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The Ascension of Christ

This Ascension of Christ into heaven is emphasized by depicting him as leaving the pictorial space. Only his feet and lower legs, engulfed by clouds, appear at the top, while on the ground the twelve apostles and the Virgin Mary witness his departure. Kulmbach, who trained with Dürer, adapted the composition from a woodcut in his teacher’s Small Passion series. This painting and eight others (now dispersed among various museums) once comprised the wings and predella panel of an altarpiece devoted to the life of the Virgin. A sculpted Coronation of the Virgin (Germanisches National museum, Nuremberg) was the centerpiece.

Link to Website

Ascension of the Lord

Please note that in the ecclesiastical Province of Baltimore, to which the Diocese of Richmond belongs, the Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord is not celebrated on Thursday (this year, May 21); rather, it is transferred to Sunday (May 24), and takes the place of the Seventh Sunday of Easter.

(Most dioceses in the United States have moved the feast of the Ascension. Those that have retained the celebration on the proper Thursday include the ecclesiastical Provinces of Boston, Hartford, New York, Newark, Philadelphia, and Omaha.)

What Does the Ascension Mean?

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “Christ’s ascension marks the definitive entrance of Jesus’ humanity into God’s heavenly domain, whence he will come again (Acts 1:11) …Jesus Christ, the head of the Church, precedes us into the Father’s glorious kingdom so that we, the members of his Body, may live in the hope of one day being with him for ever” (nos. 665–666).

Looking for ways to get involved with your cathedral parish?

We have many activities going on during the month of May!

May at a Glance

DONATE

Join us for

another Rosary,

this Saturday,

5:15 p.m. Mass and 6:00 p.m. Rosary

Join Fr. Tony this Saturday evening, May 23, for the 5:15 p.m. Vigil Mass followed by a special Rosary with music at the beautifully adorned Mary Altar.

Click for Livestream Link

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY

from the Cathedral Staff

This is the final collection weekend for the St. Peter’s Food Drive!

Congratulations to the winners of the Knights of Columbus Scholarship for Outstanding Service!

Congratulations to Stephen Mabry and Will Barron, the two recipients for the Knights of Columbus Scholarship for Outstanding Service Award. Both Stephen and Will are Eagle Scouts and have actively participated in Cathedral Youth Group, various Cathedral Ministries and their school and community. The Knights of Columbus has awarded each a $1,000 scholarship towards their education. As Catholics, we are called to actively serve others and we hope you will join us in congratulating these two high school seniors in living out their faith through service to others.

Stephen Mabry will attend the University of West Virginia

Will Barron will attend School of

Architecture & Urban Studies at Virginia Tech

Congratulations to Cathedral Middle School Youth Group Leader, Michael Mudd!

Michael won the Diocesan St. John Bosco Award for Excellence in Youth Ministry! The awards ceremony took place over ZOOM. Bishop Knestout helped lead the event and Father Tony was present as well to congratulate Michael.

We are grateful for all of our children and youth leaders and catechists. Our program is growing and our youth need you to help lead and chaperone! Contact Joy Weir @ jweir@richmondcathedral.org to find out the many volunteer opportunities.

Theology on Tap Online, hosted by the Richmond TOT committee, will be on Monday, June 1 for a talk by Josh Dart (Josh was a former CCM Minister at VCU and often did a cameo at our Vacation Bible School) entitled “Confidence in the Holy Spirit”! 7:20pm virtual doors open, 7:30pm talk begins. Join us at: bit.ly/OnlineTOT

RCIA Is a process of conversion and spiritual formation for individuals who are interested in living the Christian life in the Catholic tradition. It is a time of prayer, study, reflection, faith sharing, on-going discernment and participation in the life of the parish. This process is for those who have never been baptized, and those who were baptized in another faith tradition, and those who were baptized Catholic and wish full initiation.
To learn more about RCIA please contact Maria Thorsen or come to one of the scheduled Inquiry Sessions: mthorsen@richmondcathedral.org

RCIA Inquiry Sessions

Are you interested in exploring the possibility of becoming Catholic? We welcome you to come with your questions and share in conversation about what it means to live the Christian life in the Catholic tradition. The inquiry sessions are intended to help each person discern whether you want to consider fuller participation in the Catholic faith community. The following sessions might be held virtually or in the Parish Hall.

