Praying our Way to the Centennial

As we celebrate the Centennial of St. James Cathedral, 1907-2007,
let us pray with the saints and angels,
and join in their triumphant hymn of praise!

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us!
Holy angels of God, pray for us!
Saint Joseph, pray for us!
Saint Anthony of Padua, pray for us!
Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, pray for us!
Saint Patrick, pray for us!
Saint Frances Cabrini, pray for us!
Saint James, pray for us!
All holy men and women, pray for us!

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Our Lady of Grace, 1907
Hail, Mary,
you who care for the pilgrim Church
with a mother’s love!
For one hundred years
the faithful have sought your intercession
in this Cathedral Church;
for one hundred years
you have been for them
Mother most admirable,
Mother most merciful,
Mother most powerful,
Mother of grace and good counsel.
Pray for us, that we may receive Christ
as you did, with simplicity, trust, and love.
Pray for us, that our celebration
of the Centennial of St. James Cathedral
may be a time of joy and hope
for each of us and for all those
whose lives touch ours. Amen.

This statue of Mary in the Cathedral’s North Transept, Our Lady of Grace, has been venerated in St. James Cathedral for one hundred years now. The statue was the gift of Florence B. Agen, whose grandchildren still worship at St. James Cathedral. For more than a century, Our Lady of Grace has listened to the sighs and prayers of countless people, old and young—Mother Cabrini and Bishop O’Dea among them! Some come with great faith; others come seeking faith. To all of them Mary opens her arms wide.

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Mother Cabrini,
in the name of Christ,
you ministered to those most in need
in this community:
the orphan, the immigrant,
the sick, the poor, the imprisoned.
You saw Christ in them;
and they met Christ in you.
Pray for us, that we may serve
all who come to us in need
with wisdom, compassion, and love.
Pray for us, that our celebration
of the Centennial of St. James Cathedral
may bring us closer to the Lord Jesus
who is in our midst as one who serves.
Amen.

Mother Cabrini arrived in Seattle in 1903, and visited the city a number of times before her death in 1917. November 13, her feast day, also happens to be the day on which the Cathedral Parish was founded. Mother Cabrini founded Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart, who were sent to the New World by Leo XIII, with the specific mission of ministering to Italian immigrants in the United States. Mother Cabrini selected for her motto words from St. Paul’s letter to Philemon: “I can do all things in him who strengthens me.” She could, and did--Mother Cabrini crossed the Atlantic 25 times and founded 67 hospitals, orphanages, and schools worldwide. She yearned to do even more. “If the Sacred Heart would give me the means,” she said, “I would construct a boat called the Christopher, the Bearer of Christ, so as to carry the Name of Christ to all people - to those who as yet do not know Him, and also to those who have forgotten Him.”

Christ be with me, Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me.
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend or stranger.

Holy Saint Patrick,
as we celebrate the centennial
of this Cathedral church,
pray for us, that we may grow
in unity and peace with one another
and that Christ Jesus
may guard and guide us all our days.
Amen.

St. Patrick (pictured above in the stained-glass window by Charles Connick, 1918-19) was one of the favorite saints of Bishop Edward J. O’Dea, who built St. James Cathedral. The “Lorica,” or “Breastplate,” is traditionally attributed to him. In this prayer, St. Patrick calls on God to be with him at every moment, in every action of his daily life. Patrick clothes himself in the mystery of the Lord: “I bind this day to me forever, by power of faith, Christ’s Incarnation; His baptism in the Jordan river; His death on cross for my salvation; His bursting from the spiced tomb; His riding up the heavenly way; His coming at the day of doom: I bind unto myself today.”

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Saint Thérèse
of the Child Jesus,
you teach us that
‘we have this life only
in which to live by faith.’
As we celebrate the proud past
of this Cathedral church,
help us to be mindful of the present,
with all its joys and sorrows.
Pray for us, that we may be filled
with love for all God’s little ones,
‘just for today.’
Pray for us, that our celebration
of the Centennial of St. James Cathedral may bring us closer
to the Lord Jesus
and to one another. Amen.

St. Thérèse of Lisieux (1873-1897) was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church in 1997. Her ‘Little Way’ of confidence and love is wonderfully summed up in her poem, My Song for Today: “My life is but a moment, a passing hour; my life is but a day, that escapes and flies away from me. You know, O my God, that to love you here on earth, I have only today! Come, reign in my heart, give me your smile, just for today.”

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Saint Anthony,
you searched for the truth
and you found Jesus Christ,
the Lamb of God, the Holy Child.
Help us to find Christ
in the ordinary circumstances
of our daily lives.
Help us to find Christ in all the people who come to us in need.
Help us to find Christ
n our parish community.
Pray for us, that our celebration
of the centennial of St. James Cathedral may bring us closer to the divine Child and to one another. Amen.

St. Anthony of Padua (d. 1231) is traditionally shown holding the Christ Child. St. Anthony was suffering great pain in a long sickness; the Christ Child appeared to him, consoled and comforted him. Perhaps because the hymn for his feast day begins with the words - “Si quaeris miracula” (If you seek a miracle), Anthony is the saint Catholics pray to when something needs to be found!

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Glorious Saint Joseph,
you listened to the voice of the Lord
and welcomed the Blessed Virgin Mary
into your heart and home.
Because of your faithfulness,
the Lord Jesus was pleased to be known as the carpenter’s son.
Help us to trust in the Lord
in good times and in bad,
and to see God’s goodness
in all the unexpected circumstances
of our lives.
Pray for us, that our celebration
of the centennial of St. James Cathedral may bring us closer
to the One who was called your son
and to one another.
Amen.

This statue of St. Joseph, carved by Italian artisans at the turn of the 20th century, has been venerated in St. James Cathedral for one hundred years now. Joseph holds a lily, the symbol of his pure heart, in one hand, and in the other a carpenter’s square.

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