Have you ever wondered how a simple invitation can transform someone's spiritual life? Join the three of us: Mike Hayes, Father Damian Ference and Christy Cabaniss, as we unravel the power of community and the art of welcoming others into our faith journey this Easter season. In our latest heartfelt discussion, we dive into the nuances of inviting friends to Mass, from becoming a "Mass buddy" to leveraging technology for creating inclusive spaces. We also relive the vibrancy of Holy Week, with Christy's touching recount of the Easter Vigil at St. Mary's and Father Damian's and Mike's marathon of services that bring the solemnity of Good Friday to life.
Then, we nestle into the warmth of St. Mary's Parish community, where the beauty of shared liturgy and the statues of saints offer more than just a visual feast—they're beacons for spiritual kinship. We reflect on how these symbols of faith provide comfort, particularly in the journey to find a spiritual mother in Our Lady.
The episode then shifts to a contemplative gear as we ponder over the gospel, delving into the mystery of Doubting Thomas's absence and what it tells us about belief, community, and the human heart.
So, pull up a chair and let's explore these Easter reflections together—because sometimes, the most profound lessons come wrapped in the joy of shared experiences.
Have you ever wondered how a simple invitation can transform someone's spiritual life? Join the three of us: Mike Hayes, Father Damian Ference and Christy Cabaniss, as we unravel the power of community and the art of welcoming others into our faith journey this Easter season. In our latest heartfelt discussion, we dive into the nuances of inviting friends to Mass, from becoming a "Mass buddy" to leveraging technology for creating inclusive spaces. We also relive the vibrancy of Holy Week, with Christy's touching recount of the Easter Vigil at St. Mary's and Father Damian's and Mike's marathon of services that bring the solemnity of Good Friday to life.
Then, we nestle into the warmth of St. Mary's Parish community, where the beauty of shared liturgy and the statues of saints offer more than just a visual feast—they're beacons for spiritual kinship. We reflect on how these symbols of faith provide comfort, particularly in the journey to find a spiritual mother in Our Lady.
The episode then shifts to a contemplative gear as we ponder over the gospel, delving into the mystery of Doubting Thomas's absence and what it tells us about belief, community, and the human heart.
So, pull up a chair and let's explore these Easter reflections together—because sometimes, the most profound lessons come wrapped in the joy of shared experiences.
On today's Question of Faith. How do I invite someone to come to Mass with me? Hey everybody, this is Question of Faith. I'm Mike Hayes. I'm the Director of Young Adult Ministry here in the Diocese of Cleveland.
Speaker 2:And I'm Father Damian Ferenc, the Vicar for Evangelization.
Speaker 3:And I'm Christy Cabaniss, Director for Missionary Discipleship.
Speaker 1:Happy Easter everybody.
Speaker 2:Happy Easter. I was actually at a priest gathering last night it's called the Emmaus Dinner down in Akron or Stowe, and people were raving about you and were debating how they pronounce your last name.
Speaker 3:Cabaniss.
Speaker 2:Cabaniss, not Cabanisse. Nope, not Cabaniss.
Speaker 3:Nope Cabaniss.
Speaker 2:Cabaniss, cab Cabinets, cabinets, cabinets, think cabinets like cabinets, oh very nice yeah, and then just pull out the T.
Speaker 1:So Cabinets yeah, right, yeah.
Speaker 2:That's cool.
Speaker 3:Good to see you Welcome back.
Speaker 1:Welcome back.
Speaker 3:Thanks for having me, he is risen, happy Easter.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 3:Hooray.
Speaker 1:How was your Easter?
Speaker 3:Very nice. I was super excited. My home parish is St Mary's in Hudson. I love those guys. They're a wonderful parish and I got the special opportunity to read the Genesis Creation account, the first reading for the. Easter Vigil it was so fun.
Speaker 1:Very cool. I've done that. That's very good. That's a great reading to have to proclaim on the Easter Vigil. It was exciting. What about you, FD? We were together for a little while at the Triduum.
