The mass lasted a little over an hour but the Cardinal’s presence made a lasting impact on those in attendance.
Cardinal Timothy Dolan made a stop at St. Francis University for a banquet to honor Lou DiCerbo and his wife Pat. The DiCerbo’s committed $1,000,000 for an endowment in Franciscan studies and Roman Catholic Theology. The funds allow students to be able to participate in workshops and lectures in those themes. Father Joe Lehman helped plan the Cardinal’s visit and believes the chance to see him at mass was great for the university.
Lehman explained, “For them to be able to see in person the Arch Bishop of New York, I think is a wonderful opportunity for our faculty and our staff to celebrate our Catholic identity.”
At the end of mass, Cardinal Dolan was presented with an honorary degree from the university. Afterwards, prospective St. Francis student Kenny Brumbaugh waited around after mass hoping to get a chance to see Cardinal Dolan up close.
He explained, “I came here with some classmates and my religion teacher and I said, ‘You know, if I get to meet the Cardinal, it’s going to be great.’ Lo and behold as soon as I said that, he came down the steps and it was a great experience.”
Not only did he get to see the Cardinal, but after meeting him, Dolan pulled him aside and spoke with him privately.
“It was nerve racking,” Brumbaugh detailed, “I asked him to pray with me about some stuff and just the way he was and just the way that everything happened. I’m still shaking from it.”
After greeting more people, Cardinal Dolan made his way to a fundraising banquet.