St. Patrick Parish in Cleveland’s West Park neighborhood will celebrate its 171st anniversary on March 17. The parish’s first Mass was on St. Patrick’s Day in 1848, just a year after the Diocese of Cleveland was established.
The anniversary celebration kicked off early with a visit from Bishop Nelson Perez on Feb. 23. He celebrated the 4:30 p.m. vigil Mass and then mingled with parishioners at a social in the lower church afterward.
Before Mass, Father Jim Ols, St. Patrick’s pastor, told the bishop he had a surprise for him. He knew Bishop Perez had been ordained in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and ministered there for many years before being elevated to bishop. When asked if the bishop had ever visited Mother of Sorrows Church in Philadelphia, his answer was, “Yes, many times,” but he noted that the church had closed.
As they walked into St. Patrick’s Church, Father Ols pointed out the Stations of the Cross which were acquired recently and hung on the freshly painted church walls. The bishop immediately recognized them as being from Mother of Sorrows. Father Ols said that he wanted to replace the stations and went to Henningers, a major local religious goods retailer, to explain what he was looking for. When Henninger’s obtained the stations, they called Father Ols, who looked at them and said they were exactly what he wanted.
“Who would ever guess that I would see those here in a church in Cleveland?” the bishop asked.
During the homily, Bishop Perez asked if anyone in the congregation had been here 171 years ago when the parish was founded. No hands went up, but he remarked that some of those people probably are resting in the parish cemetery adjacent to the church at Rocky River Drive and Puritas Avenue. He also asked about parishioners who had been there for various periods of time, including 80, 70, 60, 50 years down to a few weeks. Many in the congregation are longtime parishioners. As one of the oldest parishes in the diocese, he said St. Patrick’s “has some gray hair” and has been through a lot, including a brief closure during the diocesan reconfiguration – 2010-2012. But he complimented the parish for being reinvigorated.
“This is an exquisite church. It is alive,” he added.
The bishop noted that a parish is the immediate expression of Christ in the Church in the midst of the people. “Thank you to Father Ols for his courage to come back, to restart, reboot and reinvigorate this parish,” he said, noting that Father Ols grew up in the parish.
He reminded parishioners that they have an obligation to give back the gifts they receive – to share the faith as missionary disciples. “To those to whom much has been given, much is asked,” he said. “This parish’s mission and ministry response are not done yet,” he added.
“Man proposes, God disposes,” Bishop Perez said, as he shared thoughts on what’s happening in the modern Church.
Regarding the Gospel, the bishop said it is not one of his favorites. He called it “unsettling” and said it should make people uncomfortable. “If it doesn’t read it again,” he said.
“The Gospel tells us to turn the other cheek and to love your enemy, which is one thing that differentiates Christian love. We expect nothing in return – there are no strings attached. That is what God’s love looks like and we are expected to mirror that love. If someone asks you for something, give it to him. Look at God’s love, see how it matches up with yours and where you need to grow.”