This morning, inside St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, the Church was given the gift of 23 new Cardinals. Pictured here are two friends, two of the new Cardinals. On the left in what looks like his current flu had taken over, Cardinal John Foley, a Philadelphian, a St Joe's Prep grad and also a former Jesuit novice. Since my first assignment in Philadelphia, Cardinal Foley and I have maintained a wonderful relationship. In visits to Rome, we often chatted in his office and at nearby restaurants. After some 20 years of leadership at the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, the "red hat" was finally put upon his head. My hope now is that when he returns to Philadelphia, I will be in better health and able to travel to the City of Brotherly Love to concelebrate Mass with my friend and colleague.The man on the right brings special joy to me today. I remember well when young Danny DiNardo sat in my history classes at the Bishop's Latin School in Pittsburgh. It was then that I came to know the man who was clearly, even in his high school years, destined to be super successful in whatever he would do. To be honest, it was truly painful not to be present with him for this special day in his life and the lives of all those who worked with him or have become friends with him. Clearly, once stronger and able to travel distances, you can bet that yours truly will be flying to Houston to concelebrate a Mass with Cardinal Dan. Watching the Holy Father place the red hat on Dan's head was a moment I believe will always be in my heart. To see the Holy Father's broad smile when the new Cardinal knelt before him was for me a clear sign of the Holy Father's respect and friendship for a man he had worked with when Msgr. Dan was working in the office of the Congregation for Bishops. How blessed the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston is with his presence ... first and foremost as a priest and now as the first Cardinal of the South. Tonight I will sleep with a great sense of satisfaction and happiness. It is not too often that a high school teacher sees his student become a Cardinal. A day to remember and treasure.
