Cardinal-designate Wilton Gregory tweeted a special message on Nov. 17, 2020 to Catholics of the Archdiocese of Washington and to Catholics in dioceses where he previously served, as he prepared to leave the United States for the Nov. 28 Consistory in Rome, where he will be elevated by Pope Francis to the College of Cardinals. In his tweet, he wrote:

“Friends in Christ, In NYC about to board a flight to Rome for the Consistory. My heart brings the people that I have tried to serve & love in Chicago, Belleville, Atlanta & now DC. Keep me in your prayers as I welcome Pope Francis' invitation to assist him in his service .+WDG”

On Oct. 25, Pope Francis named Washington Archbishop Gregory as one of 13 new cardinals from around the world. Cardinal-designate Gregory has served as the archbishop of Washington since 2019. He previously served as the archbishop of Atlanta; as the bishop of Belleville, Illinois; and as an auxiliary bishop and priest in Chicago. Cardinal-designate Gregory will become the first African American cardinal in the history of the Catholic Church in the United States.

The Catholic Standard’s website will provide coverage of the Consistory provided by the Catholic News Service, and the Catholic Standard newspaper will publish a special edition honoring Cardinal Gregory on Dec. 10.