About 50 pilgrims met on April 1 at St. Luke Church in Lakewood to begin a half-day, six-mile, pre-Holy Week walking pilgrimage of four Catholic churches in the city. The event offered participants a chance to get acquainted with some of the 185 parishes in the Diocese of Cleveland.
Featured parishes on this year’s pilgrimage -- organized by the Young Adult Ministry Office of the diocesan Parish Life and Special Ministries Office -- were St. Luke, 1212 Bunts Road; Transfiguration (formerly SS. Cyril and Methodius), 12608 Madison Ave.; St. Clement, 2022 Lincoln Ave.; and St. James, 17514 Detroit Ave. Father Damian Ference, vicar for evangelization and head of Parish Life and Special Ministries, led the pilgrimage.
(See photo gallery above.)
“It won’t always be easy,” he told the group, reminding them of Jesus’ journey to his crucifixion and resurrection.
Each of this year’s participating parishes is a century or older.
At. St. Luke, which marked its centennial in 2022, Father Kevin Elbert, pastor, pointed out some features of the church and gave a brief history. When formed, Lakewood was a bustling, growing suburb. St. Luke’s earliest parishioners previously were within the boundaries of the former St, Rose of Lima Parish in Cleveland, just to the east, and St. James, on the west end of Lakewood.
After hearing about the parish and its history, Father Ference explained how the pilgrimage would work. The group would walk together, stop at each host parish, hear a brief presentation, have time for silent prayer and proceed to the next site. Water and restrooms were available throughout the event.
It was sunny and mild as the pilgrims headed south on Bunts Road and walked to Transfiguration Parish, a little more than a mile away. Participants ranged in age from infants in strollers to senior citizens. One pilgrim even had his leashed dog walking along.
At Transfiguration, Father Theodore Haag, OFM, pastor, told the group the parish was established in 1902 to serve the influx of Slovak immigrants on Lakewood’s east end. The original church was a frame building. A vacant lot sits where the structure stood until just a few years ago when it was razed.
The current church, designed in the Romanesque style, was built in 1931. Because funds were tight, it was largely undecorated until 948. Mass was celebrated in the Slovak language for many years at the parish.
During the diocesan reconfiguration, nearby St. Rose Parish in Cleveland – established in 1899 -- merged with SS. Cyril and Methodius and the parish name was changed to Transfiguration.
“We’re an elderly parish,” Father Haag explained to the group. “We’re a small community, but we stay as vibrant as we can.”
The former SS. Cyril and Methodius School, once honored as a National Blue Ribbon School, merged a few years ago with St. James. St. Luke and St. Clement schools as part of Lakewood Catholic Academy, which is located in the former St. Augustine Academy adjacent to Lakewood Park.
The old school building is being converted to apartments, Father Haag said.
The pilgrims admired statues and artwork in the building before heading west on Madison Avenue to the next stop, St. Clement Church, about a mile away.
As they walked, some chatted and some prayed silently.
Father Joe Workman, pastor of St. Clement and St. James parishes, was waiting for them on the church steps as they arrived. The choir was rehearsing for Palm Sunday Masses, but took a break so Father Workman and a parishioner could share some parish history with the pilgrims.
St. Clement, which also marked its centennial in 2022, was carved from portions of St. Rose and St. James parishes as Lakewood continued to grow in the early 20th century. Ground was broken for the church in August 1922 at Madison and Lincoln avenues. The church is modeled after St. Clement Church in Rome. It has a simple design with a red tile roof and towers.
The first Mass was celebrated in the basement on Christmas Day 1922 and the upstairs church was used for Easter Mass in 1923. The following year, St. Clement School was built and had an enrollment of 350 students. The church was expanded in 1931 and a convent was built in 1947. The Sisters of St, Joseph staffed the school, which also was enlarged over the years as the enrollment grew. In 2005, it joined St. Luke and St. James to form LCA.
The church was remodeled in 1968 to meet the new guidelines established after Vatican II.
Father Workman said the convent and school were demolished last year and the land was sold. He encouraged the group to remember to smile and encourage one another as they continue their Lenten journey.
The pilgrims admired the risen Christ mosaic – modeled after the one in St. Clement Church in Rome -- behind the altar and other features of the church before gathering on the front steps to head to St. James, almost two miles west.
Father Ference alerted the group that stormy weather was approaching. A severe thunderstorm warning was in effect as they started walking. Dark clouds gathered, the wind picked up and thunder rumbled as the rain began. The pilgrims were soaked when they arrived at St. James, where Father Workman was waiting.
Father Damian offered a brief history of St. James Parish, noting it was established in 1908 because of the increasing number of Catholics in the area. Some of the original parishioners came from St. Rose in Cleveland and St. Patrick Parish in West Park (established in 1848), which had been a separate city before annexing to Cleveland in the 1920s.
Lakewood was growing so quickly that the diocese also established St. Luke and St. Clement in the city and St. Christopher in the adjacent city of Rocky River. All recently marked their 100thanniversaries.
Construction began in 1925 on the current St. James Church, an imposing sandstone structure with twin towers. It’s modeled after the Cathedral of Monreale in Palermo, Sicily. Pilgrims had the opportunity to admire the extensive marble and elaborate paintings in the church, which was completed in 1935. Unfortunately, leaks in the roof and sandstone over the years caused damage to many of the paintings. The parish has been working to correct the leaks and to address the damage.
Father Workman said the old school building and rectory were sold. The school has undergone extensive renovation and was converted into offices. Work continues on the rectory.
He invited the group to visit the former convent across the street, which previously housed the Sisters of the Humility of Mary who staffed St. James School. The building now serves as parish offices and a home for the Good Shepherd catechesis program for 3- to 6-year-olds. The Montessori-based program offers faith formation for 30 children and meets in the former convent chapel.
The rain let up, but temperatures dipped as the group walked north on Granger Avenue to Clifton Boulevard for the last leg of the pilgrimage.
They walked about a mile east, returning to St. Luke’s, where they enjoyed homemade soup, bread and mini sandwiches in McBride Hall.
“Thank you all for participating,” Father Ference said. “We went through a sort of ‘passion’ during the stormy weather. But you don’t get to the resurrection without some suffering,” he added.
Mike Hayes, director of the Office of Young Adult Ministry, also thanked participants and invited all to register for the daylong Ignite young adult conference on April 29 at the Cleveland Marriott Downtown at Key Tower.