 |
|
|
Holy Name Parish reflects on last 50 years with thanks, hope
By Conor Gilliland
The community of Holy Name Parish in Englewood celebrated the 50th anniversary of the dedication of their church May 1 with a specially written prayer, a standing-room only congregation, and Archbishop Charles Chaput, O.F.M. Cap.
According to parishioner of 40 years Orpha McVicker, the prayer specifically prepared for this day, “Really describes what binds this community together.”
The prayer proclaims, “We thank you, Lord, for the priests and deacons who have served this church and for all of the faithful parishioners who have ministered to one another through acts of mercy and charity.”
From Archbishop Urban J. Vehr to Archbishop Chaput; from Father Anthony Weinzapfel to Father Daniel Cardó, S.C.V., Holy Name “has had numerous priests and deacons minister to the people of God in the Sheridan area,” says the parish history booklet.
In his homily, the archbishop recited some ministerial statistics provided by Deacon Don Schaefer.
“Since this building was built, you’ve had 2,023 baptisms, more than 640 weddings, 745 funerals,” Archbishop Chaput said.
“The parish has a wonderful history, which is a story of grace,” he added. “It’s the story of passing on our faith.”
Concelebrant of the Mass, Father Cardó, a Sodalitium Christianae Vitae (Sodality of Christian Life) priest, has reinvigorated the church since he arrived in October as its administrator.
“We have a new revitalized community right now, with a lot of energy,” McVicker said of Father Cardó’s short but fertile tenure. “He never quits. He’s moving constantly.”
Annie Jamison, a seasoned parishioner of 42 years, commented that the energetic priest expects a lot from the community.
“And he expects us to be right there with him,” she said. “Not only in terms of energy and community, but also in our faith.”
Archbishop Chaput even wore the same gold vestments that Archbishop Vehr wore at the April 24, 1961, dedication Mass, invoking that illustrious history of mercy and charity.
The prayer goes on, “Through the Holy Spirit, we pray that you bring new members to join our family of faith so we may continue to do your will.”
This part of the prayer was answered before the Mass ended as 18 young people stepped forward to be confirmed in the faith.
“Some of you (confirmandi) will still be here 50 years from now,” the archbishop said, adding that they will be the ones who carry on God’s will.
McVicker noted that the community is growing through time as well.
“We are seeing a third generation coming up in this church,” she said.
Archbishop Chaput made an even stronger assertion.
“Last week,” he said, “at the Easter Vigil, Father Daniel baptized a fourth generation member, and the first three generations are still active in this parish.”
Baptisms, confirmations and Catholics coming home are all contributing to the growth at Holy Name, but there is one growing demographic that has the older generation particularly enthusiastic.
“We have a lot of new families with young children and we are really excited,” McVicker testified.
Another important point of growth for Holy Name is the involvement of the Christian Life Movement, which is an ecclesial movement within the Catholic Church. It is an International Association of Christian Faithful of Pontifical Right, according to Holy Name’s website. The Sodalitium Christianae Vitae is one arm of the CLM spiritual family. The Christian Life Movement contributes to several ministries at Holy Name including Marian Groups for young people, Nazareth Groups for married couples, and Bethany Groups for young girls.
The Prayer for the Church of the Holy Name concludes: “We give you our hearts, minds, hands, and souls to be your servants in the Holy Name of Jesus Christ, and we pray as Mary, our Mother, prayed: ‘My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, and my spirit rejoices’ in His Holy Name. Amen.”
The spirit of the celebration can be summed up with the anniversary slogan: “Looking back with gratitude—Looking forward with hope.”
McVicker affirmed this sentiment with one nuance.
“We look forward with hope,” she said. “We already know it’s here.”
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||