Blessing of a New Altar
St. Frances Academy Chapel
Baltimore, Maryland
November 24, 2025
Thanks and Praise
Sr. Marsha, Deacon Curits, Dr. Adamo, dear sisters, friends, benefactors, and most of all students of St. Frances Academy:
I am so happy to be with all of you this afternoon as we blessing the new altar in this historic and newly renovated chapel. I am very grateful to all those whose generosity and artistry has made this restoration possible. This includes Deacon Turner’s 2008 providential encounter with a property manager of a nearby building that began the renovation process, the “sweat equity” of Sr. Trinita and Sr. Virginia, and of an army of volunteers who worked on this project, as well as the wonderful bequest of Msgr. William Collins together with many generous donations from benefactors and friends. We are grateful to the artists of the four portraits that adorn the chapel and to Brad Wells who fashioned the altar we are about to bless. This renovation and the acquisition of a new altar was truly a longstanding, community effort that today comes to its fruition. “Let us give thanks to the Lord for he is good!” (Ps 107:1).
Foundations
But let us go back even further to recall our foundations. St. Paul in our reading from 1st Corinthians writes: “According to the grace of God given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation and another is building upon it. But each must be careful how he builds upon it, for no one can lay a foundation other than one that is there, namely, Jesus Christ” (1 Cor 3: 9c – 11).
The foundation laid by St. Paul in Corinth is the same foundation that our founder, Ven. Mother Mary Elizabeth Lange put in place here. In her pioneering work as religious, a foundress, and an educator, she grounded her very life in the Providence of God, and the highest expression of God’s Providence is his love for the world in sending us his only Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, as our Redeemer. Like Peter, Mother Mary Lange professed faith in Jesus as the Messiah, as the Son of the Living God, present in our midst through Word and Sacrament. As she worshipped the living God, first in the chapel at Paca Street, and later in a predecessor chapel at St. Frances Academy, she and her sisters found the strength they needed to carry forward their mission of formation and education, a mission that faced incredible odds created by personal & structural sin. This is the foundation which has been put in place for us – and in God’s grace, we are building upon as we bless this new altar and as we bless this beautifully renovated chapel.
The Significance of the Altar
Let us turn our focus on the new altar we are to bless. It is a work of art but it is much more than that. Its significance shines forth in our reading from the Book of Genesis. There we are ushered into Jacobs dream in which he saw a staircase that rested on the ground but reached into the heavens – and on this staircase, God’s messengers, his angels went up and down. The angels brought God’s blessings to Jacob as he slept: God promised Jacob that he and his descendants would inherit the promised land. They brought to Jacob assurance that God would never desert him. So too, the angels brought Jacobs heartfelt prayers to God on high as he dedicated that spot as shine, calling it “the abode of God”, “the gateway to heaven” – and there he set up an altar and blessed it.
As Brad Wells crafted this beautiful new altar, he used choice and precious wood – and incorporated into the design of the altar “butterfly stitching” to symbolize the many lives that have been and are being transformed here at St. Frances Academy since its founding by Mother Lange in 1829. Brad, you have, so to speak, “set the stage” for Jacob’s dream to be reenacted in this historic chapel. For this altar takes the place of the stairway that Jacob envisioned.
As Holy Mass is offered upon this altar, it is not only angels and God’s message that comes down upon it but indeed it is the Holy Spirit who descends upon the bread and wine – transforming these elements in to the Body and Blood of Christ who redeemed us by laying down his life for us on Cross. By sharing in this one sacrifice and receiving the Lord’s Body and Blood, we ourselves are transformed from sin to grace and grace to glory. Thus transformed, we offer ourselves to God along with Christ – In a sense, we all become “oblates” – those who offer themselves. Ascending before God’s throne are all of your works of heart and hand, all you are doing for the sake of the wonderful young people you serve. Thus in the III Eucharistic Prayer, we address the Father praying that his Son will make us “an eternal offering” – a holy and pleasing sacrifice. Upon this altar, God’s Son descends in the power of the Spirit, and from this altar our prayers and sacrifice arise to the halls of heaven where Christ intercedes for us at the right hand of the Father.
St. Frances of Rome
As we enter into these sacred mysteries, we are not alone. We are surrounded by ‘a cloud of witnesses’ – the angels and saints. We mention them in the Eucharistic prayer – the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, the Apostles, the martyrs. And we hope one day officially to mention Ven. Mother Lange for we believe with our heart and soul that she too reigns in heaven.
Mother Lange had a special devotion to St. Frances of Rome, for whom the Academy is named – a saint who lived in 14-15th century Rome, who founded an oblate congregation known for its prayerfulness and its works of charitable outreach for those in need. It is not hard to see why Mother Lange found so much inspiration in this saint! So today, in blessing this new altar, I will place the relics of Frances of Rome in a special enclosure that has been provided for that purpose. Whenever Mass is offered here, we can be sure that St. Frances of Rome, along with Mother Lange, are praying with us & for us!
Conclusion
Finally, let us recall why we are doing this – we are doing it for the same reason that Mother Lange started this school: she was an educator who gave young women of color a chance to claim their dignity, to develop their talents, and to spend their lives glorifying God by their works. Times have changed but her vision endures. It is this same vision that today drives the mission of this school. And it is in this chapel and on this altar that you derive the strength and grace needed not only to keep this mission alive but to have it prosper now and for many, many years to come. May God bless us and keep us always in his love!