Speaker 2:Yeah. So Father Bob Kropak has two parishes he's pastor of St Wendland and Our Lady of Mount Carmel West. He cannot bilocate yet so he asked me for help, so I took Holy Thursday there and the Easter Vigil there and then Good Friday. As you know, we were together.
Speaker 1:And Holy Thursday, oh yeah.
Speaker 2:But on Good Friday we were together with the Hispanic community for a four hour and 45 minute liturgy that spanned 3.1 miles of pilgrimage and three churches. And it was awesome, it was awesome. Yeah, but I was. I don't get tired too often. I was tired after those. I mean that's that was a lot of walking in 24 hour time. I went home Tired too often. I was tired after those. I mean that was a lot of walking in 24-hour time.
Speaker 1:Uh-huh, I went home In dress shoes. I went home and took a nap at 5.30 or something yeah yeah, by the time we were done and got up about 9.30 and then couldn't get back to sleep.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's more than a nap. You fell asleep.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I definitely was four. I was out for four hours, but yeah, so I was. We did Holy Night Hike on Holy Thursday, you and I FD.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and about 80 pilgrims were in our group alone. Yes, but I heard there were a lot of groups going around, not just with those seven, although there were a lot with the seven but other parishes too reported mass amounts of young people visiting their parishes in the evening.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think that's accurate. I think that we've made this a thing now, not necessarily just those seven, but I think people are just traveling now to seven churches throughout the diocese. So, that's good. We'll have to figure out how to measure that down the road. But it was good that last hill was Willie Hill, Walking up with Sister Caitlin and Father Eric and I was like okay, this is where I die.
Speaker 2:If you're not from the area. So there's a valley between Tremont and Duck Island, so between where John Cancius, augustine and Andrew Kim are, you go down this hill down to the valley that would take you right into the flats and then you have to come up the hill, up Willie Hill, and then St Wendland is right there. So yeah, you said you twisted your ankle or your leg when you took the left.
Speaker 1:No, ironically I made the hill. Okay, I was getting worried when I saw the hill, I was like, oh dear. Okay, let's see how these old legs are going to do. And I got up to the top and as soon as we got onto the flat part right by St Wendland's, I turned and all of a sudden my right calf, just kind of like seized up. And so yeah, it was nothing that, like a little stretching, could solve you know, but I was like I was getting worried.
Speaker 1:I was like, am I going to fall flat in my face as I get in front?
Speaker 2:of this church, not a good look, I mean before we forget, shout out to the Cleveland Police Department. Yes, because we had two um unmarked cars that basically escorted us that that whole night and that made people feel safe. That was nice. So we did get some looks and some yells. Uh, mostly positive positive.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I was gonna say praise jesus, he has risen, all that kind of stuff. Jesus is lord. But yeah, I don't think I heard any negatives. It was um, you might, I don't know.
Speaker 2:I know I I didn't, but we were definitely a group to behold and we could have brought upon some negative vibes, as the kids say. But I think having the police there helped.
Speaker 1:I really enjoyed it. There was only one church that I had not been in, and St John Cantius. I'd been in before, but not before they had really renovated the whole inside. It's gorgeous. And so now it's really gorgeous. Yeah, because I remember walking. I was like, oh, this is different than I remember.
Speaker 2:Those things, all the blue and the arches and the windows.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it was really nice, but I had never been in St Andrew Kim before, which was really great. It's a Korean community and they were really welcoming. A couple of guys were in the back, a couple of parishioners were in the back and the pastor was downstairs. They just really enjoy having us there.
Speaker 2:They had their altar of repose in the basement church. That's where they processed. I remember going in there last year, but there was no way our whole pilgrim group could fit in there, so they had the upper church open for prayer. And and one of my students, simon the seminarian, who's new to the United States he's just doing actually his English is outstanding, but he's the one who translated the billboard and he was welcoming us there and the whole community was so happy to see us. That was cool and I yeah, I love that church.
Speaker 1:Simon, the seminarian sounds like a one-act play.
