Robert Cardinal McElroy Officially Installed as Archbishop of Washington

Cardinal McElroy gives the homily at his Installation Mass. Image Courtesy of The Good Newsroom

By Anthony Curioso

The Archdiocese of Washington held a solemn Mass on March 11 to install Robert Cardinal McElroy as the Archdiocese’s new Cardinal Archbishop just over two months after Pope Francis appointed him to the role. The crowd for this Mass filled the Upper Church of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception almost to capacity, including dozens of people from throughout the Archdiocese of Washington and the Diocese of San Diego, where Cardinal McElroy had most recently served as Bishop.

Cardinal McElroy succeeds Wilton Cardinal Gregory, whose resignation Pope Francis accepted on January 6. Cardinal Gregory had served as Archbishop of Washington since 2019, and he became the first Black American to be named a Cardinal in 2020. Upon his retirement as Archbishop, Cardinal Gregory attained the title of “apostolic administrator” for the Archdiocese until Cardinal McElroy’s installation, when Cardinal Gregory became “Archbishop Emeritus.” 

By his assumption of the position of Archbishop of Washington, Cardinal McElroy also assumed the role of Chancellor at CUA and its accompanying responsibilities, including conferring the ecclesiastical degrees in the School of Philosophy and the School of Theology and Religious Studies during the Commencement Ceremony.

As with many solemn Masses held in the Basilica Upper Church, the Installation Mass for Cardinal McElroy featured a procession accompanied by the Basilica’s musical staff. The procession included dozens of clergy representing many dioceses throughout the United States. Among the clergy in the procession were two of Cardinal McElroy’s predecessors: Cardinal Gregory and his predecessor, Donald Cardinal Wuerl.

Christoph Cardinal Pierre, the apostolic nuncio to the United States, was the principal celebrant of the Installation Mass; he began by giving Cardinal Gregory the floor to provide opening remarks. Cardinal Gregory used this time to congratulate Cardinal McElroy on his new position, give an overview of the reasons why the Archdiocese of Washington is an excellent fit for Cardinal McElroy, and thank Pope Francis for “providing for the future of the local Church by sending [Cardinal McElroy to Washington].”

Cardinal Pierre then offered a prayer for Cardinal Gregory, thanking him for his service, and passed two messages from Pope Francis on to those in attendance at the Mass: his gratitude for the support of Catholics everywhere during his recent health issues and his prayers for all the faithful.

From there, Cardinal Pierre addressed Cardinal McElroy directly, offering advice as he assumed the role of Archbishop of Washington. Cardinal Pierre then read the English translation of the official Letter of Appointment issued by the Holy Father, and Cardinal McElroy affirmed his willingness to take on the role’s rights and responsibilities.

After Cardinal McElroy showed the Letter of Appointment to the congregation, he greeted several members of the Archdiocese of Washington community, including some students and faculty of CUA and the neighboring St. Anthony Catholic School.

Rachel Morin, a doctoral student in physics, commented on being among those who greeted Cardinal McElroy. 

“I’m a member of a secular institute in DC called the Crusaders of Mary,” Morin said. “The Crusaders wanted someone to represent us in greeting Cardinal McElroy, and by the grace of God, they chose me.”

During the Liturgy of the Word, the lector read the First Reading (Genesis 1:1-2:3) in Spanish. Meanwhile, the Responsorial Psalm (selections from Psalm 104), the Second Reading (Romans 8:18-25), and the Gospel Reading (John 20:11-18) were in English. When it came time for the Intercessions, the lectors read these in multiple languages to reflect the diversity in the population of the Archdiocese of Washington, including English, Spanish, American Sign Language (ASL), Chinese, and Haitian Creole.

Cardinal McElroy gave the homily for his Installation Mass, beginning by thanking all those who had helped him get to this point and all those in attendance. He also stressed the importance of not losing hope even in the darkest times because God is always with us in our greatest need.

Andrea Suarez, a senior theology major, commented on her thoughts on the Liturgy of the Word at the Installation Mass.

“I loved Cardinal McElroy’s homily and the fact that those in charge of planning the liturgy thought to include multiple languages for the readings and intercessions,” Suarez said. “Having the readings and intercessions for the Mass read in multiple languages is a great way to include more members of the Archdiocese of Washington community.”

After Communion, Cardinal McElroy led the congregation in praying a decade of the Rosary for Pope Francis’s continued healing. Immediately following the Mass, the congregation chanted the Ave Regina Caelorum, and the clergy processed out of the Upper Church accompanied by “O God, Beyond All Praising.”

Suarez commented on her thoughts about the end of the Mass.

“Having Cardinal McElroy process out to ‘O God, Beyond All Praising’ was an amazing way to end Mass,” Suarez said. “I also thought that Cardinal McElroy’s decision to lead us in praying a decade of the Rosary for the Holy Father’s health before the final blessing was a great idea.”

The ultimate hope for Cardinal McElroy among residents of the Archdiocese of Washington during his time as Archbishop is that he can faithfully serve the Archdiocese and lead it to prosperity. The amount of time it will take for those attending Mass in the Archdiocese to grow accustomed to hearing “Robert, our Bishop” during the Eucharistic Prayer instead of “Wilton, our Bishop” and the amount of time it will take for clergy celebrating Masses in the Archdiocese to grow accustomed to the change remains to be seen.