After celebrating Mass for the feast of the Assumption in Holy Rosary Church in Cleveland on Aug. 15, Bishop Edward Malesic accepted an invitation to concelebrate a hierarchical Divine Liturgy on Aug. 20 at the Shrine of Our Lady of Mariapoch in Burton.
The shrine is operated by the Byzantine Eparchy of Parma of the Ruthenians, an Eastern Rite eparchy (or diocese) that is in full communion with Rome under Pope Francis. The invitation to participate in the annual eparchial pilgrimage was extended by Bishop Kurt Burnette, eparchy administrator.
“Under the Protection of Your Veil” was the theme of the Aug. 18-20 pilgrimage, which coincides with the celebration of the feast of the Dormition (sleep or death) of Mary, which is akin to the Roman Catholic Church’s celebration of the Assumption and also is celebrated on Aug. 15.
The liturgy – which is much like a Mass – lasted about two hours and included singing, chanting, prayers, processions, incense, blessings, two readings and the Gospel, a homily by Bishop Malesic and reception of the Eucharist. Servers and most clergy wore blue for the liturgy. In the entrance procession, the symbolic burial shroud of the Theotokos, the Mother of God, was carried reverently and placed on a platform in front of the icon screen that shielded the altar. Young children carrying special flags led the clergy to the worship site.
Much of the liturgy took place at the altar behind the icon screen, with deacons and the bishops coming out for portions. The bishops each blessed the faithful with a hand cross during the celebration.
In his homily, the bishop thanked his counterpart, Bishop Burnette, for the invitation and warm welcome.
“We’ve had four outdoor Masses this summer – three scheduled for baseball parks and one at The FEST – and every one of them was rained out. The Ruthenians are doing something right,” he quipped, looking at the blue sky and noting the warm, sunny weather.
The bishop said he was blessed to be able to participate in the pilgrimage, noting we all are looking for a better place, “a place where every tear will be washed away, where we will be able to see Christ, the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end. We’re just getting a glimpse of the future.” He told the faithful who gathered for the outdoor liturgy that their pilgrimage – wherever they traveled from – was continuing.
“As Bishop (Robert) Barron says, we are wired for God. We are wired for places like the Shrine of Mariapoch,” he said.
Bishop Malesic talked about his humble roots in Pennsylvania, recalling the “blue laws” that prohibited many businesses from opening on Sundays.
“Every Sunday is a pilgrimage with Christ in the Eucharist. We must tithe a bit of time to God and give him what’s due,” he said, noting it’s time we should use to reflect on our faith. “We also should ask Mary to place us under the protection of her veil because she has the ear of her Son.”
God had a plan to send his only Son to save us and Mary was a key part of that plan in order to give flesh to Jesus.
“We follow her and walk toward her son with her. We desire good and we seek God, for whom all things are possible – even the salvation of our souls,” he added.
He urged the faithful to keep walking forward as we seek the Lord. “We’re searching for what’s best and nothing is better than a life with God,” he said, adding the end point of our journey is heaven.
After the liturgy, the faithful were invited to come forward for an anointing by some of the priests. Some also venerated the symbolic burial shroud.
A picnic dinner followed the religious celebration.
The Eparchy of Parma, established by Pope St. Paul VI in 1969, consists of 28 parishes spread across 12 states with about 4,309 parishioners. The eparchial seat is in Parma. There are 25 priests and 15 deacons in the eparchy as well as several religious sisters and two men religious. Learn more about the eparchy here.
The Shrine of Our Lady of Mariapoch, 17486 Mumford Road Burton, was dedicated in August 1956. An outdoor Divine Liturgy is celebrated at 4 p.m. each Sunday through Sept. 24. The shrine is under the care of Deacon Gregory Loya. Click here for more information.