A section of the parking lot in front of the new Memorare Center at St. Francis de Sales Parish in Akron was filled with chairs, not cars, on May 23 as parishioners gathered for Mass and dedication of the building.
Bishop Edward Malesic was the celebrant with Father Jeremy Merzweiler, parish administrator; Father Jacob Bearer, parochial vicar; and Father David Bline as concelebrants. Father Bline served as St. Francis de Sales’ pastor from 2009 until June 2020, when he was named spiritual director at Saint Mary Seminary in Wickliffe. Assisting were Deacon Raymond Herrick and retired Deacon Richard Butz.
Since it was Pentecost, many of those gathered wore red.
“The Holy Spirit empowers and emboldens us,” the bishop said. “The Spirit directs us and leads us into the truth about God. Because of the Holy Spirit, we come to know that God is love. Only because of the Spirit dwelling within us can we say, ‘Jesus is Lord.’’
In the sacrament of confirmation, Bishop Malesic said we receive the gifts of wisdom, understanding, courage, counsel, knowledge, piety and fear of the Lord. “Use those gifts well. As we continue to live our life of faith, we should begin to see the fruits of the Holy Spirit in our lives – love, joy, peace, patience and gentleness and more than a few others,” he said.
The bishop also mentioned that as the pandemic continues to wane, the obligation to attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation returns for those who are healthy and able to come to Mass. Diocesan officials continue to work on the details, but he thanked the group for doing its best to protect health care workers and the most vulnerable. “I saw so many signs of the Spirit working in our Church – especially I saw the fruits of the spirit, including patience, kindness, generosity and self-control. Let us use our experience to make our Church stronger – and to come back better than normal. Is that possible? It is if we allow the Spirit to work in us. God will reward all you did, especially your understanding and care for your neighbor,” he said, thanking them.
Bishop Malesic said on Pentecost, Jesus appeared to his frightened disciples, greeting them by breathing on them and saying, “’Receive the Holy Spirit.’ It was like the great resuscitation from God, a divine CPR. God’s life was breathed into the Church – just like God’s spirit will be breathed into you again today. It is another way of God saying to us, ‘I give you my life. Will you give me yours?’”
The bishop said one criticism he has of Christians, himself included, is that they are too tepid. “Sometimes, we don’t live in the Spirit as fully as we could or should. We test the waters of God but we are sometimes too afraid to go all in with God.”
Using the analogy of how he enjoys being at the beach – near the water and hearing it – but he only enters the water up to knee depth.
“Will we stay at the edges of our faith or enter fully into your faith” Take a swim in the Spirit – enter into the mystery of God,” he said.
“We sometimes ask, ‘Where is God?’ He is closer to us than we are to ourselves. God is all around us and living with the Spirit. God lives within us, too. He is the flame in our belly that seeks to be kindled into a raging fire. He is our advocate who stands with us to plead our cause. When we don’t know what to say, it is the Spirit who gives us the words to say. When we don’t know how to pray, the Spirit prays for us. Live in the Spirit,” he added.
The bishop said the outdoor Mass was a good way to rest in the Spirit and Jesus extend his peace to us. “Then let him breathe his new life into us. And know that he care for us more than we could ever imagine.”
After Mass, Bishop Malesic blessed the parish’s new Memorare Center and Father Bline blessed a statue of Our Lady Help of Christians, which he arranged to give the parish before he learned of his new assignment. The statue was placed just inside the main door of the building.
Father Merzweiler noted that the Memorare Center provides space for the parish’s growing needs. Parish offices were relocated from the rectory to the new building. There is also meeting space, a kitchen and a terrace. A booklet was prepared to explain the names and intended purposes of the various rooms.
The idea for the building was proposed to the parish in November 2018 and a $1.9 million capital campaign was launched to pay for the structure and to repair other parish facilities. Ground was broken on June 7, 2020 for the Memorare Center.
The outdoor Mass also welcomed Father Bline back to his longtime parish home, celebrated the 23rd anniversary of Deacon Butz’s ordination and offered thanks for the vocations from the parish.
Father Merzweiler summed up the celebration saying, “Thanks be to God.”