Mass on the solemnity of Christ the King, Nov. 22, was a special celebration at St. Bernadette Parish in Westlake. Nov. 19 marked the 70th anniversary of the parish and Bishop Edward Malesic was on hand to celebrate the 11 a.m. Mass. Concelebrants were Father Phil Racco, St. Bernadette’s pastor, and Father Kevin Fox, parochial vicar. Deacon Mark Cunningham assisted.
A high point of the celebration was the blessing of the parish’s baptismal font.
Father Racco said the entire church was renovated over the summer, including installation of new pews, repainting, new flooring, ceilings were cleaned and resealed, a new choir placement was constructed and new livestreaming technology was installed. He credited parishioners for their interest, commitment and involvement in the project, which took about three years to complete.
“It’s not just a building project; we are building ourselves up in Christ,” Father Racco said. “The whole purpose of a parish is to spread the good news. We’ve done it well for 70 years and I’m confident you’ll continue,” he added.
“I am so happy to be here with you today in this beautifully renovated church,” the bishop said. “The artwork is stunning in its simplicity.”
Father Racco noted the large crucifix that hangs over the altar is from the original church, which was dedicated in 1952 and repurposed when the current church was built to accommodate the growing parish. The chalice used at Mass is the parish chalice that belonged to Father Joseph Dempsey, the founding pastor.
The bishop noted that on the last Sunday of the liturgical year, we celebrate the solemnity of our Lord Jesus Christ, king of the universe. But he is unlike other worldly power in that his throne is a cross and his crown is made from thorns. He came to serve, not to be served, Bishop Malesic said.
“Our king’s power comes from love, not from armies. He became poor in order to lift us up from our own poverty.” Our leader – Jesus – is in the tabernacle in the church, but he can be found anywhere there is an innocent, helpless person, such as a soup kitchen, an unborn child, a mentally ill person, someone who is financially insecure and those who suffer prejudice because of their skin color. Love is the heart of our religion, the bishop said, adding that love is more than words. He commended St. Bernadette parishioners for putting the parish mission into action by working for justice and being instruments of healing both in their families and in the community.
He mentioned their partnership with St. Stephen Parish in Cleveland, where they sponsor a food pantry to assist the needy, as well as other outreach ministries.
“As we approach an unusual Thanksgiving, let’s remember that even in these difficult times, we are still very blessed,” he said, adding that he knows we are blessed to be blessing for others, not to live in vain, to do everything we can for others and to say to God, “I did it to you. I did it for you.”
The bishop encouraged the faithful to count their blessings and offered this advice: “Make a habit of being grateful and offering thanks.”