A top Catholic leader got stuck in a remote part of Canada. He found a unique way to pass the time

Yahoo

18-02-2025

Cardinal Timothy Dolan knows how to make the most of an unexpected flight delay.
After a medical emergency and poor weather left him and nearly 300 others stranded in a remote part of Canada over the weekend, the prominent U.S. faith leader connected with Catholics in the area and delivered a sermon at their church.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Cardinal Dolan's homily referenced his travel headaches.
'A grounded flight and an unexpected stay in Canada showed that 'Jesus ... is in charge, not us,'' he said, according to National Catholic Reporter.
Cardinal Dolan's travel issues began about three hour after his flight left Newark Liberty Airport in New Jersey on Thursday night.
About halfway into its 6.5 hour journey to Dublin, United Flight 23 was diverted to St. John's in Newfoundland, Canada, because a passenger needed emergency medical care, per CBS News.
Although such a stop wouldn't normally require a multi-day layover, the United flight ended up grounded for more than 48 hours due to high winds.
United gave the around 260 passengers and 12 crew members hotel accommodations, as well as meal vouchers, as it worked to figure out a new flight plan.
'St. John's is a small airport that doesn't typically handle a large Boeing flight, and it's where United Airlines doesn't have many resources,' CBS News reported.
Cardinal Dolan, who leads the Archdiocese of New York, and the rest of the passengers and crew members ended up stuck in St. John's until Sunday, but the Catholic leader found a productive way to spend the unplanned pitstop.
He visited the Basilica Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in St. John's and gave a guest homily, or sermon, about expecting the unexpected when you commit yourself to following Jesus Christ, National Catholic Reporter noted.
'What we thought we were about didn't happen, and here we are … 48 hours later,' he said. 'Jesus has a great way of doing that, you see, because he's in charge, not us.'
Cardinal Dolan, who offered an opening prayer at President Donald Trump's inauguration on Jan. 20, added that being part of a global church makes it easier for him and other Catholics to find respite during travel disruptions.
'Wherever we are in the world, we find his church,' he said, per National Catholic Reporter. 'We feel at home because we're part of the Catholic family. 'Catholic' means everywhere. 'Catholic' means everybody.'
In a post on X, Cardinal Dolan thanked his new friends in St. John's and highlighted a unique connection between the church he visited and one of the most famous Catholic churches in New York City.
'It was my joy to offer Mass in the cathedral that it's said inspired Archbishop John Joseph Hughes to build (New York's St. Patrick's Cathedral),' he wrote.
One day after Cardinal Dolan and his fellow passengers finally made it to Dublin, thousands of other travelers experienced some Canadian travel drama of their own after a Delta flight from Minneapolis-St. Paul crash landed in Toronto.
Although everyone on the flight survived, Toronto Pearson International Airport paused arrivals and departures for several hours, leading to major flight disruptions.
Delta cancelled all of its Monday night flights into and out of the airport after the accident, per NBC News.
'The hearts of the entire global Delta family are with those affected by today's incident at Toronto-Pearson International Airport,' Delta CEO Ed Bastian said in a statement. 'I want to express my thanks to the many Delta and Endeavor team members and the first responders on-site.'