Installation Mass of Archbishop Robert J. Carlson

(Photograph by Jeff Geerling)

Archbishop-elect Robert J. Carlson was installed as Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Saint Louis at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis on Lindell Blvd. at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 10. A reception at Rosati-Kain High School will follow the Mass. Both events are open to the public.

Related Content:

• Read more about Archbishop-elect Robert J. Carlson.
• Pilgrimage to Rome for Archbishop Carlson's Reception of the Pallium.
• See up-to-the-minute information about the Installation from the Saint Louis Review.
• Read Archbishop Carlson's Homily from the Mass of Installation.

More information about the Installation Mass can be found below:

Programs

You can download and view the Installation Mass program and the Evening Prayer program (both files are over 5 MB, PDFs).

Live Video

The Installation Mass was streamed live on archstl.org, and a
recording of the homily was posted shortly after the Mass is
complete. The video will be able to be replayed; links to sources to come later!

EWTN will re-broadcast the Installation Mass at 12 a.m. on June 11.

Pictures and News Updates

Pictures of the Installation Mass, as well as news stories about the preparations for the Mass, the Evening Prayer Vigil, and more, can be found on the Saint Louis Review website.

Visitors

The Drury Plaza Hotel in downtown Saint Louis has rooms available for out-of-town visitors. Please visit the hotel's website for more information and to reserve a room. More information for those traveling to Saint Louis will be posted soon!

Media

All media requests (including video, audio, and still photography) must go through Anne Steffens in the Office of Communications. Media coverage for the Evening Prayer will be by invitation only. All media coverage will be pooled on the day of the Installation. The coverage will be carried live and the homily will be posted on www.archstl.org. The Installation will also be featured in the Saint Louis Review and on the Saint Louis Review website.

Information pertaining to media coverage of the Installation Mass and related events:
Press Release: Mass of Installation Scheduled for New Archbishop
Press Release: Pilgrimage is Announced for Pallium Ceremony

About the Installation Mass

The Installation Mass will be held at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis. The 'Cathedral' is the main church in the Archdiocese. During the Mass, Most Rev. Robert J. Carlson will be Installed as the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Saint Louis. The crosier and mitre are two symbols of the office of Bishop carried and worn by the Archbishop; the crosier (a long staff) represents the fact that the Archbishop is the shepherd of the flock entrusted to him, while the mitre is the hat worn by a Bishop as a symbol of his office.

During the Mass, many dignitaries will be in attendance, along with most of the Archdiocese's priests, seminarians, men and women religious, deacons, and many lay faithful. All of these people come together to witness the installation of the new leader of the Catholic Church in Saint Louis.

During the Mass, Most Rev. Carlson will begin the celebration of the Mass sitting on the East side of the sanctuary area (the elevated area around the Altar), until he is pronounced Archbishop of Saint Louis. At this point, he will move to the West side of the sanctuary, and be seated in the Cathedra (the chair reserved for the Archbishop at the Cathedral).

After the Installation ceremony, the Archbishop will continue to celebrate the Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist, along with his fellow bishops and priests and all the faithful in attendance.

The Most Rev. Robert J. Carlson

Born on June 30, 1944 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Archbishop Robert J. Carlson was the oldest, and the only son of Robert Sr. and Jeanne (nee Dorgan) Carlson. In 1950 he began his elementary education at Christ the King, Minneapolis, MN (1950-1955). Then in 1955 the family moved to Mt. Prospect, IL where he enrolled in Mt. Prospect-Lincoln School (1955-1956), and then back to Minneapolis to continue his elementary education at Annunciation Parish in Minneapolis, MN (1956-1958). He attended Cretin High School in Saint Paul, MN for his high school education (1958-1962).

In 1962 he began his seminary education at Saint Paul Seminary in Saint Paul, MN earning a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy in 1966, and successfully completed his studies earning a Masters of Divinity degree in 1976.

