"You Are My Legacy"

Over 17 years as cardinal-archbishop of Chicago and the American hierarchy's "thinker-in-chief," there's precious little in the life of the nation's largest religious body that Francis George didn't somehow touch, much of its impact long to remain.

Yet even as every facet of that massive contribution will be pieced up and pored over everywhere you look over the week to come, as the shock of his death today still sets in, it just feels the best thing is to yield the stage to the man himself for one last time.

Three days before becoming the first Windy City titan to seat his successor in the chair of Quigley and Mundelein, his beloved Stritch and Bernardin, the Eighth Archbishop delivered this parting word from the cathedra in Holy Name, remaining in it to preach due to weakness:


SVILUPPO – 9.30pm ET: In late word from Quigley, the Funeral Mass has been set for Thursday, 23 April – St George's Day – at Noon in Holy Name, following two days of lying in-state in the cathedral beginning at 1pm Tuesday.

Defying over a century of Chicagoland tradition, George elected to not be interred with his predecessors in the grand episcopal mausoleum at Mt Carmel Cemetery in Hillside. Instead, per his wishes, the cardinal will be buried alongside his parents in a family plot at All Saints Cemetery in Des Plaines. While seating at the final liturgy is by ticket only, the cemetery rites are open to the public.

Keeping with Vatican custom on the death of a cardinal, the Pope's condolence telegram to Archbishop Blase Cupich will release at Roman Noon (5am Central) Saturday.

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