.- Several thousand Catholics gathered at the University of Notre Dame on August 18 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend. The day long event was well attended by members of the congregation of the Holy Cross as well as by ministers of various denominations.
The celebration began with an ecumenical prayer service offered for the unity of Christians, followed by numerous events: a variety of workshop presentations, special youth activities, the Sacrament of Reconciliation (available at 45 locations), and the opportunity for participants to renew their baptismal vows.
The Holy Eucharist was concelebrated by Bishop D'Arcy, several other bishops, and numerous priests. The Mass featured some prayers and songs in Spanish as well as prayer petitions in several languages to represent various ethnic groups in the diocese. At the close of the Mass, Bishop D'Arcy imparted a special apostolic blessing from Pope Benedict XVI, which he gave on the occasion of the diocesan anniversary.
The festivities concluded with a reception held to honor Bishop D'Arcy's recent birthday.
