Bishop Niederauer celebrates final Cathedral Mass as head of Salt Lake See

Intermountain Catholic

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Archbishop-designate George Niederauer waits in the rectory of the Cathedral of the Madeleine before celebrating his last Mass in the Cathedral as administrator of the Diocese of Salt Lake City. IC photos by Barbara Lee

SALT LAKE CITY — Archbishop-designate George Niederauer’s last Mass as apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Salt Lake City Feb. 5 in the Cathedral of the Madeleine was a glorious celebration. Organ and brass instruments under the direction of Gregory Glenn, director of liturgy and music for the Cathedral, blended with voices of the Madeleine Choir and the choristers of the Madeleine Choir School in the music of Giovanni Gabrieli’s Missa à 12.

The Mass drew more than 1,300 people from all over the diocese, and was simulcast for an overflow crowd into the basement of the Cathedral by the Intermountain Catholic. The Mass was also streamed live over the newspaper’s web site, www.icnp.com.

In the front row, Gov. Jon Huntsman, Jr., his wife, Mary Kay, and their children, sat next to Community Activist Pamela Atkinson. University of Utah President Michael Young and his family were there, too.

The procession into the Cathedral included members of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, of which Bishop Niederauer is a member. Patrick D. Powers of Anaheim Hills, Calif., lieutenant of the Western Lieutenancy of the Order, processed, as did representatives from St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral, the Very Rev. Rick Lawson, dean of St. Mark’s, and Rev. Caryl Marsh.

Bishop Niederauer, in his homily, spoke of the suffering of Jesus, saying, "he reached out to all of it with his healing touch. We still find that suffering all around us, and in our own lives as well: worry and anxiety about physical, mental, and emotional illness; poverty and anxiety about jobs; domestic violence and divided families; public fears like crime and drugs, and private fears like loneliness, misunderstanding, and bitterness.

"What is God’s answer to all that suffering?" the bishop asked. "God’s answer is not a theory or an argument. God’s answer is so personal it is a person – Jesus, His Son."

The teaching echoed what Bishop Niederauer has taught and modeled for the past 11 years as bishop of the Diocese of Salt Lake City. Since his ordination in January 1995, he has served the Catholic Church locally and nationally, and the Utah community at large with advice, spiritual leadership, and wisdom tempered with humor.

"Even though we will be parting soon, the call from Christ that we answer together is not finished by any means," he said. "Jesus calls each of us to proclaim and witness to the Good News our whole lives long."

Reflecting on the readings of the day from the Book of Job and Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, Bishop Niederauer reminded those present, as Father Robert Barron of Mundelein Seminary reminds his seminarians: "Your life is not about you."

At an afternoon reception at the Grand America Hotel, Bishop Niederauer spent more than three hours greeting friends, Catholic and non-Catholic, speaking to each person, asking for their continued prayers for him, and giving them blessings when asked.

Bishop Carolyn Tanner Irish of the Episcopal Diocese of Utah came to wish him farewell, as did Pastor France Davis of Calvary Baptist Church, who waited more than two hours in line. Retired University of Utah Professor of Law Edwin Firmage joined members of Families Against Mandatory Minimum Sentences in presenting Bishop Niederauer with a plaque thanking him for assisting them in their cause.

Friends brought cards and gifts, and asked him to bless their crucifixes and rosaries.

Benedictine Sister Marilyn Mark said this farewell "is not as sad as we think because we are lucky we get to retain him as the Archbishop of San Francisco. It is a joy to know someone of his caliber serving in the church. He is so well liked by the priests, religious, and people in the diocese. He listens so well to other people whether or not he agrees with them. He is such a solid person of faith."

Amy Fielding met Bishop Niederauer through the anti-pornography coalition. She is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and said the bishop has been the best person to bridge this community. "We all have religious beliefs which do not see eye-to-eye, but we have religions that go hand-in-hand on the issue of pornography and see eye-to-eye on this issue. He has been so supportive. He is a blessing to Utah."

Clark Purk, an eighth grader at the Madeleine Choir School and student body vice president said, "we will miss his kindness and how good he was to everybody."

Delfina Cook, a member of St. Rose of Lima Parish, Layton, said, "I am very happy for Bishop Niederauer who will now become the Archbishop of San Francisco. But we are all really sad because we are going to miss him very much. He has always been so supportive of the Diocesan Council of Catholic Women and all the women in the Diocese of Salt Lake City."