Archbishop Wenski during June 1st Mass of Installation

On the afternoon of June 1st, Archbishop Thomas Wenski took the reigns of the Archdiocese of Miami. Emerging from outside the Cathedral of St. Mary after  the customary three knocks on the front door, Archbishop Wenski processed into the cathedral of the archdiocese to applause from the congregation. The Mass, which began shortly after 2 o’clock, was aired live on EWTN, CatholicTV, and the Archdiocese of Miami website.

At the beginning of the Mass, Archbishop John C. Favalora welcomed those in attendance, including some 500 priests, 40+ bishops, a Prince of the Catholic Church (Sean Cardinal O’Malley), religious men and women, seminarians, and lay faithful. In his remarks, Archbishop Favalora stated: “Today we all welcome Archbishop Wenski back home.” Favalora shared, “I can attest Archbishop, God does provide.”

Here is the English text of Archbishop Wenski‘s homily for the Installation Mass, which will take place this afternoon at 2:00 p.m.

Archbishop Wenski in the Cathedral of St. Mary, Miami

Thank you for that enthusiastic welcome you gave me at the beginning of Mass. Gracias, Mesi anpil. Also, I am grateful for the support of those who traveled great distances to be here today – his Eminence, Cardinal O’Mally, my brother bishops, my relatives, and, of course, the priests who came down from Orlando to make sure that I was well received.. Your presence means so much not only to me but also to all the faithful of the Archdiocese – for this is a significant event not only in my own life but in the life of this local Church. Your Excellency, Archbishop Sambi, as Papal Nuncio in the United States, I ask you to convey to the Holy Father my gratitude for the confidence he has place in me in entrusting to me the care of this Archdiocese – in spite of my own limitations and shortcomings. . Of course, if you forget to, perhaps Archbishop Barney Auza, Papal Nuncio to Haiti, who is also present here today, could carry that same message for me.

Sometimes I tell people – only half in jest – the best thing about Miami and South Florida is that it is so close to the United States. Miami is certainly part of the United States, this great land of opportunity and freedom. And Miami can rightfully claim to be our nation’s new Ellis Island – for it has become a port of entry for refugees and immigrants from around the world, but especially from the Caribbean, Central and South America. Of course, there was no Statue of Liberty here to welcome the newcomers – and sometimes those newcomers were not very welcomed anyway; but for the past 52 years under the leadership of my predecessors, Archbishops Coleman Carroll, Edward McCarthy and John C. Favalora, the Church of Miami was here to extend her maternal embrace to all. For the Church is the Father’s House – and all God’s children should feel at home in their Father’s House, and here in the Archdiocese of Miami – in our parishes, schools and charitable institutions – we have welcomed newcomers – from the first refugees fleeing the Cuban Revolution to this year’s victims of Haiti’s January earthquake. And we’ve learned that the best way to make someone feel at home in their “Father’s House” is to speak their Mother’s tongue.

And while Miami (and South Florida) is part of these United States, it also has become a vital part of the various nations from which our people have come: Haiti, Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Colombia and the rest of the Caribbean, South and Central America. South Florida is truly a transnational community – and that, more than the sun and the beautiful beaches, explains why those who live here find it such a dynamic and exciting place to live. Sometimes, Miami boasts that it is the capital of the hemisphere. The presence here today of Bishops from Cuba, Haiti and Puerto Rico, I think, shows that this is no idle boast.