Speaker 2:Yeah, Well tell them that I don't know if you're listening, Simon, but I'll see you in class on.
Speaker 1:Thursday it was great, everybody was great. And then you mentioned Good Friday, which was like 3.1 miles from it's, 3.1 miles alone, from St Coleman's to St Michael's.
Speaker 2:Is that right? I thought the whole thing was 3.1.
Speaker 1:It's colmans to. Is that right? I thought the whole thing was 3.1, it's a 5k. It's a 5k. Yeah, you might be right, I don't. I don't.
Speaker 2:It's not very far from sagrada, from la sagrada familia to st colman's, it's like less than a mile, I think it's, but it's 50 city blocks because it's uh la sagrada's on 77th right and then uh st michael's is off 25th, between between 25th and Fulton there or not Fulton, scranton. So I mean it's a significant walk.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it was. It was very interesting. I had forgotten how far those two were from each other.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And Jose, who's in formation for the diaconate, who's a parishioner at Sagrada. He said to me he goes, wow, we'll be over there in about an hour, hour 10. And I looked down, I was like nah, and he was like yeah. I was like no, it's not that far. And he goes, mike. It's like he took his phone out, he goes, it's here and showed me on a map. I was like oh, I thought it was here.
Speaker 1:It was significantly shorter than I thought it was. I was like, well, okay, here we go and shout out to Bishop Wust New knee and all. And he walked all that way and a bunch of crosses that we venerated throughout the whole thing. We looked at each other like, wow, there's a lot of people in here. This is going to take forever. And Father Mark Riley just kept bringing out crosses.
Speaker 2:Well, they had the initial cross that, bishop Wust, this is a cool little side note or piece of trivia that the priest or the bishop who is reverencing the cross may it's a may in the rite take off his vestments and even his shoes to reverence. So he went down and did that. The priest, deacon servers went and then it was one cross and probably 800 people in the church, maybe 700.
Speaker 1:I don't know, it was pretty packed.
Speaker 2:800 is about right yeah, but people started coming up and Riley sat down next to me and I looked up. I'm like dude, this is going to take hours and he goes really. So then he went out and got other crosses and I didn't feel bad because I know, liturgically speaking, I had Bishop Wust. It should be one cross for the whole church. There's a symbol, a great symbolism to one. However, I celebrated Good Friday Liturgy back in 2019 with the Holy Father in Rome and they had many crosses, so it's perfectly legitimate, there's a precedent for it, you can do it with huge crowds, and so that's what happened.
Speaker 2:There are many crosses but we are one body it was fun.
Speaker 1:And then I was at Sagrada Familia for the vigil. We had 14 baptisms and I want to say 27 people were confirmed. That's great, which was really great yeah. And still got in a little over two and a half hours, which I was surprised.
Speaker 2:That's got to be top tier in terms of the diocese. The only parish I know that had more than that was Sacred Heart and Wads, where 35 came into the church, 17 baptisms Wow, that's great yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it was good New life, and you were at Wendland's right, I was at.
Speaker 2:Wendland for Vigil, and then the 11 o'clock at St James on Easter Sunday morning, which was delightful, oh, easter Sunday morning at Sagrada Familia at the 12.
Speaker 1:There had to be 600 people there, I mean the whole. So it's not a very big sanctuary, right, it's not a very big worship space in general, and so that was all filled. And then there's like a little plaza where people kind of come in, and then there's.
Speaker 2:Gathering space yes.
Speaker 1:Well, they call it the plaza, oh, okay. And then there is a gym behind that, an old school gym that is sort of like an overflow space. They have some speakers in. That space was filled.
Speaker 3:Wow.
Speaker 1:So I was like, okay, it probably holds like 420 in the main space and there had to be 200 people behind that. So I was like, wow, so it was a lovely celebration, so it was good.
Speaker 2:Christy, were there many people at the vigil in Hudson?
