Time ‘to make Saints,’ Bishop tells gathering
MILL BASIN — In his first address to The Cathedral Club of Brooklyn, Bishop Robert Brennan told its members that their main mission is “to make saints.”
“We’re all saints in the making. We were made to be saints,” he said. “That’s the whole mission of life. We help each other on the journey by making saints.”
Bishop Brennan was the main speaker at the 122nd anniversary dinner of The Cathedral Club, held Feb. 3 at El Caribe Country Club. The dinner’s honoree was Bishop Emeritus Nicholas DiMarzio, who was the spiritual director of the group for the past 18 years.
Bishop Brennan praised Bishop DiMarzio as someone “who recognized the power of the saints in the Diocese of Brooklyn and encouraged the power of love.”
In his remarks, Bishop DiMarzio urged the Club to reach out to newcomers and encourage them to become members.
“We need to reach out to everyone in the diocese, the most diverse diocese in the country,” he said. “We need to all be together and to create a place where people can share their vision as Catholics.”
Bishop DiMarzio applauded the vision of Father George Mundelein, who founded the Club in 1900. He said that Father Mundelein, who became the Cardinal-Archbishop of Chicago, saw the need for lay people to be involved long before Vatican II made it a popular concept.
“You need to be the voice of the Catholic Church,” Bishop DiMarzio told the members. “The Bishop can’t do it alone.”
President Pat Russo pledged that The Cathedral Club would continue to stand “shoulder-to-shoulder” with the Bishop as it supports his public stances and financial needs.
Russo pointed out that The Cathedral Club is particularly proud of its scholarship fund, which helps students attend Catholic high schools in Brooklyn and Queens.
Bishop Brennan praised the Club’s aid to Catholic school students, saying, “You are transforming the world with the power of love. You are helping the Church create a new generation of saints in our Catholic Schools.”
In his invocation, the Club’s new spiritual adviser, Father Kevin Abels, paid tribute to the two New York City police detectives, Wilbert Mora and Jason Rivera, who recently were killed in the line of duty.
Participating in the ceremonies were the NYPD color guard and the Xaverian High School pipes and drums.