During the annual Chrism Mass this past Monday evening - where the Church's sacred oils to be used throughout the coming year were blessed and distributed to the Los Angeles Archdiocese's 288 parishes - Cardinal Roger Mahony encouraged local Catholics to take a "very assertive role" in stemming recent gang violence that has taken more than two dozen lives in the last month.
"Our community here in Southern California is in desperate need of the graces of the oil of catechumens," he declared. "That sacred oil is given to us precisely to protect us and to protect others from the onslaught of evil in our midst. Tragically, we see so much violence throughout the archdiocese, all of the young people and children shot down in gang warfare crossfire.
"We need to have that oil poured out upon us so that we can take a very assertive role, each one of us as disciples of Jesus, in order to help protect those who are the weakest and most vulnerable. We must be more assertive in helping to bring about an end of the conflict, an end of the violence, to break the chain of gangs and gang families that are handed down one generation to the next."
During his homily, Cardinal Mahony urged congregants to recommit themselves this year to what the oil of catechumens really means. "It is God's loving protection upon us against the worst and most awful evil that there is out there," he explained. "And sadly in our own community, we have far too much of that."
The Mass of Chrism, which is celebrated annually at the beginning of Holy Week, is one of the church's most solemn liturgies. Blessed at this time are the holy oils --- the oil of the catechumens, the oil of the sick and the sacred oil of chrism --- which are used during baptisms, confirmations, anointing of the sick, and the ordinations of priests and bishops as well as during the consecration of altars and the blessing of churches.
In addition, priests and deacons renew their commitment of service and receive the prayers of the people. At the March 17 liturgy, it took nearby 30 minutes for the hundreds of diocesan and religious order priests wearing golden vestments to process down the center aisle of the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels.
An honored group in attendance were 13 golden jubilarians celebrating 50 years of priestly ministry. They included Fathers Abelardo Bailon, Brian Cavanagh, Hugh Crowe, James Toal and James O'Grady, and Monsignors Henry Gomez, Patrick Reilly, Edmond Renehan and Ronald Royer - all diocesan priests - as well as Augustinian Father Thomas Behan, Josephyte Father Claudio De Agostini, Comboni Missionary Father Joseph Forlani and Missionary of Charity Raniero Alessandrini (the latter ordained in 1957).
Cardinal Mahony pointed out that together the men represented 650 years of ordained priestly life. "What a great joy," he remarked as the assembly applauded.
Msgr. Ronald Royer, a member of St. John's Seminary class of 1958, served as an associate pastor at St. Hilary, Pico Rivera; St. Joseph, Hawthorne; St. Frances of Rome, Azusa; and St. Pancratius, Lakewood. The native of Santa Monica and acclaimed astrophotographer also was pastor of St. Pancratius from 1983 until he retired in 2002.
"I've noticed over the years that they've included more and more of the lay people to be involved in the Chrism Mass," he reported. "So not only do we renew our vows, but we ask deacons, then the religious and then the lay people to renew their commitment to serve the Lord, serve the church, which is a good thing. It's much more meaningful."
After the two-hour liturgy, Father John Woolway, administrator pro tem of Sagrado Corazon (Sacred Heart) Church in Compton, said that for him the Chrism Mass was a gathering of all elements of the church in a single celebration. He called it a "very special experience" that bucked up his spirits and motivated him.
"I was especially struck this year by the cardinal's comment about the oil of catechumens and the battle of evil that we're up against and we see in our streets day after day," he said. "The power is there [to combat it]; we just have to put more faith and confidence in what we do as representatives of the Lord. Both clergy and laity have to realize that we've all got a part in the Lord's mission."
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