World's Prophet to Preach his NYC Grand Finale

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My main PREACHER MAN -- who is world's best-known and most renowned evangelist -- is coming to this NYC hood and I wouldn't miss it for the world. Billy Graham, who has preached the Gospel to more than 210 million people in more than 185 countries, is returning here "for the last time*" (as this NYC crusade is being dubbed.) Organizers of this gathering expect that by the end of the weekend, he will have reached a quarter million more.

The event is expected to draw up to 100,000 pilgrims each day. Just his choir alone has 1,200 members. It will be Graham's eighth crusade in New York and, according to him, his final one in America. “I've been asked so many times lately, do I fear death? No. I look forward to death with great anticipation,” said Graham. “I'm looking forward to seeing God face-to-Face, and that can happen any day now.”

Therefore, I'm looking forward to hearing this great PROPHET preach at his "Greater New York Crusade" at Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens this June 24-26 -- and I'm inviting you to join us there. The Big Apple will be anointed that weekend and shining bright. His emphasis will be on the Holy Gospel, the Love and Mercy of God, social justice and compassion. The programs were planned last Sept. and now over 1,000 churches - including our SABMA - are scheduled to participate in a collaborative effort "to come together in response to a need."

The crusade will begin on Friday, June 24th between 7:30 - 9:30 p.m., Saturday from 6:00 - 8:30 p.m. and Sunday afternoon from 3:30 - 6:00 p.m. The Reverend Billy Graham hopes to preach for about 35 minutes at each of the rallies. His son, Franklin, will stand by as substitute preacher in case of any unforeseen emergencies. Seating for all events is FREE, but limited. However, there is plenty of lawn space.

The Saturday programs will feature a youth-oriented "Concert of Hope," as part of the crusade's "Get Real" -- themed effort to reach out to the more than two million young people aged 18 and under throughout metro New York.

It was originally scheduled to be held at Madison Square Garden, but Crusade officials decided to move the venue because Flushing Meadows Park is the best option throughout Gotham City to handle the anticipated crowds. "This location is a crossroads that has drawn people from all over the world; today, people from virtually every language group live in the neighborhood," said Rev. Robert Stearns, president of Eagle's Wings ministry. "Jesus told the church to 'Go into all the world to preach The Gospel' -- now we are able to do so from one location."

Billy Graham will preach in front of "The Unisphere" which is the symbol of the 1964 World's Fair. It is also the corporate logo of the NYC Borough of Queens where I also live and serve. (A beautiful photo of that gigantic globe can be viewed in the right-hand column.) Fittingly, the theme of this crusade is, "one world, one hope, one Gospel." Ours is the most international community in the world with over 130 language groups spoken here within walking distance of this park.

This upcoming Greater New York Crusade will be Rev. Billy Graham's seventh campaign in THIS GLOBAL CITY, following meetings at Madison Square Garden in 1957 and 1969. His first was the most historic, as meetings initially planned to last for six weeks were extended to sixteen. More then two million people attended the crusade, including 30,000 at a lunchtime rally on Wall Street, a turn-away crowd of 120,000 at Yankee Stadium in sweltering heat, and 125,000 at the closing-night meeting in Times Square. It became a turning point in the Evangelist’s ministry and sent a message that no city was too large or too “hard” for a Billy Graham crusade to reach.

His last crusade in Queens, NYC was at Shea Stadium (just a base-ball throw away) in 1970. However, he also preached at the Nassau Coliseum on Long Island in 1990, and at the Meadowlands in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and in Central Park in 1991. The Billy Graham Central Park rally on September 22, 1991 set a record for the largest religious assembly in New York, with more than 250,000 individuals gathering in our NYC park that day. This was also a record for the largest one-day crowd at a Billy Graham crusade in North America.

The Rev. Billy Franklin Graham, now 86 -- who is a year older than his late buddy since 1981, +Karol ("Lolek") Józef Wojtyla, a.k.a. Pope John Paul II -- grew up on a dairy farm in Charlotte, North Carolina. He was ordained in 1938 and graduated from Wheaton College four years later. He preached throughout the USA but it was his Los Angeles crusade in 1949 which is credited with launching his international reputation. He is the author of 24 books and listed as one of the top 10 most admired men in the world, according to the Gallop organization.

