 | | | Reverend Monsignor Walter R. Rossi shakes hands with Pope Benedict XVI
(Courtesy of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception) | |
Prayers invited for papal visit to shrine
During his Apostolic visit to the United States this month, Pope Benedict is scheduled to celebrate Solemn Vespers with the United States Catholic bishops on April 16 at the National Shrine. Though the event is not open to the public, Monsignor Walter R. Rossi, rector of the National Shrine, invites Catholics nationwide to participate in a novena in preparation for the Holy Father’s visit:
Heavenly Father, look with love upon Benedict our Pope, your appointed successor to Saint Peter on whom You built your Church. May his apostolic journey to the United States be a source of hope for your people and inspire within us a lively faith.
Father, instill in your people a greater love for your Church. May this visit of our Holy Father fill us with grace and transform our lives. May it lead us ever closer to the new life You give us and to the reward of heavenly life promised in the Gospel.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. |
A Catholic Digest Papal Visit ExclusiveHe oversees the arrival of more than a million visitors annually, attending to every detail and supervising a staff that keeps the 200,000-square-foot Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception operating smoothly. But, this month Reverend Monsignor Walter R. Rossi, rector of the shrine, will greet Pope Benedict XVI and the American bishops who will gather there for an occasion Rossi hopes will help give the shrine greater significance as a pilgrimage site.
Rossi says he plans to let the Spirit move him and take the Holy Father’s lead when he pauses to speak to the bishops and to the Holy Father prior to evening prayer, over which Pope Benedict will preside. Rossi and his staff have been working for weeks to prepare the building for this historic occasion.
Founded by United States bishops and approved in 1913 by Pope Pius X, who provided a personal contribution of approximately $400 toward construction costs, the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., continues to be a work in progress.
More than 70 chapels and oratories have been added to the National Shrine since the cornerstone was laid in 1920, dedicated by various ethnic groups and religious communities. As the “bishops’ church,” it was only appropriate that the National Shrine be chosen as the location for the meeting between Pope Benedict XVI and the United States hierarchy, says Rossi.
Since being assigned there three years ago, Rossi compares the gargantuan task of operating the National Shrine to that of a local pastor running his parish. “My duties and daily routine as rector of the shrine vary from day to day,” he says. “There is no ‘normal’ day at Mary’s Shrine.”
Each day has its own exciting set of possibilities and opportunities, he says. “I like to refer to my position as being the ‘caretaker’ of this great Marian sanctuary. We have a wonderful staff that takes care of the daily operations and responsibilities. My task is to oversee and coordinate, much like the pastor of a parish.”
While every day brings its own set of challenges, Rossi says things have certainly picked up since news of the pope’s visit arrived. “A lot of time and energy has been devoted to preparing for the visit,” he says, admitting, “I’m quite excited and a little nervous!”
A priest of the Diocese of Scranton, Pennsylvania, where he was raised, Rossi was ordained in 1987 and assigned to St. Matthew’s Church in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, and St. Nicholas Church in Wilkes-Barre. “The latter remains my ‘parish,’” he says, “and whenever I go home, this is where I hang my hat and have Mass.”
Rossi says he was thrilled earlier this year when (For callout “he learned”) his Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Pietro Sambi, told him of Pope Benedict’s intentions to visit the National Shrine — only the second visit by a standing pope. “I hope that he will see in the shrine a magnificent structure in honor of Our Lady,” says Rossi, noting, “there have been a number of ‘embellishments,’ especially cleaning,” in preparation for the event. Pope Benedict’s visit, says Rossi, “raises awareness of the shrine throughout the world and gives to the shrine greater significance as a pilgrimage site for our nation and beyond.”
