The St. Adalbert Blackjacks welcomed Bishop Nelson Perez to their school on East 83rd Street in Cleveland?s Fairfax neighborhood on Feb. 27 for a school Mass, tour and conversation. The bishop was joined at Mass by Father Gary Chmura, pastor of St. Adalbert and Our Lady of Peace parishes, and Father Damian Ezeani, who concelebrated Mass.
Principal James Smith said the students were excited about the bishop?s visit. St. Adalbert?s has 385 students from prekindergarten through eighth grade.
St. Adalbert Parish, originally established in 1883 as a Bohemian parish, merged with nearby Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Parish, established in 1922 as the first African-American parish in the Diocese of Cleveland, in 1961. The current school was built the following year to replace an older building. Smith said it is the second-oldest African-American parish in the country. The Evangelizing Sisters of Mary, who live in the convent next to the church, assist at the school.
Bishop Perez asked the students what was special about St. Adalbert?s. Answers ranged from the teachers, to the church, being able to attend Mass regularly, learning about Jesus and Father Gary.
He talked to the children about Lent, explaining it is derived from an Old English word meaning springtime, which is appropriate since Lent is also a season of preparing for Easter, which occurs in spring. He told the students Lent provides an opportunity to examine what?s in their hearts, ?What is good and should stay or what is bad and needs to come out so the seeds of God?s love can grow in a powerful and fruitful way.?
?Do we all want to make the world a better place?? he asked them. After they said yes, the bishop said we all need to ?Look at the world inside our hearts. We know what?s in our hearts by the way we treat others,? he said. ?Strengthen the good things that are in there and remove what?s not good. That?s the work of Lent.?
The bishop told the children, ?You?ve made my day today. But there is one thing I want you to do for me. Tonight, give your parents a hug. Tell them Bishop Perez said to do it to thank them for all they do for you.?
After Mass, a group of first-graders serenaded the bishop with Louis Armstrong?s ?What a Wonderful World,? and a group of fifth- through eighth-graders got a chance to ask him questions.
They were curious about what a bishop does, how he is chosen, did Bishop Perez want to be a bishop, does he have security and does he get to travel.
He explained that a bishop teaches, sanctifies and leads. As for being a bishop, he never aspired to that, saying he wanted to be a priest and enjoyed his work as a parish priest and pastor. Regarding security, the bishop laughed and pointed to Father Chmura and Father Ezeani. And regarding travel, he said he travels around the eight-county diocese regularly. In recent months, he?s also had an opportunity to travel to Baltimore, the Holy Land and he said he would be attending some meetings in Texas.
One youngster brought a smile to the bishop?s face when he mentioned that he thought his crosier looked like a candy cane. ?I guess it does,? Bishop Perez said.
Smith had a group of teachers and students lead the bishop on a tour of the school, which uses every available nook and cranny to accommodate the student population. He peeked into several classrooms where he observed lessons, test review and students learning coding. Students also have opportunities to learn foreign languages like Mandarin and Swahili, to play CYO sports and participate in arts programs.
The bishop also talked with a group of faculty and staff about how the school is meeting the needs of the student population and the neighborhood. Smith explained that most of the student body is not Catholic, but there is an interest in the faith. One teacher said several students have expressed an interest in becoming Catholic and there have been students and family members who converted in the past. Smith said faith is infused into the learning process, so the students are surrounded by it. As a result, they look forward to weekly Mass and in Lent, Father Chmura said they attend stations weekly.
?They know there?s something special here,? he said.
Bishop Perez asked Smith what are the biggest challenges