Almost 50 years ago, Billy Graham remarked, "I have many friends among Catholic priests, and a number of New York Catholic leaders have written me stating that they believe New York needs a spiritual awakening, and have promised me their prayers and interest even though they could not (then) officially support the meetings, The Catholic Church has always been as friendly and as tolerant as their Church law will allow them toward our crusades." (Newsweek for May 6, 1957)

Discernments have changed since Vatican Council II and now many Catholic Ordinaries around the globe welcome him into their dioceses. TORCs also seek and build upon the common denominators as the basis for our Ecumenical and Interfaith dialogue and relationships**. Billy Graham mentioned this in 1958 when he said, "I do not believe that the ground of our fellowship is to be the inerrancy of the Scriptures but, rather the ground of our fellowship is to be the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ."

In 1977, Billy Graham held a five-days crusade on the Catholic campus of Notre Dame University. Two years later, on the eve of the late Holy Father's first pastoral visit to America, Billy Graham remarked: "The visit of Pope Paul II to the United States is an event of great significance not only for Roman Catholics, but for all Americans - as well as the world... In the short time he has been Pope, John Paul II has become the moral leader of the world. My prayers and the prayer of countless other Protestants will be with him as he makes his journey." While he was at the Vatican visiting with the late Pontiff (NO! -- he did NOT kiss his Papal Ring), he also preached at the North American College, a RC seminary for students from North America. He was the first Protestant to speak there.

The World's Evangelist, highly esteemed as the "Chaplain of US Presidents", also played a pivotal behind-the-scenes role in President Reagan’s decision for the USA to establish formal diplomatic relations with the Vatican in 1984.

....So it's with my gratitude and great admiration that I look forward to hearing him preach that weekend. And I hope to see you there also.

* If Rev. Billy Graham should exit this world before I do, or before this expedition transpires, then I'd lament his passing deeply -- even if I am just as sure as he is that he would be with our LORD. He ranks No. 2 on my list of Church heroes having now survived my favorite Churchman - who is among our newest saints. Like His Holiness of blessed memory, Billy Graham perseveres despite his medical compromises of Parkinson's Disease, Prostrate Cancer, cerebral hydrocephalus, a broken hip, leg, etc. and old age. (The walker he now uses is for protection from any more falls, not for any real need.

** The Evangelist's emphasis on the Gospel and on the importance of the individuals personal relationship with Christ is consistent with Catholic teachings. Those who come forward for counseling during a Mission evening in June, if they are Old Roman Catholic, will be directed to an ORC nurture-group under Old Roman Catholic pastoral counselors in their home area. (Our SABMA will help provide this ministry.) If certain people present themselves for counseling at a Mission and have no church roots at all then they are asked 'which church brought you’ and asked to contact that church. Therefore, those commitments to Christ, --either via "decision cards" or Rev. Graham's "altar call" -- would be nurtured within the sacramental framework of The Church....

Poles Rejoice today: Their Priest behind their Pope

The Polish people are elated today to have the late Holy Father's priestly Secretary become their new Archbishop of Krakow, Poland. There could have been be no finer choice. Archbishop Stanislaw Dziwisz, 66, will succeed Cardinal Franciszek Macharski, 78, who presented his resignation for reasons of age, the Vatican press office announced. (I was pleased to meet the Cardinal five years ago.)

Upon getting the news, Archbishop Dziwisz's first thought was to rush to the tomb of his episcopal predecessor -- St. Pope John Paul the Great, former Archbishop of Krakow. "I feel I have been sent from the tomb of St. Peter to that of St. Stanislaw," he said. (St. Stanislaw's tomb is in the Cathedral of Krakow, Poland.) "And I trust profoundly that, in this trip, the Holy Father John Paul II will accompany me. Therefore, I will not be alone, but with him," he said.

+ Stanislaw Dziwisz was born on April 27, 1939, in Raba Wyzna, in the Archdiocese of Krakow. He was ordained a priest in 1963 by the then Archbishop Karol Wojtyla (Saint Pope John Paul the Great) of Krakow. From 1966 to 1978 he was the Saint's private secretary -- and, afterwards, throughout his long Pontificate. He was consecrated a Bishop by Pope John Paul II in 1998 and elevated to the dignity of Archbishop in 2003.

The Archdiocese of Krakow is my ancestorial home. Once again there is Polka dancing in heaven -- and I know who's leading them. What a great joy it is to see all my my favorite priests advancing to the forefront this year.