October 9, 2005
Terence Cardinal Cooke 1921 - 1983
Finally, the last person we’ll consider in this part of our mini-series on people proposed for beatification is my very dear friend Cardinal Terence Cooke, Archbishop of New York. Cardinal Cooke, as many of you know, was a man of great humility, charity and kindness. Outstanding qualities of the cardinal were his patience with those who attacked and belittled him and his compassion for the poor. The whole city of New York went into mourning at the time of his death. It is estimated that two hundred and fifty thousand people participated in some aspect or other of his funeral – either joining the long lines that for eighteen hours each day passed by his casket in state, or attended the funeral, or joining the great crowds outside the Cathedral during the funeral.
The memory of Cardinal Cooke and respect for him has not dimmed through the years. The Cardinal Cooke Guild has seriously pursued his process of beatification. I was the diocesan promoter of his cause and now my place has been taken by the Vice Postulator, Father Joseph Giandurco of St. Joseph’s Seminary. The place of Mother Aloysius, O. Carm. as founder of the guild has been taken by Mrs. Patricia Handal. The Cardinal Cooke Guild has many publications available on him and you can contact the guild at 1011 First Ave., New York, NY 10022. At the moment we do not have a website, but it will be coming in the next few months.
Every day I pause to pray to my dear friend Cardinal Terence Cooke, especially for bishops and priests and the church in these very difficult times. Cardinal Cooke has been very well described as an ordinary man who was given an extraordinary job and who did it extraordinarily well in challenging times. He did this by prayer, devotion to Christ, love of the Eucharist and compassion for everyone in need, especially for the poor and the sick. What more could you ask from anyone? I can honestly say of all the people I have known in my life, no one was more consistent and more generous and has attempted to live the gospel life, even when it required heroic faith and charity to do so.
Fr. Benedict Groeschel, CFR
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