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Contents © 2003
by Jim Holman.
All rights reserved.

ROAMIN' CATHOLIC
June 2003

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OUR LADY OF THE SACRED HEART, CITY HEIGHTS

Our Lady of the Sacred Heart testifies to the grace of the Sacred Heart in City Heights. The rose and white basilica with its bell tower is visible from many points in this urban community of Anglos, Hispanics, blacks, and Vietnamese.

Not least in the parish's spiritual impact is its school. OLSH Academy provides Catholic education regardless of a family's finances.

On Saturday May 3, I attended a Jubilee Mass celebrating 75 years of the school. The celebrant was Bishop Salvatore Cordileone. Concelebrating was the parish pastor, Father Richard Perozich, assistant pastor Father Cha Pham Van Phien, and former pastors Monsignor Raymond Kirk and Father Michael Ratajczak. Deacon Tony Albers, formerly attached to the parish, served at the altar.

Inside the church, columns separate the central nave from side aisles. Facing one another across the nave, alcove shrines honor Our Lady of Guadalupe and the Vietnamese Martyrs. Above the stations of the cross, fifteen stained glass windows portray the mysteries of the rosary. Icons of Our Lady and the Holy Family adorn the left transept. The right transept exalts Our Lord with images of the Sacred Heart, the Resurrection, and the Divine Mercy.

The crowning glory of the church is the triumphal baldachino sheltering the marble high altar. On the altar, Our Lord is enthroned in a tabernacle inscribed "Sanctus." Before it stands the Table of Sacrifice. Chairs for the celebrant and acolytes are placed to the side of the sanctuary.

The entrance hymn was "Sing with all the Sons of Glory," to the tune of Beethoven's "Ode to Joy." The procession began with the Knights of Columbus in their regalia. An acolyte followed, bearing the crucifix. Deacon Tony was next, holding aloft a gold-cased Gospel Book, and behind him the priests. At last, with miter and crosier, came Bishop Cordileone. The smoke of incense permeated the sanctuary with sweet fragrance.

After the bishop's greeting, the priests led a trope Kyrie. The Gloria was sung to the Jones setting, one of the best I've heard for the clipped translation.

When Bishop Cordeleone had said the opening prayer, a 5th grade student's mom, in skintight pants and sweater, mounted the pulpit for the readings. In the first, from Acts, Peter told the Jews they had killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead, concluding with a call to repentance. The cantor led the Psalm Response, "Lord, let your face shine on us," to a simple tone. The school mom then took the second reading, from the first Letter of John, proclaiming Christ as the sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. Finally, Deacon Tony Albers announced the Gospel, Luke 24: 35-48, in which the Lord gave the disciples convincing proofs of his resurrection and commanded them to preach repentance and forgiveness of sins to all nations, beginning with Jerusalem.

In his sermon, Bishop Cordileone noted the coincidence of the school's 75th anniversary, the diocesan holy year, and the readings for the third Sunday of Easter. For 75 years, OLSH Academy has been pursuing the aims of the holy year through education. In its ministry, the school has been fulfilling the command of Jesus to preach repentance and remission of sins to all nations, microcosmically, in the diverse population of City Heights. He asserted that the goal of Catholic education is not success as the world sees it, but the only true success: realizing the human values summarized in the Golden Rule.

After the Creed, school children led the General Intercessions. At the offertory, a choir of twelve children sang, "Star Upon the Ocean, Maria." The cantor accompanied on an electronic keyboard, producing a harpsichord sound.

Bishop Cordileone spoke the Preface, rather than chanting it. All sang the Sanctus from the Mass of Creation. The bishop, Father Perozich, and Fr. Phien each said portions of Eucharistic Prayer III. At the Our Father, a minority of joined hands. In the past, Fr. Perozich has conveyed Bishop Brom's instruction that the preferred postures are the orans position, or with palms together.

Although a bishop, four priests, and a deacon were present, during the Agnus Dei three women approached to join clergy in the distribution of the Sacrament. The first hymn during Communion was "One Bread, One Body." Then the school choir sang "Dona Nobis Pacem."

Bishop Cordileone said the post communion prayer and gave the final blessing. As the sanctuary party recessed, we sang, "That Easter Day with Joy was Bright."

After Mass came a sumptuous dinner compliments of the Parent Teacher Group and other OLSH families, which eighth grade students served.

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