Washington, D.C., Parish Elevator Blessed

Cardinal Wilton Gregory, the archbishop emeritus of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., recently blessed an elevator at Nativity Parish in the capital city, the Catholic Standard reports. The elevator enables the elderly and the infirm to attend Mass at the parish, which this year celebrates its 125th anniversary. “At the Mass, prayers of thanksgiving to God were offered for the hands that built the elevator, the minds that conceived its design and the people who donated toward its construction,” the source reports. As he blessed the lift, Cardinal Gregory said it would “improve the lives of the people.” After the blessing, Father Pawel Sass, pastor of Nativity Church, cut a ceremonial ribbon and took the first ride on the lift with a parishioner.