One of the oldest parishes in the Diocese of Cleveland welcomed a new pastor during a Mass celebrated by Bishop Nelson Perez on Jan. 26.
Father John Mullee was installed by the bishop during the 4:30 p.m. Saturday vigil Mass. Hundreds of parishioners, Mullee family members and friends crowded the church for the celebration. Among those in attendance were Father Mullee’s parents.
St. Michael Parish, which was established in 1851, has nearly 2,000 families.
Bishop Perez told the congregation that a parish is “a meaningful expression of the mystical body of Christ.” He explained how there are two levels of church: members who come and go throughout history and the Church that transcends time – the mystical body of Christ.
He said people have asked him how he can stay grounded in his faith with things like the clergy abuse scandal. “If you’re grounded in the Church that transcends time -- the mystical body of Christ -- it’s not a problem,” he said. The bishop noted that people are not perfect. “We’re a piece of work,” he said, noting how humans can create drama.
“Wherever two or more are gathered in my name, I am there,” he said, referring to what Jesus said. However, such encounters also can result in issues due to human nature.
A lot has happened in the past month, the bishop said, explaining that just a few weeks ago we celebrated Jesus’ birth. Thirty years have passed in that month and we observed the baptism of Jesus and the beginning of his public ministry. He said as Jesus travelled around preaching, some people were scandalized by what he said, especially when he tried to explain that he was God’s son – that he was the savior they were awaiting.
“How many of you believe Jesus will come again?” the bishop asked. Many hands went up. “What if I told you I’m he? I bet I wouldn’t last here until tomorrow,” he said.
“This parish is a meaningful expression of the mystical body of Christ. There are many parts and they all make up the whole,” he said.
Bishop Perez shared some of Pope Francis’ thoughts on parishes. He said a parish has great flexibility and can transform itself as needed. The bishop talked about his own experience as pastor of a parish. “It’s not about me,” he said. He travelled to Philadelphia in January to celebrate the centennial of one parish where he had been pastor. He said the parish had changed a great deal over the years since the beginning, when it served German and Irish parishioners. As the neighborhood changed with an influx of Hispanics then Pakistanis and Haitians, so did the parish. Yet, after 100 years, it still existed because of flexibility.
He also told the congregation that the pope talks about how parishes exist “in the midst of the homes of their sons and daughters.”
“I love that phrase. A parish is the presence of the Lord in a given territory. It is a community of communities and a sanctuary where the thirsty come to drink of their faith,” he said.
Bishop Perez also reminded Father Mullee that the pastor is one part of the body, but not the whole.
“He is here to walk with you,” the bishop told St. Michael’s parishioners. “Take care of him.”
The installation included Father Mullee pledging to follow the teachings of the Church, to pass them along to the parishioners, to remain faithful to those teachings and to seek the counsel of parish leaders including the finance and parish councils.
After Mass, Bishop Perez and Father Mullee greeted parishioners and posed for photos. A reception took place in Rappe Hall at St. Michael School.