Philadelphia seminary creates Cardinal Foley chair in homiletics

Philadelphia, Pa., Nov 22, 2011 / 23:46 pm

Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania has established the John Cardinal Foley Chair of Homiletics and Social Communication to honor Cardinal Foley for his lifetime of distinguished service as a professional communicator and for his “outstanding priestly service.”

“In establishing this chair, the seminary expresses esteem for Cardinal Foley, one of its most distinguished alumni, and seeks to perpetuate his high standards of communicating the gospel message in the life and ministry of future generations of priests,” the Archdiocese of Philadelphia said Nov. 21.

The seminary chair will train seminarians in homiletics, the art of rhetoric in public preaching. The chair will also teach them to cultivate a practical knowledge and mastery of modern communications media.

Cardinal Foley, a Pennsylvania native, was ordained for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia in 1962 and edited the archdiocesan paper, the Catholic Standard & Times. He served as editor of Rome’s archdiocesan newspaper from 1970 to 1984 and was president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications from 1984 to 2007.

For 21 years, he provided the English-language commentary for the global TV broadcasts of Christmas and Easter Masses.

In 2007, Pope Benedict XVI appointed him Grand Master of the Knights of the Holy Sepulcher and elevated him to the level of cardinal.

On his 76th birthday Nov. 11, Cardinal Foley said he was grateful to God for a wonderful life.

“As Andy Rooney said, ‘I certainly have nothing to complain about.’ It’s been marvelous and I pray that I may have the strength needed for the rest of my time here on Earth to try to continue to do some good for others,” the cardinal said, according to the Delaware County Daily Times.

The cardinal returned to Philadelphia for retirement after being diagnosed with leukemia and other health ailments. He presently lives in Darby, Pennsylvania.