During Mass celebrating cathedral’s 125th anniversary, Bishop Iffert refers to Christ as the ‘capstone’
Muara Baker
Staff Writer
On a cold, winter morning, the Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption welcomed parishioners and guests alike to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the cathedral’s dedication with Mass, Jan. 27.
While winter storms the weekend prior kept students from Covington Latin School, Covington, from joining in the Mass due to school closings — the celebration proceeded, with Bishop John Iffert as celebrant and homilist.
Bishop Iffert began his homily referencing an activity at a local science museum in St. Louis, Missouri. As the Gateway Arch is a major landmark of the city, children are given blocks to place and balance and construct their own arches.
“It’s a great little way to teach how the arch is built,” Bishop Iffert said, “and the importance of that capstone that slips right into the middle.”
He continued, saying that “Jesus Christ is the capstone of the Church … He is the greatest gift. His love, his salvation, his sacrifice, his offer of redemption — a gift greater than our existence itself.”
Bishop Iffert said, “It’s a sign of that, that those who came before us built up the local church … We are truly blessed to be able to come here day after day, Sunday after Sunday, week after week, and offer worship and pray to the Lord Jesus Christ to purify us and make our worship true and honest and loving.”
“Here in the Diocese of Covington,” he said, “this particular cathedral facility; It stands like a tabernacle lamp for all the world to see — that the love of Jesus Christ is here in Northern Kentucky. We pray that our lives might be like this cathedral — that our lives might witness to the grandeur of Christ and that the community we share might help us to draw attention to the capstone as it slides into place in our lives and takes all the force, vectors, pressures and tensions and holds us together.”
“We celebrate 125 years in this glorious place,” Bishop Iffert concluded.” We pray that each of us, and all of us together, will be the living witness to Christ — the trueness of God, the temple of God — where worship is offered constantly and truly through Christ.”
