Gifts and Good Wishes
June 26, 2006

by: John Franko
Pittsburgh Catholic

On his departure from the Diocese of Pittsburgh, Archbishop Donald Wuerl received a number of gifts from church-affiliated organizations and well-wishers as he assumed his new post in Washington, D.C.

Among them was a model of St. Paul Cathedral in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood.

The gift was presented by Aux. Bishop Paul Bradley on behalf of the General Secretariat and the diocese during the farewell liturgy for Archbishop Wuerl June 11 at the cathedral.

The model project was headed by Kevin Hayes of The Hayes Design Group-Architects and coordinated through Steve McMillan of Akron, Ohio.

The model was created through the process of stereolithography, in which a computer-controlled laser cures liquid resin into a solid, plastic, three-dimensional object. The model was constructed on a scale of 1 inch per 40 feet.

“We wanted it to be a unique gift and it turned out to be that,” Hayes said.

On June 7, Bishop Bradley presented Archbishop Wuerl with a 2-foot by 3-foot stained-glass rendering on behalf of the priests, deacons and auxiliary bishops during the clergy day gathering at St. Paul Seminary in Crafton.

The rendering, by artist Nicholas Parrendo, depicts the archbishop’s connection to the diocese as well as his lived ministry.

It includes images of Pittsburgh’s Mount Washington neighborhood, where he grew up; St. Paul Cathedral; and his personal motto of “Thy Kingdom Come.” It also includes the sword of St. Paul, patron of the diocese.

“It expressed the gratitude of the clergy for the way Archbishop Wuerl shepherded us for 18 years,” said Father James Wehner, rector of St. Paul Seminary.

On the same day, retired Aux. Bishop William Winter presented the archbishop with a plaque on behalf of the retired priests at St. John Vianney Manor, located adjacent to the seminary. The plaque features a rendering of the St. John Vianney statue on the grounds of the facility and a tribute.

Several days earlier, the boards of directors of Auberle, Auberle Development and the Pauline Auberle staff in McKeesport joined with staff, children and families in presenting Archbishop Wuerl with a proclamation in recognition of his many contributions to Auberle.

The proclamation notes that the archbishop, a board member, was involved in every major decision to advance Auberle in the past 18 years, guiding it to be a premier social service agency.

It also notes that the archbishop was instrumental in the decision to build a program center and that he originated the idea to convert the former Bishop Boyle High School into the Auberle Education Center.

The proclamation also spoke of his continued support for residential care to help needy children, and noted his living legacy through the Bishop Donald W. Wuerl Good Samaritan Program.

The three boards jointly approved a donation of $10,000 to the program.

The seminarians of the Diocese of Pittsburgh presented Archbishop Wuerl with a liturgical folder embossed with Archbishop Wuerl’s personal coat of arms and the coat of arms for the Archdiocese of Washington.