JS: Milwaukee-area Catholics celebrate Pope Francis' installation

The liturgy itself reflected both the ascension of a new pontiff and Francis' choice of a name.

The cathedral choir performed "Make Me an Instrument of Your Peace," based on the "Prayer of St. Francis," in the prelude to the processional.  [Great words, terrible song] And the celebrants prepared the altar for the consecration of the Eucharist to the Renaissance motet " Tu es Petrus," or "You are Peter," from the Gospel passage: "You are Peter and upon this rock I will build my church."

The Mass coincided with the Feast of St. Joseph, patron saint of the universal church, lending it an air of reserved joyfulness during Lent, which is a penitential and typically more somber time in the church.  [Nicely put!]

"What a fitting day this is to celebrate the inauguration of a new pope," Listecki said.

The archbishop drew a hearty laugh - including from the Jesuits - when he pronounced on the selection of Bergoglio last week: "I don't know which was more exciting, that he was from Latin America or that he was a Jesuit."

Relatively few diocesan priests attended the Mass, one church official said, because they were busy in their own parishes. 

The whole thing at JS