of his sisters will often lead to some interesting and
unexpected situations.
As proof,
consider a conversation that Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin had with one of his
sisters, Ann Levigne, earlier this fall—before
Pope Francis announced on Oct. 9 that he would be one of 17 new cardinals for
the Church.
“About
two months ago, we were talking about Rome,” Ann says with a smile. “And I
said, ‘Can you do something remotely notable so we can go back to Rome?’ ”
After a
laugh, she added, “We’re certainly happy for Joe, but we’re happier for our
Church. It’s bittersweet knowing he will hate to leave Indianapolis, but it’s
great that we’re sharing this as a family, including his family from
Indianapolis and his family in Rome.”
The
reality for Cardinal Tobin is that his understanding of family extends far
beyond his 93-year-old mother, his sisters, his brothers, his nieces, nephews
and other relatives—a huge contingent that came to Rome to support him as he
was installed as a cardinal by Pope Francis on Nov. 19 in St. Peter’s Basilica
at the Vatican.
For
Cardinal Tobin, his extended family also includes his friends who share his
priesthood in the Redemptorist order. And the reality for everyone who has
longtime friends is that these friends will often add a touch of humor to their
serious thoughts of joy and affection for you.
So it is
with Redemptorist Father John Steingraeber, who has known Cardinal Tobin since
1966, a time that has included the 12 years that Cardinal Tobin served as
superior general of their order founded by St. Alphonsus Liguori.
“Joe was
a freshman when I was a senior in high school seminary,” Father John says. “As
one of his classmates once said about Joe, ‘I’ve thought many things of you
over the years, but never as the successor of St. Alphonsus.’ ”
Turning
serious, Father John said, “He’s proven to be a worthy successor. It’s such an
honor. And we’re so proud of the
attitude he has about being transferred to Newark. It shows the true missionary
spirit he has as a Redemptorist.”
Cardinal
Tobin’s “extended family” has also grown to include the Archdiocese of
Indianapolis. One of those family members who has come to know him well during
his four years as the spiritual leader of the archdiocese is Theresa Brydon,
his executive assistant for 2 1/2 years.
“There
are some people you feel you’ve known all your life, and that’s how this feels
with him,” she said. “I have a feeling of joy for him, but I also feel I
haven’t been with him enough.”
It’s a
feeling share by many people throughout the Archdiocese of Indianapolis.
"The true door of mercy, which is the heart of Christ, always remains open wide for us."
An image provided by Greg Otolski, executive director of communications, of the now-closed Jubilee doors at St. Peter's Basilica. Given the tradition schedule, they will remain closed until at least 2025. (The quote in the title being from Pope Francis earlier today.)
A missionary of mercy hugs the pope
By John Shaughnessy (Assistant Editor, The Criterion)
ROME—Holy
Cross Father Joseph Corpora couldn’t contain his excitement—which seemed a most
natural reaction just minutes after he met Pope Francis, hugged him and gave
him a kiss.
“I’m
ecstatic!” said Father Corpora, a close friend of Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin who
lives and works at the University of Notre Dame. “It’s an incredible thing to
meet the pope, but it was more incredible for me to meet this pope. He validates my life as a priest—just the way I am and
how I think about mercy.
“I’ve
always thought I’d rather have God’s mercy than his love. Maybe because I think
I need it more.”
He then
shared the story of how he met Pope Francis shortly after the Nov. 20 Mass in
St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican that closed the Holy Year of Mercy that began
on Dec. 8, 2015. Father Corpora was one of the hundreds of priests from around
the world who concelebrated the Mass with Pope Francis on a gorgeous, blue-sky
morning. He is also one of the priests from around the world who the pope has
designated as a missionary of mercy, with the ability to forgive certain sins.
During the
Mass, Father Corpora was also one of the priests who distributed communion to
the tens of thousands of Catholics inside St. Peter’s Square. After he
finished, he returned the communion hosts to inside St. Peter’s Basilica as he
had been instructed. But instead of returning to his seat, he decided to stay
close to the platform where Pope Francis, Cardinal Tobin and the other
cardinals were.
“I told
myself, ‘I’m going to stay up here near the pope,’ ” he recalled. “I began
inching up. And when Mass was over, I somehow ended up in the very first row.
The pope was greeting every cardinal, one by one. I just stood there with the
other priests and bishops who were standing there, hoping to meet the pope.
“Sure
enough, the pope comes our way, one by one. And he comes to me! I grabbed his
hand, kissed him on the cheek, hugged him and we started speaking in Spanish. I
said, ‘Thanks for sending me out as a missionary of mercy.’ He said, ‘It’s not
over. Keep it up.’ I said, ‘I will.’ And then I said, ‘Thank you for
everything. I love you.’
“I had a
rosary in my hand, he picked it up, and he blessed it for me.”
Father
Corpora beams a smile again and says, “I can’t believe it!”
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