Archbishop Carlson was ordained to the priesthood on May 23, 1970 by then Archbishop Leo C. Binz, Archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis. He served as Parochial Vicar at St. Raphael in Crystal, MN (1970-1972), and at St. Margaret Mary in Golden Valley (1972-1974). While there he also served as Administrator (1974-1976) until he was named Vocation Director and Vice-Chancellor (1976-1977). In 1977 he began graduate studies at the Catholic University of America, where he earned a Licentiate in Canon Law (1977-1979).

On his return to the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis he was appointed Chancellor (1979-1985). It was also during this time that he served as pastor of St. Leonard in Minneapolis, MN (1980-1984).

On November 19, 1983 – just thirteen years after his ordination to the priesthood – he was named Auxiliary Bishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis by His Holiness, Pope John Paul II, choosing for his episcopal motto: ANTE CRUCEM NIHIL DEFENSIONIS, (“Before the Cross There is No Defense”). He was ordained on January 11, 1984 with then Archbishop John R. Roach as Consecrator and Bishops John F. Kinney and Paul V. Dudley as Co-consecrators. He was named Coadjutor of the Diocese of Sioux Falls on January 13, 1994 and succeeded Bishop Paul V. Dudley as the 7th Bishop of Sioux Falls on March 21, 1995. Less then ten years later he was named Bishop of Saginaw by His Holiness, Pope John Paul II on December 29, 2004 and was installed as its 5th Bishop on February 24, 2005 by Archbishop Gabriel Montalvo, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States of America.

His Excellency, the Most Reverend Robert J. Carlson was appointed Archbishop of St. Louis by His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI, on April 21, 2009. He is the 9th Archbishop and the 10th Bishop of St. Louis since its establishment as a diocese in 1826.

Symbols of the Office of Bishop

Bishops wear distinctive symbols or insignias, also called regalia, which communicate to the faithful and others their special place within the Church. The Order of the Bishop, which grants to those ordained to this rank the fullness of the Sacrament of Holy Orders, is symbolized primarily by three items. These are the ring, miter, and the crosier (or pastoral staff).

The Ring
The first insignia to be received by the bishop during the Rites of Ordination is the ring. Upon handing over the ring to the newly ordained bishop, the principal ordaining bishop says, “Receive this ring, the seal of fidelity, adorned with undefiled faith, preserve unblemished the bride of God, the Church.”

The ring symbolizes primarily two things. First, it is a sign of discretion since rings were used to seal private documents. Second, the ring is a sign of the conjugal nature of the relationship between the bishop and the Church. The ring represents the symbolic marriage between the bishop and the Church.

The Miter (the bishop’s hat)
The next insignia, which is given to the newly ordained bishop during the Rites of Ordination, is the miter. The principal ordaining bishop places a miter on the head of the new bishop while saying: “Receive the miter, and may the splendor of holiness shine forth in you, so that when the chief shepherd appears, you may deserve to receive from him an unfading crown of glory.”

The miter is a headdress, which points upward toward heaven and can be compared to the laurel wreathes given to victorious athletes. It has become a symbol of how the bishop will be received in heaven with his whole flock and rewarded for his fidelity. 2 Timothy 4:7-8 says, “I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. From now on the crown of righteousness awaits me, which the Lord, the just judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me, but to all who have longed for his appearance.”

The Crosier (also called the pastoral staff)
The last symbol received by the newly ordained bishop is the crosier. The principal ordaining bishop says: “Receive the crosier, the sign of your pastoral office, and keep watch over the whole flock in which the Holy Spirit has placed you as bishop to govern the Church of God.”

Each bishop is a symbol of Christ the Good Shepherd. It is Christ who the bishop is trying to model himself after and it is Christ who each bishop strives to imitate and model for the flock. The crosier also symbolizes the responsibility that the bishop has in leading all to Christ. Sometimes the crosier will be used to scare off the wolves that want to hurt the flock, and other times it can be used to pull the sheep back if they begin to wander off. The crosier tells us that the bishop is a leader after Christ’s own heart.

The Pectoral Cross
While not part of the Rites of Ordination another symbol of the bishop, and a relatively new addition to the symbols of the bishop, is the pectoral cross. It is called pectoral because it is worn over the pectus or breast of the bishop, close to his heart, and its use began between the 17th and 18th century.

