Metropolitan Archbishop Borys Gudziak and the Ukrainian Catholic Community Celebrate the Installation of Cardinal Robert McElroy as Archbishop of Washington, D.C.
Metropolitan Archbishop Borys Gudziak, along with the Ukrainian Catholic Community of Washington, D.C., and the St. Gabriel Institute of Communication and Diplomacy, had the honor of attending the Solemn Installation of Robert Cardinal McElroy as the Archbishop of Washington, D.C.
The ceremony took place at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the Papal Nuncio, conveyed an official decree signed by Pope Francis, formally appointing Cardinal McElroy as Archbishop of Washington, D.C. Archbishop Emeritus Wilton Cardinal Gregory expressed his joy, gratitude, and encouragement for the new Archbishop. Also in attendance were Donald Cardinal Wuerl, Archbishop Emeritus of Washington, numerous bishops and priests from the Archdiocese of Washington and surrounding areas, as well as representatives from other Christian denominations, religious communities, and political leaders.
Cardinal McElroy presided over the Holy Mass and, in his homily, shared his hopes and prayers for the Archdiocese of Washington. He centered his message on the theme of the Jubilee Year of Hope, outlining three key markers of Christian hope that he envisions guiding the Church in Washington:
“We are called in the Jubilee Year to be pilgrims of hope in a wounded world. We find the foundation for that hope in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, which alters every understanding we have about ourselves, our lives, and our destinies. We find the consolation of hope in the mercy of God, which calls us to recognize our own woundedness and sin amid the electing forgiveness of God and the call to forgive others. And we find the challenge to hope in God's vision for humanity, rooted in the common good and the sacred dignity of every human person—for only such a vision can heal our society, which now stands so adrift.”
Metropolitan Archbishop Borys, together with the Ukrainian Catholic community, joyfully welcomes His Eminence, Cardinal McElroy, and wishes him abundant blessings and the guidance of the Holy Spirit as he undertakes the leadership of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C.
