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Cardinal Daniel DiNardo with James Yamauchi (HTS
2007) Dallas;(right) Cardinal DiNardo with Vincent Arong (HTS 2007) and
James.
(Saturday, November 24, 2007) The Consistory is finally here in Rome!
This morning, the newest members of the College of Cardinals received
their red hats this morning at St. Peter's Basilica. Afterwards, the two
new American cardinals, John Foley and Daniel DiNardo, came to the North
American College for a few hours for a reception and to greet their
fellow Americans, many of whom traveled a long way to be here in Rome on
Thanksgiving weekend.
Having approximately 1,000 guests here at the seminary during the
reception meant that all of us seminarians worked together to make the
reception the success it was. Since my duty was to help with cleaning
up, I was able to get in line and greet Cardinal DiNardo, the first
cardinal in Texas! There were quite a number of pilgrims from Texas that
came for the events of this weekend; Cardinal DiNardo received visitors
here at the NAC for three hours, only to head to the Apostolic Palace
and greet more people for two hours.
I was unable to get in line and greet Cardinal John Foley; I met
Cardinal Foley this past February when he came to
Dallas
for a conference. One morning, he took Fr. Rudy Garcia, myself, and the
other seminarians who had helped to serve that morning at Mass out for
breakfast; I recall that the then-archbishop was very personable and we
had a great conversation. Back in October, it was Archbishop Foley who
ordained the fourth year men of the North American College to the
transitional diaconate at St. Peter's Basilica. Please keep Cardinal
Foley in your prayers, as I heard he is still recovering from the flu
which he had this past week.
Paul Kolker and I were able to get in line together to greet Cardinal
DiNardo; when I approached the cardinal, I got a little nervous and
addressed him as "Cardinal" though I had reminded myself before going up
to him to call him "Your Eminence" (the proper title one uses when
addressing the cardinal). I told him I was a seminarian from Dallas and
congratulated him and said it was great that Texas now has a cardinal.
I remember the first time I met Cardinal DiNardo, which was almost two
years ago in Dallas. He had come to celebrate Mass for the Knights of
the Holy Sepulcher who had gathered for a meeting in Dallas. The Knights
had asked the seminary if some seminarians could serve at the Mass. I
wound up being then-Archbishop DiNardo miter bearer; at the time,
DiNardo was the coadjutor (which meant that he was an auxiliary bishop
of the archdiocese but, when the Archbishop retired, DiNardo would
immediately become the next archbishop). There was a long procession at
the beginning of the Mass and, as I was walking immediately behind the
archbishop. As we were waiting to get into the sanctuary, he turned
around and asked me who I was, where I was from, and what year in
seminary I was in. I remember having a pleasant yet short conversation
with him. During the Mass, every time I went up to him to either receive
his miter or give the miter to him, he would simply say, "Thank you,
James." I was impressed that he remembered my name since I had only
spoken with him briefly before the Mass began.
Tomorrow, there will be a Mass at St. Peter's in which the new cardinals
will receive their rings. On Tuesday, all of the Texas seminarians here
at the North
American College will serve at Cardinal
DiNardo Thanksgiving Mass at St. Mary Majors. I cannot end without
acknowledging my brother seminarian Vincent Arong, the lone seminarian
here at the NAC from the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. When the
announcement was made that DiNardo would be named a cardinal last month,
Vincent became very busy as a contact here in Rome and helping his
archdiocese prepare for all the events here in Rome this week as much as
he could.
Today, during the reception, Vincent was in his cassock and stationed
next to Cardinal DiNardo to assist him in any way he needed.
Congratulations to the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston and to the state
of Texas!!!
God bless. James Yamauchi (HTS 2007) |
