Parish representatives encouraged to attend Centennial Mass
By DANIEL F. DeLONG
Globe editor
Posted May 2, 2002

Plans for the Centennial Mass to celebrate the Diocese of Sioux City's 100th anniversary are well under way as the first deadline for tickets to the June 16 celebration passed this week.

According to Kay Morrissey, a member of the centennial planning committee, extra tickets for the 3 p.m. will be made available soon.

For the May 1 deadline, each parish was allotted 10 seats. The names were sent into the diocese.

Morrissey said the event became a ticketed affair after organizers read an article about the diocese's 75th anniversary where about 1,000 people were turned away from the celebration.

"We want everyone who hopes to go to be able to have a ticket," Morrissey said.

The event is also being complicated by the fact that June 16 is Father's Day.

"Attending the Mass would make for a nice way to spend Father's Day," Morrissey noted.

Parishes are also being asked to bring a banner to the Mass, explained Michael Willis, director of the Office of Worship.

"It is a sign of our unity as church," Willis explained. "Each parish should choose a representative to carry the banner in procession as part of our celebration."

A number of parishes have decided to cluster by deanery and put more than one church on a banner.

With 124 parishes in the diocese, the clustering of parishes is a good idea. The suggested size is 3-feet by 5-feet.

Banners for use in liturgical celebration should be symbolic, artistic and visual rather than a mere sign that depends on text for meaning, according to guidelines from the National Conference of Catholic Bishops.

"Noble is key," Willis said. "Materials should be worthy and not cheap or shoddy. A beautiful banner does not become dated - they will help to create an environment for worship and will symbolize the unity in diversity that comprises the diocese."

In addition to the banner, each parish needs to provide a banner holder and a stand.

A call for 200 vocalists went our last week to participate in a special choir for the Mass.

Matthew J. Geerlings, director of music and liturgy at the Cathedral of the Epiphany in Sioux City, said he hopes all of the parishes will be represented.

There are no auditions to participate, Geerlings explained.

"We want people who can sign and attend rehearsals," he said.

Separate rehearsals are scheduled for St. Mary's in Storm Lake on May 23 and June 6 at 6:30 p.m. and at the cathedral on May 24 and June 7 at 6:30 p.m., and then the two groups will be brought together to rehearse as one on the day of the Mass.

Deadline to sign up for the choir is May 17. Call Geerlings at the cathedral at (712) 255-1637.

Those who attend the Mass will have the option to place an advance order for box lunches at a cost of $6 per person.

While the actual anniversary day for the founding of the diocese is Jan. 15, members of the Centennial Planning Committee decided a summer date would ensure good weather for the celebration. The event also falls about mid-way in the liturgical year, aiding in the promotion of the centennial as a yearlong celebration.

The committee also timed the celebration to coincide with the conclusion of the seven-day bike pilgrimage through the diocese. Pilgrimage on Wheels is scheduled for June 8-15.