Fr. J.J. Mech, rector of the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament, places a stole over the handles of the Holy Door of Mercy, signifying its closing at the end of the Jubilee Year of Mercy on Nov. 6. Over the course of the year, tens of thousands of local Catholics passed through the Holy Door, availing themselves of the special graces offered during the jubilee year.(Photos by Dan Meloy | The Michigan Catholic)
Confirmation of dozens of adults at cathedral marks end of yearlong pilgrimage
DETROIT — The Door of Mercy has been closed, but the mission of mercy continues.
In a Mass that doubled as the closing ceremony for the Holy Door at Detroit’s Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament, Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron administered the sacrament of confirmation for dozens of adults from across the Archdiocese of Detroit on Nov. 6.
A family stops to read the sign on one of the “doors” leading to the Holy Door of Mercy at the cathedral.As dozens of Catholics were fully initiated into the Church, the archbishop marveled at the sight of the hundreds — if not thousands — of local Catholics who made one last pilgrimage through the Holy Door in its final days.
“Seeing so many come through the Holy Door, I’m moved to the great scriptural proclamation, ‘Wow,’” Archbishop Vigneron said. “Or as Pope Benedict used, ‘The Church is alive, look around.’ The closing of the Holy Door isn’t just an add-on to this confirmation ceremony. Confirmation is a call to mission, just as all who journeyed through the Holy Door are called to a mission.”
The Holy Door was closed by cathedral rector Fr. J.J. Mech at the end of Mass, marking the culmination of the Jubilee Year of Mercy proclaimed by Pope Francis, which officially ends Nov. 20, when the archbishop and the archdiocese will gather at the Westin Book Cadillac hotel for a historic synod on evangelization.
Hundreds of pilgrims took the opportunity to walk through the Holy Door on its final day, either for the first time or the final time, offering themselves a chance to contemplate what mercy means to them.
“I think the Holy Door and the passages on the doors (leading up to it) express what is in my heart, but I can’t always articulate,” said Kathy Reener of Our Lady of the Scapular Parish in Wyandotte, who found out that morning the Holy Door would be closing following Mass.
“The Holy Door is mercy, and it’s an invitation that we have to open the door for Jesus,” Reener said. “Jesus is waiting at the door, but we have to let him in. I think about drawing closer to the Word when I’m at the door.”
Reener said she went on a group pilgrimage to the Holy Door in December, soon after it was first opened, but wanted to come back to spend more time reflecting on the pilgrimage.
“Since I first went through the Holy Door in December, I’ve gone to Mass more outside of Sunday,” Reener said. “I go to holy hour and confession more. I’m now very aware of the Lord in my life and the little things I do in His presence.”
Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron confirms a young woman during the Nov. 6 Mass at the cathedral.Becoming more aware of God’s mission was a key point in Archbishop Vigneron’s homily, saying the confirmation candidates’ call to proclaim their vows reflects everyone’s call to continue a mission of mercy.
“Confirmation is each person’s personal Pentecost,” Archbishop Vigneron said. “Jesus Christ makes alive what happened in the Upper Room, where the Apostles received the Holy Spirit. This isn’t a surprise to us; we are at the Last Supper every time we take Holy Communion. Here today, it’s made clear, as it was at Pentecost, that confirmation is a sacrament of mission.”
Brian Milligan of Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish in Plymouth was encouraged by his pastor, Fr. John Riccardo, to continue that mission by making a pilgrimage to the Holy Door before it closed.
“I’ve gone to the Holy Door in Cleveland and New York, and I’m going to this one for God’s mercy for me and the faithful departed,” Milligan said. “I think the Holy Door shows a love for God in action; it sets a good example for my children, shows something tangible about our faith. On All Souls Day, Fr. Riccardo said those in purgatory are urging us to do this for them.”
Richard Matkin of St. Mary Parish in Royal Oak was called to the mission, being confirmed by the archbishop with his sponsor, Christine Wagberg, watching.
“I just feel divine,” Matkin said. “What an honor it was to be in the Holy Spirit’s presence. I felt I owed it to God to be confirmed. I feel complete in my faith, I feel solemn and serene.”
Wagberg said the closing message from the archbishop on the Year of Mercy is something that carries well beyond Nov. 20, when Pope Francis formally ends the liturgical year.
“Mercy is the most generous gift one can give, but you also receive mercy when you give it,” Wagberg said. “There are so many ways we can give mercy, and what mercy can give us, it’s everlasting. And best of all, there are so many subtle ways to show mercy, it can be as simple as waiting patiently in line for prescriptions or going out of your way to do a friend or stranger a favor.”
