The Easter Vigil is my favorite liturgy of the year. Beginning the ritual in darkness and experiencing “The Light of Christ” dawning upon us is powerful. The richness of symbolism and ritual in the Easter Vigil is beyond description. We are blessed as Catholics to have this beautiful liturgical celebration so thoroughly capturing the essence of salvation history.
The rector of the cathedral had an unusual opportunity to be the main celebrant in the absence of having a bishop in the diocese.
Singing the “Exultet” at the beginning of Mass at the Easter Vigil is a tremendous privilege for the ministry of deacon. I am grateful to lead this prayer of praise in my role as deacon.
When I saw the above photo my attention was immediately drawn to the emptiness of the bishop’s chair. There are certain things I have grown accustomed to after serving at the cathedral for more than seven years. The presence of a bishop is one of those things.
Speaking of the bishop, we can now begin preparations in earnest for the ordination and installation of our new bishop on June 5, 2017.
(The above photos are courtesy of the Cathedral of St. Mary.)