The Asian Catholic community of the Diocese of Cleveland gathered on Oct. 1 at St. Clarence Church in North Olmsted for its annual Mass and reception. Among the nationalities represented were Chinese, Filipino, Indian, Korean, Japanese, Sri Lanka and Vietnamese. Many wore native dress to the Mass.
Auxiliary Bishop emeritus Roger Gries was the principal celebrant. Concelebrants were Father Lennen Deciar, Father Kiran Kumra, Father Augustine Pham Van Lan, Father Guillermo Rubillos, Father Sang-Jun Park and Father Albert Veigas. Deacon Charles Shin assisted at the liturgy.
Theme for this year?s celebration was ?Encounter: Openness, Respect, Harmony, Gratitude, Collaboration, Listening.?
The Magnificat was sung in Filipino, Chinese and Tagalog before Mass, and then a member of the Filipino community welcomed the congregation, celebrant and concelebrants on behalf of the entire Asian Catholic community.
Bishop Gries remarked that we hear the call of God in our own languages all over the world.
?But our work is not to earn the love of God for our own gratitude, but for others. God gives us a marvelous recipe for coming together as a human community. We bring many gifts; we are to bring glory to God. You liven up our world and we need you to help us understand how much God loves us. It is amazing how God works,? the bishop said.
He noted that we ?are individual heirs of heaven, brothers and sisters in Christ. At baptism, he asked, ?What name do you give this child?? Who is the child?? Bishop Gries said it is sad to see people falling away from the gift we have.
?We gather today to thank God for that gift that we received through Christ?s suffering, death and resurrection. We can share the gift of life of the resurrected Christ in the world,? he said.
?We gather as one family
