Apr 20, 2008 / 01:55 am
New York City will gain a new commemorative plaque after the celebration of Mass at Yankee’s Stadium on Sunday. The Knights of Columbus have commissioned a new bronze marker to be installed at the site after Sunday. The new bronze plaque will join others that recall celebrations by previous Popes Paul VI and John Paul II.
Yankee Stadium is scheduled to be replaced with a new stadium after this year’s baseball season, but the commemorative markers are expected to be included in the plans for the new stadium complex.
The sporting complex has been part of the New York sporting scene since Catholic governor Al Smith threw out the opening pitch for the first game at Yankee’s Stadium in April of 1923. Members of the Yankee’s baseball team such as Babe Ruth and Rodger Guidry were also members of the Knights of Columbus.
The 105 pound marker was made by United States Bronze of New Hyde Park, NY and will be located at the Yankee Stadium Memorial Park. It will join the commemorative markers that recall Eucharistic celebrations in 1965 by Paul VI and 1979 by John Paul II.
The final Mass of the Pope’s American apostolic journey, themed, “Christ our Hope” will formally celebrate the bicentennial of the founding of the Dioceses (now Archdioceses) of New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Louisville (formerly Bardstown). It will also mark the 200th anniversary of the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s elevation to the status of a metropolitan archdiocese and it’s foundation as the Primal See of the United States. The Primal See of a country is equivalent of the title, “Mother Church” for a particular country.
The Knights of Columbus are a fraternal organization founded in 1882 by the Venerable Michael J. McGiveney. The Knights of Columbus regularly support the initiatives of the Pope including building community recreation centers in Rome, the funding for the building and development of Vatican Radio in the 1920’s as well as the provisioning of a mobile television recording studio for Vatican television. The most recent contribution from the Knights has been to pay for the restoration of the façade of Saint Peter’s in Rome and the archeological excavations and restorations below the great basilica.
The Knights of Columbus have a special fund from which they support the papal charities called, Vicarius Christi.”