June 16 - 5:30 pm | July 14 - 5:30 pm | August 11 - 5:30 pm

Please note that the first RCIA Inquiry Session on June 16 will be on Zoom. Please contact Maria Thorsen if you would like to join us: mthorsen@richmondcathedral.org

Please continue to pray for those currently in RCIA who are anticipating receiving their Sacraments of Initiation.

The Cathedral is Celebrating New Life in Christ

Despite Covid-19, the Sacrament of Baptism is still happening at the cathedral. If you would like to have your child baptized, please contact Joy Weir at jweir@richmondcathedral.org

The Pope’s general prayer intention for May is:

For Deacons – We pray that deacons, faithful in their service to the Word and the poor, may be an invigorating symbol for the entire Church.

Deacons Charles Williams, Mark Matte, Chris Malone, and Mike DeNoia

Let’s pray for all deacons, especially our four Cathedral deacons!

Thank you for the beautiful donated flowers. The flowers at Mary's altar and the main altar were donated by John and Cabell West, in memory of their son,

Allen Goolsby West.

It's not too late to join!

Cathedral's May

Book Club

Are you looking for a good book to read? Do you miss your cathedral community and the opportunity to talk about your faith? Then join our new, virtual book club!

We will be reading Rethinking Mary in the New Testament: What the Bible Tells Us about the Mother of the Messiah by Edward Sri.

Wednesdays in May

(May 6 - 27)

7:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Discussion and Rosary

Session 1 (May 6):

The Annunciation:

Chapters 1-6 (pp. 1-67)
Session 2 (May 13):

The Visitation, Mary as Queen Mother and Ark of the Covenant, the Magnificat, and the Nativity: Chapters 7-11 (pp. 68-114)
Session 3 (May 20):

The Presentation, Finding of Jesus in the Temple, and Wedding at Cana: Chapters 12-18 (pp. 115-172)
Session 4 (May 27):

Mary at the Foot of the Cross and Mary Crowned in Glory:

Chapters 19-23 (pp.173-233)

Amazon is currently experiencing longer than usual delivery times. Check Walmart and Target's websites for faster delivery of the book or go the E-book route.

Register Here to Join our Virtual Discussions (Once registered you will be sent a Zoom link)

Giving

Many people have asked how they can continue to financially support the Cathedral parish while public Masses are suspended. As you may know, the Cathedral operating budget is 100% dependent on Offertory contributions throughout the year. About 18% of our donations come through electronic giving. The balance of the giving comes through the regular Sunday collection (82%). With the suspension of public Masses, we will lose more than half of our income.

It is also true that during this crisis, many people will suffer financial hardship through the temporary loss of employment, a reduction in investment-based retirement income, or the need to support other family members. Keeping in mind both of these realities, we ask that you consider the following, remembering that no one is expected to financially endanger themselves or their family:

Please continue to support the Cathedral parish through your donations:

Mail in your usual donation amount by check to 823 Cathedral Place, Richmond, VA 23220
Use Vanco, our online giving platform (Click Here). You can set up one-time or recurring donations using your bank account or credit card. If you previously have not set up your account in Vanco, you can do so easily. Remember, you have total control over your giving using Vanco.
You can text the amount you wish to donate to (804) 315-0903.

At this time, the Cathedral parish has suspended all discretionary spending. We are focused on carefully stewarding the donations of our parishioners so that the essential work of the Church can continue. We will be here throughout this time of crisis. We are here for you! Please help us maintain that presence as you are able.

You are in our prayers; please keep us in yours.

Join our deacons and fellow parishioners

Each Wednesday Morning at 7:30 a.m.

for Lauds (Morning Prayer).

Click the link to join:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87256516889

Meeting ID: 872 5651 6889

CCC continues to operate during the pandemic to provide vital assistance
to our community. They are currently looking for donations of Visa gift
cards, and volunteers to serve as mentors for youth refugees. Please
contact kristen.larcher@cccofva.org if you are interested in helping with
either of these needs. CCC is also accepting donations for their food
pantry. Visit cccofva.org/wish-list to view needed items, and call ahead
at 804-285-5900 if you would like to drop off items.