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Sir Knights of Columbus in full regalia process into the new Our Lady of Peace Parish for Sunday's "Unity Mass." (MyBayCity Photo by Dave Rogers)

THIS IS HISTORY! St. Mary, Visitation Members Jam Unity Mass in New Parish

"I Think This is Going to Work," Parishioners Were Saying at Joint Services

July 7, 2014       Leave a Comment
By: Dave Rogers

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"This is history!" proclaimed Father Patrick Jankowiak to an overflowing crowd at the "unity mass" Sunday of the new Our Lady of Peace Parish.

The rejoining of St. Mary of the Assumption and Our Lady of the Visitation churches came 119 years after mainly French-speaking members separated to ease overcrowding.

That was 1895, Fr. Patrick said, pointing to a chalice from the mission chapel of Visitation in Banks.

The cleric also noted another symbol of the historic joining, a plain altar chair with rose-colored upholstery brought from the recently merged Visitation. The church has been designated "for occasional use."

To demonstrate historic perspective, when the new Visitation Church was dedicated in 1910, an estimated 8,000 Catholics, and supporters, marched from downtown to the corner of State and Smith.

Fr. Jankowiak noted that the new parish name emerging out of this merger has an advantage -- it involves two churches both dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary.


Parishioners from both churches assist Father Patrick Jankowiak in mixing sacred baptismal oils from Visitation and St. Mary.
Photo by Dave Rogers
© MyBayCity.com

"I think this is going to work," people from St. Mary and Visitation were saying at this year's joint Ash Wednesday and Good Friday services, the pastor noted in the parish bulletin.

"This is a historic moment," the church publication continued. "Somehow it seems only appropriate to have this great event occur on a weekend with fireworks."

July 1 marked the effective date of mergers aimed at downsizing a Roman Catholic diocese that is shrinking in membership and finding difficulty recruiting and training enough priests to minister to the remaining faithful.

Bishop Joseph Cistone, it seems, has engineered the coming together of nearby churches, some of them with rivalries dating back a century.

The process has not been without controversy. Cistone has faced demonstrations like one last spring when hundreds of Catholics gathered in silent protest in a field outside a Thumb area church while he conducted a prayer service inside with only dozens.

A similar outpouring of nostalgia for a church and beloved pastor occurred in the Pinconning area.

A thousand signatures were reportedly gathered on a petition to Rome for an investigation of the Bishop's management practices, exacerbated by a lawsuit in which he is embroiled at his former assignment as auxiliary bishop of Philadelphia.

Reports that a representative of the Pope has been in the diocese have not been verified, and rumors flew about an alleged reassignment of the bishop that may have been confused by changes in the Diocese of Gaylord.

Groups seeking greater accountability and financial transparency have been meeting, one of them an affiliate of the national organization Voice of the Faithful. Another is Save Our Rural Catholic Parishes that has erected billboards posing the question "Where is Our Shepherd? Why Is He Scattering The Flock?"

The depth of emotion of parishioners who have lives and money invested in their beloved churches and their loyalty to pastors is shaken by these mergers.

Only faith that God's will is being done will sustain them.

It is small solace that the Roman Catholic church has survived centuries of upheaval and retained its basic character.

Obviously, Father Jankowiak's words "this is history" need to be taken literally as area Catholics struggle to regain their faith in a system being tested beyond anything ever seen in our times.

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Dave Rogers

Dave Rogers is a former editorial writer for the Bay City Times and a widely read,
respected journalist/writer in and around Bay City.
(Contact Dave Via Email at carraroe@aol.com)

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