PALM BEACH GARDENS | All are invited to a series of events in the next few weeks to mark the 40th anniversaries of the establishment of the Diocese of Palm Beach and its Cathedral of St. Ignatius Loyola.
Father Gavin Badway, cathedral rector, explained that the celebration will loosely follow the three pillars — prayer, fasting and almsgiving — that the church calls all Catholics to follow during Lent.
The cathedral, at 9999 N. Military Trail in Palm Beach Gardens, will host 40 hours of continuous Eucharistic adoration after the 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 3, Mass through Benediction shortly before the 8:30 a.m. Mass Saturday, Oct. 5. Participants are asked to sign up for adoration times.
In the cathedral on Sunday, Oct. 6, at 2 p.m., Jesuit Father John Horn, a professor of spiritual and pastoral theology at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach, will give a reflection on Ignatian spirituality.
To fulfill the service or almsgiving pillar, the cathedral will join with St. Clare Parish and School for a food packing event Saturday, Sept. 28. In cooperation with Cross Catholic Outreach, parishioners and school families are set to assemble 60,000 meals for the needy from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in St. Clare’s parish hall, 821 Prosperity Farms Road, North Palm Beach.
“The apostles tell us the churches pulled together, and they pooled their resources together,” Father Badway said. “So, we need to follow that example to continue in our times to work together as communities, as one church.”
In September 1983, construction began on the new St. Ignatius Loyola Church, replacing the original church built in 1974. During construction in 1984, word came that the building would become the mother church of the new Diocese of Palm Beach. After a few design changes, the new church was dedicated as the Cathedral of St. Ignatius Loyola on Oct. 6, 1984. Three weeks later, on Oct. 24, thousands packed the new cathedral and parish center (the former church building) for the installation of Bishop Thomas V. Daily as the first Palm Beach bishop.
Father Badway emphasized that the multiple celebrations are for all local Catholics.
“This is the 40th anniversary for two realities. It’s the diocese and the cathedral. The cathedral is the mother church of the diocese. So, all the churches are connected to the cathedral,” he said. “In addition, the diocese is made up of a lot of parishes. We want people to come and celebrate with us because it’s not just the cathedral celebration. It’s the entire diocese celebrating.”
To sign up to pray during the cathedral’s 40 hours, visit www.cathedralpb.com/40-hour-adoration/go. To help pack meals at St. Clare, view information in the parish bulletin at www.stclarechurch.net or email cathfoodpacking@gmail.com.
