The second of three Jubilee Year of Hope pilgrimages began with Mass on July 19 in St. John Bosco Church, Parma Heights, followed by a short procession to Queen of the Holy Rosary Shrine on the grounds of Incarnate Word Academy. The motherhouse for the Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament, whose ministries include the shrine and IWA, is also on the property.
Father Damian Ference, diocesan vicar for evangelization, said the third and final Jubilee Year pilgrimage will take place July 26, beginning with Mass at 4:30 p.m. in St. Paschal Baylon Church, Highland Heights, followed by a procession to St. Ann Shrine, which is located on the property. The parish and shrine are ministries of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament. The final pilgrimage overlaps with the celebration of the St. Ann Triduum July 24-26.
(See photo gallery from the pilgrimage above.)
Both shrines are among the 11 Jubilee Year sacred sites in the diocese – including three shrines – that were designated by Bishop Edward Malesic.
Father Ference, who celebrated the July 19 liturgy with Father Matt Byrne, St. John Bosco pastor, welcomed knights and dames from the local Order of Malta who attended the Mass and helped lead the procession to the shrine, as pilgrims recited the rosary. The Order of Malta, a lay religious order, was founded about 1050. It is committed to nurturing the faith and humanitarian assistance to the sick and poor.
In his homily, Father Ference reflected on hospitality and its importance in the Church. The Gospel story of Mary and Martha is one example, he said, pointing out how the sisters welcomed Jesus to their home. Martha worked in the kitchen preparing a meal while Mary focused on Jesus, sitting at his feet, listening to him speak. Meanwhile, Martha grew frustrated because her sister was not helping. Yet Jesus told her that Mary had chosen the better part.
Father Ference said he first experienced Church hospitality when he attended a TEC (Teens Encounter Christ) retreat in high school. As the retreatants arrived, he said staff members greeted them warmly and offered to bring in their bags. The experience left a lasting impression, he added.
Years later, when he founded the Tolle Lege Summer Institute, a program for rising high school seniors, Father Ference said he was mindful to include hospitality. The two, weeklong sessions at the Center for Pastoral Leadership in Wickliffe are filled and usually have a wait list.
In the Old Testament, the story of Abraham and Sarah also illustrates hospitality, he said. Still another example is at the weekly Wednesday Evenings Live hosted by the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in the courtyard. Father Ference said there is a Team Mary that provides hospitality, greeters, etc., while Team Martha is available in the cathedral for prayer, information and conversation.
“Asking and inviting goes a long way toward helping bring people to the Church,” he said. “Think about how you would treat guests in your home. The Church is your spiritual home and we need old people and new people.”
Connecting the Gospel message to the pilgrimage, Father Ference explained that members of the Knights of Columbus were at IWA grilling hot dogs, hamburgers and preparing a meal for all to enjoy. “They are the Marthas,” he said.
The Marys are those who attended Mass and pray. There also is a Team Lazarus, he said, noting Lazarus was the brother of Mary and Martha. He had been ill, died and Jesus brought him back to life. Father Ference said the Lazaruses are those who are willing and able to share their story or testimony as well as listening to others.
“All three are important in this Jubilee Year of Hope,” he said.
After Mass, the pilgrims gathered in front of the church and processed along Pearl Road praying the rosary. As they approached the IWA property, Sister Margaret Taylor, SIW congregational leader, greeted the group and welcomed them to the shrine.
Inside the shrine, she offered a brief history explaining how it was established by the sisters in 1935 after an anonymous donor requested that a shrine be built in Mary’s honor. Pearl Road at that time was a major route connecting Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati. The sisters’ property, which was in a rural area then, provided travelers with a peaceful place for reflection.
Sister Taylor said the shrine was dedicated June 26, 1936. At first, it was simply a covered pavilion with a statue of Mary on a white pedestal. The joyful, sorrowful and glorious mysteries of the rosary were printed on the sides of the pedestal.
When it was remodeled in 1952, three sides of the shrine were enclosed in glass blocks to help protect the statue and votive candles from the weather. The pedestal was also changed to an altar of quarried stone.
The statue of Mary, with the Christ Child in her lap, was created by a Bavarian craftsman from a solid piece of wood. A large rosary extends from her hand to the hand of Christ, reminding all that the way to Christ is through his mother
Sister Taylor said the shrine was rebuilt once again and rededicated in 2000. It is slightly larger than the original one and is entirely enclosed to protect the statue and other furnishings. Stained-glass windows that surround the structure represent the mysteries of the rosary. The windows are an invitation to “look at Mary, the mother of the Incarnate Word,” she said. Sister Taylor noted the figures in the stained-glass have no faces and clear panes were left intentionally in each window so that shrine visitors can see their faces in the windows.
The shrine, a place of prayer for countless pilgrims over the years, has been enjoying more visitors in recent months since its designation as a Jubilee Year of Hope sacred site, Sister Taylor added. She invited pilgrimage visitors to stamp their Jubilee Year passports before leaving the shrine.
After singing the “Regina Coeli,” the pilgrims were invited to move to IWA’s St. Joseph Hall, where they joined several IWA sisters for dinner and live music by Tom Evanchuck.
The event ended with all enjoying the two special Jubilee Year ice cream flavors – Pilgrim Tracks and Jubilee Indulgence – created by Country Parlour Ice Cream, with input from Father Ference.
Click here for a recap of the first pilgrimage on June 14 (for young people). More information on the Jubilee Year of Hope, including the diocesan sacred sites, is available here. Also, view this short video and learn more about the opportunity to r