by Father John P. Cush

During all of my years as a seminarian at the North American College in Rome, I had the wonderful experience of attending the Lenten Station Church Masses. The priests and seminarians from the North American and the Casa Santa Maria revived this ancient tradition for the English- speaking community.

Each day, more than 200 faithful attend a Mass concelebrated by over 50 priests, all in the ancient and historical churches designated by the tradition of the Church. I was blessed this year to serve as one of the priest-coordinators of the Station Church pilgrimage.

This year, quite unexpectedly, I was granted one of the greatest spiritual opportunities in my life – to be the celebrant at the very place where I first received Holy Orders, like so many countless other brother alumni, at the Altar of the Chair at St. Peter’s Basilica. The bishop who had been scheduled to be the celebrant was not able to make it, so I was asked to be the principal celebrant.

To stand in this holy place, to be in this historic sanctuary, to offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass at this altar was truly a realization of a life’s dream. The power of the Eucharist, the holiness of the altar, the dignity of the priesthood and my own personal unworthiness to serve the Lord as His priest all were among the powerful emotions that I felt on that day.

Above all, a tremendous sense of gratitude was the prime emotion – gratitude to the Lord for His saving love; gratitude to the Lord for His call to serve as His priest; gratitude to Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio for assigning me to doctoral work here in Rome; and gratitude to the North American College, for all that alma mater is to me and to countless other priests since 1859.