CARDINAL LAW VISITS NOTRE DAME SUNDAY

Many parish priests in Cape Girardeau remember Cardinal Bernard Law from his days as bishop of the Springfield-Cape Girardeau Diocese.

Now they will help celebrate Law's 25th anniversary as bishop during his visit to the area Sunday.

Law, archbishop of Boston, will celebrate Mass Sunday at 2:30 p.m. at the new Notre Dame High School. A reception will follow the Mass, being held on All Saint's Day.

The Rev. Monsignor Richard Rolwing of St. Mary's Cathedral Church said the cardinal's visit was particularly important because it is so rare.

"He more frequently goes east toward Rome than west to Missouri," Rolwing said. The visit was originally scheduled for September, but the cardinal was called to Rome and the trip had to be moved, he said.

The Most Rev. Law was appointed bishop in the diocese in the 1970s. He was appointed archbishop in 1984 and elevated to cardinal a year later. All appointments of bishops and cardinals are made by the pope.

The Archdiocese of Boston includes 2 million Catholics in a 2,465-square-mile area. There are 57,439 Catholics in a 25,719-square-mile area of the Springfield-Cape Girardeau Diocese.

It is a common custom for the current bishop of a diocese to invite former bishops for visits around the anniversary of their ordination, said Marilyn Vydra, director of communications for the Springfield-Cape Girardeau Diocese. "This way he can celebrate in several places," she said.

Because the area's diocese is relatively young, several former bishops have been invited back for their anniversaries.

Law will visit St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Springfield today for a noon Mass before coming to Cape Girardeau.

When Law left the diocese, the Springfield parish was the last to be founded, so he has never celebrated Mass in the church.

During his visit to Cape Girardeau, Law will have a private visit to Old St. Vincent's Church and have dinner with area priests prior to visiting the new Notre Dame High School. He also will visit St. Francis Medical Center and see Southeast Missouri State University.

Nearly 800 people are expected to attend the Springfield Mass and about 500 are expected at Notre Dame.

The cardinal last visited the area when the Catholic diocese offices were built in Springfield.