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Good morning,

Thank you for being here for what is a historic and joyful moment in the life of the Catholic Diocese of Raleigh, the city of Raleigh and the state of North Carolina.

In 1897, Father Thomas Price, the first North Carolinian born Catholic priest, purchased a 400-acre tract of land in what was known as the Nazareth Community with the purpose of spreading the Gospel and the teachings of the Catholic Church.

Now, 114 years later, we are here this morning on a portion of the remaining 39-acres of that original land to renew Father Price’s vision for the Catholic Church in North Carolina. I am confident that he is looking down upon us and that he will intercede on our behalf.

Today, I officially announce the planned construction of a new Cathedral Campus for the Diocese of Raleigh to be built on this property. The Campus will consist of a 2,000 seat Cathedral, a Gathering Hall and a three-story parking facility. The estimated cost of the Cathedral Campus Project will be 75 to 90 million dollars.

The title of the new Cathedral will be Holy Name of Jesus. The title also has historical roots for this property. It commemorates the name of the chapel established by Father Price at Nazareth.

The need for a new Cathedral is prompted, in large part, by the continuing vibrant growth of the Catholic population throughout the 54-county Diocese. In the ten-year period between 2000 and 2010, the Catholic population has increased approximately 42 percent from 152,000 to 217,000 registered Catholics, with an estimated 200,000 plus unregistered Catholics, mostly of Hispanic origin.

Our current Cathedral, Sacred Heart, serves as the “Mother Church” of the Diocese. Its seating capacity of 320 is unable to accommodate most liturgical celebrations of the Diocese, as it was not constructed to be a Cathedral.

When it was built in the early 1920s, Sacred Heart was created as a parish church to serve the small number of Catholics residing in the capital city. In 1924, when the Vatican established the Diocese of Raleigh, the Holy See designated this small church on Hillsborough Street as the Cathedral. Today, it remains the smallest Cathedral in the United States with the exception of Juneau, Alaska.

It is important to note that for Roman Catholics, the Cathedral stands as the visible unifying presence of the Church. Thus, we chose as our theme: Our Cathedral: One Faith, One People. All parishes in the Diocese are extensions of the Cathedral. The Cathedral holds the chair, the cathedra, of the Diocesan Bishop, from which he gathers the faithful to guide and lead them, as teacher and shepherd.

The concept of building a new Cathedral to address the growing needs of the Diocese began in late 2009. In consultation with the major Diocesan collegial bodies, I accepted their recommendations to commission a feasibility study to explore interest and support for the proposed project.

The study was completed in July 2010 with results indicating a significant level of support for the project from clergy, consecrated religious and laity. After reviewing results of the study, the Diocesan collegial bodies, in separate votes, recommended to me that the Diocese proceed to the next step of the project. I accepted their recommendation and established a Cathedral Campus Steering Committee with five sub-committees, each with a specific task to review the many aspects of the proposed project and to establish a set of policies and guidelines if the project was to be undertaken.

At this time, I take a moment to recognize several individuals who have accepted key positions on the Cathedral Campus Project. The co-chairs of the project are Mr. Timothy Mann and Dr. Henry Zaytoun, Jr. The honorary co-chairs are Msgr. Gerald Lewis and Msgr. John Wall. And the chair of the Cathedral Campus Building Committee is Msgr. David Brockman, Vicar General of the Diocese.

In July, 2011, after careful review of the work of the Steering Committee and following consultation with local civic and business leaders about possible sites in downtown Raleigh for the location of the Cathedral Campus, I accepted the recommendation of the Steering Committee to proceed with the planned construction here on the Nazareth site.

The Diocese has contracted with Washington, D.C. architect Mr. James McCrery to develop the Cathedral Campus design and to propose the most effective utilization of the land for the Gathering Hall, parking facilities and possible additional development of the site.

The new Cathedral will form the heart of this vibrant Cathedral Campus. In addition to being the “Mother Church of the Diocese” and home to major liturgical events and Diocesan gatherings, Holy Name of Jesus Cathedral will be a cultural venue for the region, hosting concerts in sacred music and lecture series. I envision that our parishes and schools will schedule pilgrimages to the Cathedral and I will welcome them with great joy.

Our current Cathedral, Sacred Heart, will be retained and honored as the first church designated to be the Cathedral for the Diocese of Raleigh. Sacred Heart will continue to serve as a vibrant part of the sacramental life of our Diocese, where a regular Mass schedule, small weddings, funerals and other liturgical and private prayer will be celebrated. Sacred Heart has a long commitment of social outreach to the poor and those most in need in downtown Raleigh. That commitment will remain and be expanded.

At this time, we are unable to provide a definitive date for the Cathedral Campus groundbreaking. We are hopeful it will take place by mid-2013.

I clearly understand that this is a monumental and historic project that will involve sacrifice and hard work. It is all for God’s glory and honor. Thus, the building of the Cathedral campus will be carried out in a joyful spirit and with complete dependence on God’s divine assistance and amazing graces.

Blessed be the Holy Name of Jesus ... R: Now and forever!

Once again, let me thank you for your presence this morning for this historic endeavor and I will now take any questions you may have.