Traditionally, the bishop will take the cross, kiss the cross and while placing it over his neck say the following short prayer, “Munire me digneris.” This is a prayer, which is asking the Lord for three things,

1. For protection against all who wish him harm
2. To be able to always remember the Passion of Christ
3. Keep in mind the success of those who have professed their faith in Christ

The Bishop’s Chair
The bishop’s chair or throne in his primary church is called a cathedra, and this is why this primary church is called a cathedral. From this chair the bishop presides at Mass and other solemn celebrations. The bishop is always the leader of prayer in his diocese. Because of this, when the Rites of Ordination of a Bishop take place in the bishop’s cathedral church, and he is to become the Ordinary Bishop of that Diocese, he is led to this chair after having received the symbols of his office as bishop. This symbolizes that the bishop has taken his place as the ordinary of the diocese.

Originally, this chair was the place from which the bishop would authoritatively preach and teach to those present in the church. Because of this, the bishop’s chair, or cathedra, is a sign of his authority to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ and to teach the great truths of our faith to the Body of Christ, the Church. The bishop is the primary preacher, teacher and catechist of the diocese. Finally, the bishop’s chair also represents the unity of faithful around that which is taught by the community’s good shepherd, the bishop.

Coat of Arms
A bishop's coat of arms is distinguished by a sign of his rank, an ecclesial hat. That hat, placed over the shield, was worn in processions, as late as 1870. The hat is low-crowned, flat, and wide brimmed. The hat is green and hanging from it are twelve green tassels, six on each side. There's also a processional cross above the shield. The cross on a bishop's coat of arms has one bar; an archbishop's cross has two. The design of the shield itself differs from bishop to bishop.

A Brief History of the Archdiocese of St. Louis

The Diocese of St. Louis was erected by Apostolic Brief of Pope Leo XIII on July 14, 1826. This divided the Territory of Louisiana making New Orleans the See City of Lower Louisiana and of the Territory of Mississippi, and St. Louis the See City of the State of Missouri and of the adjacent territories. The exact limits of the new diocese of St. Louis were never defined with much exactitude, especially to the West where it was generally stated that the diocese extended to the Rocky Mountains.

On July 20, 1847 the Diocese of St. Louis was raised to the dignity of an Archdiocese by decree of Pope Pius IX, with Bishop Peter Kenrick becoming its first metropolitan. In 1849 the Fourth Provincial Council of Baltimore petitioned that the suffragan Sees of St. Louis be the Dioceses of Dubuque, Nashville, Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul. The Holy See granted this petition.

With the growth of the Church in the West, new dioceses and provinces were formed from the original St. Louis Diocese. In the States that comprised the Upper Louisiana Territory with the portions of Wisconsin and Illinois, there are now forty-two dioceses. The next limitation of the territory of the Diocese of St. Louis was by brief of the Sacred Consistorial Congregation June 16, 1911, which gave to the Diocese of St. Joseph eleven counties and set the northern boundary of St. Louis as the northern lines of the counties Pike, Audrain, Boone and Howard; the western boundary as the western lines of the counties Howard, Boone, Cole, Maries, Pulaski, Texas and Howell; the southern boundary the State of Arkansas and the eastern boundary the Mississippi River.

A Brief of the Sacred Consistorial Congregation, dated July 2, 1956, further limited the territory of the Archdiocese of St. Louis. The Archdiocese now covers 5,968 square miles and comprises that part of the State of Missouri bounded on the north by the northern line of Lincoln County; on the west by the western lines of the counties of Lincoln, Warren, Franklin and Washington; on the south by the southern lines of the counties of Washington, St. Francois and Perry, and on the east by the Mississippi River.

The Primary Patron of the Archdiocese is St. Louis IX, King of France. His feast is celebrated August 25. The co-secondary patrons are St. Vincent de Paul and St. Rose Philippine Duchesne. St. Vincent’s feast is celebrated on September 27, and St. Rose Philippine’s feast is celebrated on November 18.