At the end of a recent Concert at the Cathedral as part of the Centennial celebration of the Diocese of Raleigh, attendees were told that upon exiting the building we were to look at the sky and wait for a surprise. I wondered whether there would be fireworks illuminating the night. Then, we saw about 200 lights, arranged like a four-story building ascending in the sky.

Up in the air, those lights started to make symbols and compose words. The lights made an image of the Cathedral, an image of a chalice with a host above, and an image of the Diocese Coat of Arms. The lights cleverly made an image of a bus that opened its back door symbolizing the way Mass had been celebrated on the so called “Mobile Mission Trailers” back in the 1950s in some remote places in the Diocese. The lights also displayed Bishop Luis Rafael’s famous saying, “The best Diocese in the world”. This was the first time I saw something like that. It was like fireworks but with drones and noiseless. In just a few minutes we had been told with symbols and words about the history of the first Century of the Diocese of Raleigh.

The Diocese has been celebrating this special anniversary since October 2023 when the Diocesan Eucharistic Congress was held in Raleigh. After that, the Diocesan Traveling Monstrance went from parish to parish uniting the faithful in prayer and devotion around the sacramental Lord during the past 12 months. On November 8, the Centennial Mass was celebrated at the Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral with Bishop Luis as the celebrant and in the presence of two Cardinals, a dozen bishops, dozens of priests and religious and hundreds of the faithful from all the parishes and missions in the Diocese.

All parishes in the Diocese are celebrating the Centennial today. Unfortunately, I was not able to arrange a drone display much less be able to make the sky go dark at the end of each Mass this weekend. When you entered church today you received a sheet of paper containing the Centennial Prayer and a quiz (in the form of matching items from two columns) with some basic history of the Diocese. I did the quiz. It is not that difficult. We will recite the Centennial Prayer together before the final blessing today.

In the Centennial Prayer we hear the name of Father Thomas Frederick Price who was the first native North Carolinian to be ordained to the priesthood, and who is now in the process of canonization. We also hear the name of Saint Katharine Drexel, from Philadelphia, who helped financially and spiritually in the establishment of several parishes and ministries in North Carolina.   

I hope that those of you who obtained a copy of the magnificent Coffee Table Book titled “Treasures of the Diocese of Raleigh”, book exclusively prepared for the Centennial, are already fascinated with the information and pictures contained in it. The history of the Diocese is truly fascinating. One of the most dramatic events of the Diocese for me was its Golden Jubilee celebration. Fifty years ago, the Diocese of Raleigh under the guidance of Bishop Vincent Waters was about to hold the Golden Jubilee Mass. Five days before the Mass, Bishop Waters suddenly died from a heart attack. His funeral Mass was held the day before the Jubilee Mass. The Jubilee Mass was held as scheduled honoring the bishop’s wishes. We can only imagine how sad it must have been.

As I reflected on the meaning of this Centennial, I thought it is a special time God almighty is granting us to celebrate, learn, give thanks, and reinvigorate our faith. It is a time to celebrate the accomplishments of so many brave and holy souls during these past 100 years. It is a time to learn about the rich history of our Diocese. It is a time to give thanks to God for the many blessings bestowed upon the Diocese. It is a time to reinvigorate our faith and our zeal for the mission entrusted to us.  

We, the faithful, are the Diocese of Raleigh. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church is one of the many vibrant parishes that makes this excellent Diocese. Monday, November 18 will be the 43rd anniversary of the establishment of our parish. Each one of us is a living cell of this organic body, which is the Diocese, the Church. Let us humbly ask the Lord to grant us his grace to continue the mission entrusted to us with faith and devotion.

Happy Centennial Anniversary!