During its 160-year history, St. Augustine Parish in Cleveland’s Tremont neighborhood has been an anchor in the community.
During a visit on Dec. 13, Bishop Edward Malesic acknowledged the parish’s service and many outreach ministries. He had seen the St. Augustine Hunger Center operations during an earlier visit, noting how inspired he was by the workers and volunteers who serve the needy with the help of Catholic Charities, Diocese of Cleveland.
“I know that you serve one of the largest Thanksgiving dinners in the area. You minister to the deaf, the blind, the disabled and you care for persons who sometimes feel unwanted. Know that I appreciate what you are doing here. This is a place of light in a world that is still dark for many people,” Bishop Malesic said, adding that the parish is truly a place of worship and evangelization.
“And, I must add that Father (Joseph) McNulty is like a local legend,” he said, noting that the longtime pastor is scheduled to retire next month after 43 years of service to the parish.
The parish’s Deaf Choir, which used American Sign Language to interpret songs and readings at the livestreamed Mass, also earned accolades from the bishop. An interpreter stood near the lector, deacon and bishop as they proclaimed the readings, the Gospel and delivered the homily to interpret for the deaf members of the congregation attending both in person and virtually.
In his homily, Bishop Malesic noted that the third Sunday of Advent is a day of joy in the midst of a gloomy winter season. Even with the coronavirus pandemic still raging, he said we gather to give thanks to God from whom all blessings flow. St. Paul reminds us to rejoice always and to give thanks in all circumstances, he added.
“We believe in something bigger than ourselves. We believe in a savior who frees us. So, rejoice and be glad for today is the day that the Lord has given us,” the bishop said.
Since it’s not advisable to gather in large groups during the pandemic, we should thank God for the ability to gather virtually -- even though it’s not what we want – and hope that we don’t need to do it forever. He thanked those watching from home for not giving up on their faith during these difficult times.
“It is the spirit that binds us together as one Church, no matter where we are,” he added.
The first reading talks about a person anointed to bring glad tidings to the poor, the bishop said. “And I like the word ‘glad’ on this Advent day of rejoicing.”
He said we’re asked to help the poor with smiles on our faces perhaps not so much that we bring Jesus to them as they bring him to us.
Bishop Malesic said the poor includes not only those with financial needs but the brokenhearted and people enslaved by drug addiction, alcohol abuse, pornography, mental illness and more.
“All of us need some burden lifted,” he said. “What we cannot do by ourselves, we must entrust to the Lord, who does what we cannot do. For God in Jesus Christ, nothing is impossible.”
John the Baptist, a witness to the light, knew his job and announced that he was not the savior – he was a voice crying in the desert announcing the Lord.
St. Augustine’s is a place of light for many who find themselves walking in darkness, but it’s not the light, Bishop Malesic said. “The light is Jesus. We only point the way to him. I am not the light, either. Like John, we point to someone other than ourselves,” he added.
The bishop encouraged the faithful to rejoice because “the Lord is Lord and we don’t have to be. And rejoice because a savior has been given to use who is Christ the Lord. We might be unworthy to untie his sandal straps, but he stoops down to wash our feet, asking us to go and do the same. And that is where we find our joy – in Christ, who we worship, in the people we serve and in the message we announce: Jesus Christ is here.”
After Mass, the bishop greeted parishioners – sometimes with help from an interpreter – and posed for photos.