So what does Cardinal Sean O’Malley’s new ring that he and the other 14 new cardinals received at the Mass of the Rings today in the Vatican look like? Courtesy of Boston Globe reporter Michael Paulson’s Rome blog here it is:
The design was chosen by Pope Benedict XVI and depicts the Crucifixion with Mary and John standing by Christ on the Cross. The papal seal is on the inside. And Paulson reveals a bit of trivia. The rings are open in the back and will be re-sized when the cardinal gets home. You’ll also notice the scarlet robes are gone and the friar’s habit is back.
Paulson also reports a conversation he’s had with Fr. Bob Reed, director of Boston Catholic Television and a friend of the Bettinelli family. They were counting up all the Boston priests they’d encountered in Rome this week. As they went down the names, I was struck by how many of them were relatively young/new priests. Whatever his relationship with Boston clerical establishment, O’Malley seems to have struck a chord with the future priests of the archdiocese, which isn’t a bad strategy. Among those listed was Fr. Brian Kiely of St. Patrick in Natick, who rumors say will be the new co-pastor of the troubled Our Lady Help of Christians Parish in Newton.
Update: I got the names mangled. It’s not Fr. Brian Kiely, but Fr. Joseph Keil of St. Agatha’s in Milton. The names are similar as you can see.
Technorati Tags: Boston, cardinal, Catholic, consistory, vatican
Obviously, I don’t KNOW anything, but the rumor I’ve heard is that it’s Fr. Joe Keil, associate pastor at St. Agatha’s in Milton. His name is a bit like Fr. Brian’s, so the mistake could be easily made. He also announced to his parish that he’d been asked by the Archbishop to leave St. Agatha’s and take on “a very difficult assignment.”
Fr. Joe’s (or Fr. Brian’s) co-pastor-to-be is a well-regarded priest who’s known as being very pastorally sensitive.
You’re right, Fr. Clark. I got the name mangled, which you can understand given the similarities.