Thursday, February 23, 2012

Red hats in Detroit

I happened to go to the Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament this past Sunday and noticed some things I hadn't before, suspended Galeri. These hats (until the late 1960's) were given to Cardinals at their consistory. As you have probably heard by now, the US has gained 2 Cardinals, Dolan and O'Brien. Our newest US cardinals received the scarlet zucchetto and biretta.

The Cardinal's galero is traditionally hung over his remains upon interment. The popular tradition is that once the hat disintegrates and falls the ground the Cardinal has left Purgatory and entered heaven.

However, Cardinals Mooney and Dearden are buried in Holy Sepulchre cemetary in Southfield, so we veer from tradition there.

Maida and Szoka are the other two Detroit Cardinals, both still living. It is not known whether the current Archbishop Vigneron will ever receive the red hat.

I don't know which Galero belongs to which deceased Cardinal, but one hangs in each transept.
North Transept with beautiful stained glass depicting angels and saints surrounding the throne of Christ the King.

South transept has the Blessed Sacrament side chapel.

Close up of Galero.

External shot of Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament.

3 comments:

Diane Korzeniewski said...

I noticed those red hats too when I was there for the ordination of Fr. David Bechill on the Exaltation of the Cross last year. Here is a pretty clear picture of one of them. I can tell you that one looked much older than the other. I think the one photographed, which is on the right when walking up the center aisle, belonged to Dearden.

http://te-deum.smugmug.com/ArchdioceseofDetroit/Ordinations/2011-09-14-Ordination/i-bzv5FmR/0/L/20110914-IMG9169-L.jpg

Here is my rather large gallery from that day. It was my first time shooting an ordination.

http://te-deum.smugmug.com/ArchdioceseofDetroit/Ordinations/2011-09-14-Ordination/19035532_Xjsv42

Bethie Marie said...

I love this Cathedral!!! Thanks for the photos.

God Bless!

Unknown said...

Now that there are three, Cardinal Mooney's is by the north door, Cardinal Dearden's is by the confessionals, and Cardinal Szoka's is by the chapel.

Marian Bart
Evangelization Coordinator at the Cathedral