Pope’s Letter to Envoy for Dome Dedication in Washington

The Vatican on December 2, 2017, released the letter – in Latin – that announced the appointment of Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell, prefect of the dicastery for the laity, family, and life, to be the Holy Father’s “special envoy” to the inauguration of the cupola dedicated to the Holy Trinity in the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, National Sanctuary of the United States. The Vatican announced Cardinal Ferrell’s appointment on October 8, 2017.
The Trinity Dome is scheduled to be unveiled and dedicated on December 8, 2017, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, the patronal feast day of the United States and the National Shrine.
Pope Francis visited the Basilica on September 23, 2015, during his pilgrimage to the United States.
Nearly a century in the making, the National Shrine has been a work in progress since the placing of its foundation stone in 1920.
The Trinity Dome will be one of the largest mosaic installations of its kind in the world.  Fabricated by hand by artisans in Italy, the dome mosaic will be composed of more than 14 million tesserae (pieces of Venetian glass) and will feature representations of the Most Holy Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; the Blessed Virgin Mary as the Immaculate Conception, the Patroness of the United States; and a procession of Angels and Saints. The Nicene Creed will encircle the dome’s base while its four pendentives will depict the Evangelists: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.
Here is the Pope’s Letter

Venerabili Fratri Nostro

COËMGENO IOSEPHO S.R.E. Cardinali FARRELL

Dicasterii pro Laicis, Familia et Vita Praefecto BOLLETTINO N. 0858 – 02.12.2017 2

Cum animi Nostri gaudio nuper accepimus proximo die VIII mensis Decembris Vashingtoniae aedificationem praeclarae Basilicae Immaculatae Conceptionis BMV sollemni modo ad finem adductum iri. Illo enim die cum magno opere musivo inaugurabitur tholus Sanctissimae Trinitati dicatus, cuius partem Nosmet Ipsi in visitatione Nostra die XXIII mensis Septembris anno MMXV benediximus. Hoc modo sacri Praesules, presbyteri et christifideles laici Foederatarum Civitatum Americae Septentrionalis gratias omnipotenti Deo agere volunt ob aedificationem Sanctuarii Nationalis, quam catholici Episcopi harum Civitatum anno MCMXX inceperunt, nec non ob tanta beneficia quae superiores per annos toti inibi christianae communitati Ipse largiri est dignatus.
Cum quidem de eventu magni momenti agatur, Venerabilis Frater Noster Donaldus Villelmus S.R.E. Cardinalis Wuerl, Archiepiscopus Metropolita Vashingtonensis, humanissime Nos rogavit ut aliquem eminentem Virum mitteremus, qui Nostras vices in memorata celebratione gereret Nostramque erga gregem ipsi concreditum et omnes qui in Sanctuarium peregrinantur dilectionem manifestaret. Ad Te autem, Venerabilis Frater Noster, qui aliquando ad clerum Vashingtonensem pertinuisti, episcopalem ordinationem in hoc Sanctuario accepisti atque munus Auxiliaris Vashingtonensis diligenter exercuisti, mentem Nostram vertimus Teque hisce Litteris MISSUM EXTRAORDINARIUM NOSTRUM nominamus ad dictam celebrationem, quae in proxima Sollemnitate Conceptionis Immaculatae Beatae Mariae Virginis, caelestis videlicet Patronae Foederatarum Civitatum Americae Septentrionalis, perficietur.
Sollemni ergo praesidebis Eucharistiae atque Pastorem gregis Vashingtonensis aliosque sacros Praesules, sacerdotes, religiosos viros mulieresque, publicas auctoritates atque universos christifideles Nostro salutabis nomine. Omnes adstantes sermone tuo ad gratias pro omnibus beneficiis a Deo misericordi acceptis agendas adhortaberis nec non ad diligentem eius praeceptorum observationem, potissimum quod pertinet ad vitae humanae dignitatisque personae propagationem et defensionem. Optamus denique ut cuncti, Redemptoris Matrem inspicientes, “quae toti electorum communitati tamquam exemplar virtutum praefulget” (Lumen gentium, 65), novis viribus novoque caritatis studio peculiarem dilectionem erga Christi Ecclesiam et Evangelium nostra etiam aetate demonstrent atque spirituali assiduitate emineant.
Nos autem Te, Venerabilis Frater Noster, in tua missione implenda precibus comitabimur. Denique Benedictionem Nostram Apostolicam libentes Tibi impertimur, signum Nostrae erga Te benevolentiae et caelestium donorum pignus, quam omnibus celebrationis participibus rite transmittes; a cunctis vicissim preces expostulamus, ut pergrave Petrinum munus diligenter adimpleamus.
Ex Aedibus Vaticanis, die XIV mensis Novembris, anno MMXVII, Pontificatus Nostri quinto.

FRANCISCUS