CARDINAL SODANO PRESIDES LITURGY AT NORTH AMERICAN COLLEGE

VATICAN CITY, FEB 25, 2001 (VIS) - Cardinal Angelo Sodano, secretary of State, celebrated Mass this morning in the Chapel of Our Lady of Humility at the Casa Santa Maria, part of the Pontifical North American College and the residence for graduate priests from the United States, on the occasion of its 400th anniversary.

Blessed Pope Pius IX gave this building, built in 1601 as a convent for Dominican Sisters, to the American bishops in 1859 for the training of seminarians. When the new seminary, the Pontifical North American College, was opened in 1953 on Janiculum Hill, the Casa Santa Maria became the residence for American diocesan priests studying in Rome. It is the largest residence of American diocesan priests anywhere in the world and currently house over 80 priests. The building also houses the U.S. Bishops' Office for Visitors to the Vatican.

After Mass, Cardinal Sodano blessed the new library and the St. Katherine Drexel/Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha Eucharistic Chapel. Guests included American cardinals, archbishops and bishops living in or visiting Rome as well as outgoing U.S Ambassador to the Vatican, Corinne Boggs. Alumni of the Casa Santa Maria include one third of U.S. bishops and six of the thirteen American cardinals.

SS;CASA SANTA MARIA;...;SODANO;VIS;20010226;Word: 200;