(MCT)

Sean Patrick Cardinal O’Malley, the Archbishop of Boston, celebrated Mass at the Newman Catholic Center at the University of Massachusetts on Sunday.‘

Before the 7 p.m. student Mass, Cardinal O’Malley joined the Newman community in a free spaghetti dinner.

Joining O’Malley for the Mass were the Bishop Timothy A. McDonnell of Springfield, the Rev. Dan Hennessey, director of vocations for the Archdiocese of Boston, the Rev. Gary Dailey, director of vocations for the Diocese of Springfield, the Rev. John Gawienowski, UMass ’80; the Rev. Sean O’Manion, UMass ’93 and ’99; and the Rev. Doug McGonagle, director of the Newman Center.

In his homily, O’Malley preached on the topic of loving God and Jesus Christ.‘

O’Malley spoke of the Gospel of John, when Christ told his disciples to ‘love each other, as I have loved you.’

With that as his theme, he told several stories to illustrate it, such as one about a man who burned down the house he had worked in all his life in order to save his neighbors.‘

O’Malley also spoke about the need to unite with Christ’s suffering in order to fulfill the commandment and connected it to the Gospel reading for the day, quoting Jesus in the Bible to say, ‘Anyone who loves his life shall lose it, and anyone who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal.’‘

His homily was well received by all that attended.

‘ ‘I think it’s wonderful. One of the things we forget is that people from all over come to the Newman Center and the more we can help them realize that the Church is not just in their home dioceses the better we will be,’ said Bishop Timothy A. McDonnell, of Springfield.

At the end of the Mass, the Rev. McGonagle gave Cardinal O’Malley a copy of Richard Cardinal Cushing’s inaugural sermon from when the Newman Center opened in May of 1963, after which O’Malley joked he didn’t feel so guilty about preaching such a long homily, because Cardinal Cushing’s must have been even longer.

‘It was great,’ said the Rev. McGonagle. ‘The Cardinal was energized, I think he was surprised. It was his first visit and he didn’t realize how big a facility this is.’

The Newman Center‘s chapel, dedicated to Our Lady Seat of Wisdom and St. Jude Thaddeus, was packed with members of the Newman community.

‘You didn’t want to be standing next to the door when the people came out,’ added McDonough. ‘It was like a wave.’

For his part, O’Malley greatly enjoyed the Newman experience himself.

‘It was a great joy to be here, to see the wonderful facility. I’m grateful to the bishop for the invitation. There was a wonderful singing of the liturgy. I look forward to coming again,’ he said.

Matthew M. Robare can be reached at mrobare@student.umass.edu.