Madeleine medals presented on diocesan feast day

Friday, Jul. 28, 2023

SALT LAKE CITY — On the feast day of St. Mary Magdalene, patron of the Cathedral of the Madeleine and the Diocese of Salt Lake City, the cathedral community recognized four people who were instrumental in its history. Three were presented with The Madeleine Medal of Appreciation for Faithful Service, the highest honor given by the diocese. The fourth, the late Irene Sweeney, had the cathedral plaza named after her.  

Receiving the Madeleine Medal were Msgr. J. Terrence Fitzgerald, vicar general emeritus; Msgr. M. Francis Mannion and Msgr. Joseph M. Mayo, both retired priests of the diocese. Msgr. Fitzgerald served two terms each as diocesan administrator and vicar general. Msgr. Mannion served as rector of the cathedral from 1986 to 2000. He oversaw the restoration of the cathedral interior and helped found The Madeleine Choir School. Msgr. Mayo was rector from 2000 to 2013. During that time, he developed the resources needed to maintain and preserve the Cathedral. In 2004, he and Laurel Dokos started the Bishop’s Dinner, an annual fundraiser that is a major component of the Cathedral income. 

“Msgr. Fitzgerald has promoted and supported the Cathedral for many years. His support has been instrumental for the cathedral to attract support from the wider Catholic community and non-Catholic alike,” said Fr. Martin Diaz, current rector of the cathedral, in an interview. “The three monsignors have made the cathedral to be what it is today. We can all be grateful for their dedication to the Cathedral of the Madeleine.”

The medals were presented during a July 22 Mass at which Bishop Oscar A. Solis presided. Among the concelebrants were Msgr. Colin F. Bircumshaw, vicar general; Msgr. Fitzgerald; Fr. Diaz; Msgr. Mannion and Msgr. Mayo. Assisting were Deacon John Kranz and Deacon Guillermo Mendez.

“Mary Magdalene was a faithful disciple of the Lord during his earthly ministry,” the bishop said as he began the Mass, speaking in English and Spanish. “She is our patroness and is counted among the holy women and men of every time and place.”

Continuing his remarks in his homily, the bishop said that Mary Magdalene was one of Jesus’ “closest friends and collaborators. She traveled together with the other disciples and was present with the Lord during the important moments of his life, especially during his Passion, crucifixion, death and Resurrection. She was the first among the apostles to witness the risen Lord and the first one to deliver the Good News of Christ rising from the dead to the other disciples waiting in uncertainty and fear. Our Church acknowledges the greatness of St. Mary Magdalene and her vital role in the proclamation of the Gospel, and … she is designated the proto-evangelist – the first to proclaim the Lord is risen. And in 2016, Pope Francis gave her the title ‘apostola apostolorum,’ or the Apostle to the Apostles, elevating the liturgical celebration of honoring her, St. Mary Magdalene, from a memorial to a feast.”

At the conclusion of the Mass, Bishop Solis presented the medals to the monsignori. Following the Mass, the bishop dedicated the cathedral plaza to Irene Sweeney, a Cathedral parishioner for more than 50 years who headed the restoration committee and contributed financially to the restoration, as well. She also was one of the creators of The Madeleine Choir School, and was instrumental in creating the plaza as it is today.

“As a devoted member of the laity, Irene offered the skills, talents and resources entrusted to her by God in service to the Church of Utah,” the bishop said before blessing the plaque bearing Sweeney’s name that has been installed in the plaza. “Cooperating with bishops, priests, deacons and religious men and women, Irene generously gave of herself to build up the Church for its service to the Gospel, working to ensure that the work of the cathedral in our diocese would continue to prosper for many generations to come.”

Sweeney was untiring in her efforts to restore the cathedral; perhaps her greatest legacy was that “and the creation of this plaza to serve as a place of gathering and fellowship for Catholics for years to come,” the bishop said.