Amid a sea of pastel dresses, best-pressed suits and bright spring flowers, Cardinal William H. Keeler led Easter Mass Sunday morning at a packed Cathedral of Mary our Queen in North Baltimore — just one of many ways people celebrated the day around the city.
In what could be his last Easter Sunday Mass as archbishop of Baltimore, Keeler exhorted parishioners to pray for sick people locally and around the world.
Keeler announced earlier this month he had submitted his resignation to the Vatican. The pope has yet to announce whether to allow the cardinal to step down.
The cathedral pews were packed just before the Mass began as couples, families and solo churchgoers walked in and were pointed toward the last open seats.
“We?re excited,” said Melodie Stenger, 28, who frequently attends Sunday services at the cathedral with her husband, Rob.
The Stengers said they didn?t have much planned for the day beyond listening to the cardinal for their first time.
But down in the Inner Harbor, Megan Collins and her 7-year-old daughter, Katherine, had a full day, dropping by Baltimore for a few hours at the tail end of a trip down South before heading home to Brewster, N.Y.
They were on their way to the National Aquarium when Katherine asked to stop and watch a jugglng, unicycling comedian do a street performance ? and then she raised her hand to join in.
About 100 other people gathered at the Harborplace Amphitheater watched Katherine ? costumed in a man?s suit jacket and a top hat given to her by the performer ? underhand-pitch an unlit torch into the hand of the juggling unicyclist.
No, Katherine shook her head after the show ? she wasn?t shy. Yes, she nodded her head ? it was great fun on her spring break.
