A Great Joy

This morning, as I poured essence and olive oil into the vessels to be used at next week's Chrism Mass, we heard the announcement of great joy: we have a new Pope. Habemus papam!

When the Cathedral's bells began to ring sometime after 11am, I knew right away that white smoke had come out of the Sistine Chapel. I literally dropped what I was doing, (by calmly putting down the gallon container of Magnano family Napoleon Olive Oil on the table) grabbed my office keys and walked a block to the Cathedral to take a poor quality cell phone video (no, I do not have a smart phone), to snap better quality pictures, and more importantly, to experience this great joy.

Gold and white banners hang from
St. James Cathedral















Standing outside the Cathedral as the bells rang and as John, one of the sacristans at the Cathedral, put some finishing touches to the hung yellow and white banners, was an experience I can't put into words. It seemed like time had come to a complete stop!

Not really in the mood to finish pouring olive oil into glass vessels, I decided to join a few of the Chancery employees outside the Chancery chapel to have a live streaming party, which was yet another moment of great joy, simply gathering with colleagues to watch CNN live, as if we too were at the Vatican. All of us waiting in anticipation for the official announcement, appearance, and blessing of our newly elected Holy Father. Then around 12:30pm, Father Tony Bawyn celebrated Mass for the Election of Pope Francis.

And a Jesuit! As Archbishop Sartain mentioned in his statement regarding Pope Francis, "...his election holds particular excitement for the many Jesuits who serve in the Archdiocese of Seattle..." The news also holds particular excitement for this alum of Seattle University --- a Jesuit-Catholic institution and a friend and colleague to many Jesuits.

And just for fun...the Holy See-gull who may have been a symbol for the answer to one of the first questions asked of the newly elected Holy Father: "By which name do you wish to be called?" Francis (of Assisi) who is almost always portrayed in icons with a white bird.

On that note, in the first words of our Holy Father, Pope Francis:

"Let us always pray for one another. 

Let us pray for the world so that this might be a great brotherhood."