Students, clergy and other Baltimore-area Catholics flocked to the Cathedral of Mary Our Queen this morning, as the Archdiocese of Baltimore began a two-day event to remember the life of Archbishop William D. Borders, Baltimore Sun colleague Joe Burris reports.
With two priests and two Knights of Columbus members standing by, visitors filed quietly past the open casket, some pausing with recollections of the man who was spiritual leader of the region's half-million Catholics from 1974 until 1989.
"He understood the role of Bishop, that the Bishop relates as a shepherd of the people," said Sister Rosalie Murphy, SND, who knew Archbishop Borders for 41 years.
"He was a philosopher, basically, and he was able to deal with questions that never daunted him. That was key to his makeup in a way. He was able to bring people together and hear different points of view."
Before leading a short service, Bishop Denis J. Madden recalled the archbishop's sense of humor. "I remember we would prepare our homilies and give him a copy of them. And one day I gave him a copy of my homily and he said, 'Denis, you're presuming I want to read this.' "