On the day Pope Francis kicked off the Catholic Church’s Share the Journey campaign, which is focused on providing practical ways for Catholics to break down barriers of fear and build bridges with migrants and refugees, Cardinal Sean O’Malley brought the pope’s message to Lynn.
In recognition of the city’s large immigrant community, Cardinal O’Malley chose St. Mary’s to say Mass and introduce the initiative to the Archdiocese of Boston. The Mass was attended by parishioners of St. Mary’s, Sacred Heart and St. Pius, as well as students and staff of the schools run by the three parishes. Kathleen Mears, superintendent of schools for the Archdiocese of Boston, was also in attendance.
In his homily, Cardinal O’Malley invited the congregation to participate in the pope’s campaign, which is based on four themes regarding migrants and refugees: welcoming, protecting, promoting and integrating.
Cardinal O’Malley noted there are four million refugees in the world today, the highest number since World War II, when many Jewish families were trying to escape countries controlled by the Nazis. He added that the history of the United States is that of being a land of freedom and equality for all those fleeing poverty and oppression.
The cardinal reminded the congregation that we all have gifts, and someday we will have to render an account of how we used those gifts. To receive God, we have to know how to give the gift of ourselves to others, he said.
“The pope tells us that God put us here to take good care of each other … Prayer is the medicine that helps us cure our self-centeredness and overcome our sense of competitiveness and jealousy,” Cardinal O’Malley said, closing with a quote from Pope Paul VI, who said, “the only true success in life is to make a gift of ourself to God and others.”
William S. Mosakowski, chair of the St. Mary’s School board of trustees, thanked Cardinal O’Malley for visiting Lynn and presented him with a book of prayers written in different languages by the students of St. Mary’s, Sacred Heart and St. Pius. Mosakowski also thanked Grace Cotter Regan, head of school, for her five years of service to St. Mary’s and wished her well in her future role as president of BC High.
“Cardinal Sean’s commitment to a faith that does justice is a witness to each of us, especially our students,” Regan said. “Today’s mass in honor of the Pope’s initiative was a celebration of the inclusion and collaborative spirit of our parish and school communities. “
