Religion: Pallium to Mitty

In St. Mary’s Cathedral, San Francisco, last week candles gleamed, incense rose hazily. Auxiliary Bishop Stephen Joseph Donahue of New York celebrated solemn pontifical mass. In heavy cope and towering mitre, Bishop John Joseph Cantwell of Los Angeles and San Diego approached a wiry, bespectacled prelate, wearing no cope but kneeling with mitre in hand. Over the head of the kneeler Bishop Cantwell slipped a white wool band decorated with black crosses—a pallium. Thus invested with the sacred symbol which signifies that he shares the supreme pastoral power of His Holiness Pius XI, San Francisco’s new Archbishop John Joseph Mitty arose, blessed his flock.

New York-born John Mitty, onetime bishop of Salt Lake City, succeeds San Francisco’s well-beloved Archbishop Joseph Hanna whom he assisted as coadjutor for three years before the ailing archbishop retired (TIME, March 18). Businesslike Archbishop Mitty’s first act last week was to demonstrate his concern for training priests. He announced he would devote a purse given him by his clergy to repairing St. Patrick’s Seminary.