Last night, amidst the hustle and bustle of Catholic high-society (and the River Oaks Country Club), a group of dedicated benefactors gathered to celebrate 25 years of the Holy Cross Chapel. Located smack-dab in the middle of downtown, just off the (aptly named) “Main Street Square” MetroRail stop, the Holy Cross Chapel is described as a “spiritual oasis” to a world that too-often forgets the presence of God in the midst of daily business activities.
George Strake, Jr, (one of the honorary co-chairs) commenting on this weekend’s Gospel, tied together the message of Jesus with the mission of Holy Cross Chapel. The Gospel for this weekend presents us with two figures, a pharisee and a “publican” (or a tax collector). The one (the pharisee) prides himself on not being like the other. The tax collector, the publican, hides in the back, begging God for forgiveness. Mr. Strake commented that Holy Cross Chapel’s mission is precisely for those businessmen (and -women), who – even though aren’t perfect – are struggling to do good and striving to do the right thing.
The mission of the church should necessarily be seeking out these men and women – for Our Lord certainly came to “seek and save the lost”
Holy Cross is definitely a locus that engages in the public square. Especially now at street-level, it is a visible sign to the community that the Church is present and welcoming to all. She is also challenging the business community to be ethical, to do the good, and to remember the contemplative dimension to humanity. This is an excellent example of how the public square can be evangelized.