Speaker 3:There were a lot more than I thought I had asked initially because I've been at places where, as the reader, you have to sit in a certain spot and all of this. And I'd asked and I was told, oh, no, no, no, you can sit wherever you want. So I'll say this I don't think it was as full as, say, we went to the 10 o'clock for Palm Sunday the weekend before. It wasn't as full as that, but it was pretty full.
Speaker 2:It's also a huge church. Yes, it sits 900 or 850.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's quite large, but the only. It was the two sides. But I'll say this If anybody gets a chance, you should go down to St Mary's, because the music there is off the hook. And it was just incredible and we did mark that after the Exodus, reading the psalm that we sang, felt quite like the banger, because it was doing a call and response for the responsorial psalm.
Speaker 3:So like the cantor would sing a line and then he would the congregation would sing and then back and forth it was, but I mean they had string instruments and a harp and a xylophone and drums and some brass and the choir. There is already just tremendous.
Speaker 2:So just the joy of the space, is Mark Ludwig the director down there still? Is that who it is? I think so.
Speaker 1:All right. So our question this week came in from someone. They want to know how we can invite someone to go to Mass. What are some ideas that we have?
Speaker 2:Well, it can be fairly easy, just to say would you come to Mass with me? I mean truly.
Speaker 1:How about asking yeah?
Speaker 2:So I guess we'd have to further explore the question so is the person Catholic?
Speaker 2:Have they been away for a while? What's the particular situation? Does this person even believe in God? What's the particular situation? Does this person even believe in God? Because I would say that for an intro to the Catholic Church, the best place to start might not be the Mass, Even though it's the source and summit of our faith. You may want to bring someone to a night prayer or a Bible study or a small group, because there's a lot going on at Mass that might not make sense. So I guess I would explore the particular person's situation first before asking do I want to take this person to Mass? I don't know your thoughts, Christy.
Speaker 3:I think it also depends on your relationship to the person. True, because I'm hoping that, first off, that when we are asking somebody, when we're thinking in this mindset of we want to invite them to Mass, we love this person right, we care about them in some kind of way. This isn't about numbers or just trying to get somebody to follow rules or whatnot, but it is about your love of them and your desire to share the Lord with them in their life. So I do think that, yes, it could be as simple as um, hey, do you want to come to mass with me? But, um, my thoughts are also that it's mass is kind of a deep end experience and we take that for granted when we're regular, um, mass goers, participants in in the faith, and um, so what is that person's status? So I think, first, what's your relationship to relationship to them? How close are you? Has the conversation about going to Mass caused a rift with the relationship and are there ways that you want to try to work on repairing that before you make that step?
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's nice, and for me, I've kind of done the reverse. Sometimes, when I know someone is at least sort of interested in coming back to the church, I'll say to them I say, hey, could you do me a favor? I said what I said I never have someone to go to Mass with. Could you just be my Mass buddy? And certainly when I was single, I did that.
Speaker 1:You know, mary, and I never have anybody to go to Mass with, you know, and we usually end up just sitting by ourselves, whether it's true or not, you know, we would say, let's just invite this person to come and sit with us at least. So now, you know, look at what you've done. Now, though, you've invited someone to come to Mass, you've given them someone to sit with, and so that kind of you know guards against a bunch of things that I think keep people away. You know, we did a really unscientific study when I was on the college campus about why people didn't go to Mass, and the number one reason that people said they didn't go is that they didn't have anyone to sit with.
Speaker 3:Yeah, because that can feel weird and uncomfortable.
Speaker 1:Really intimidating.
Speaker 3:There's also like despite the fact that there's a missalette there, it doesn't necessarily say when to stand or sit or kneel, and so sometimes just being able to follow along and know what's going on can be difficult for folks Depending on the missalette.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you're right, I do text people because I travel around the diocese often and if I'm going to a parish where I know some of my old high school friends are other friends, I'll text hey, I've got Mass here if you're interested. So they know someone is going to be there. It's a friend, so maybe it spurs them on to come to Mass for the first time, first time in a long time.
Speaker 1:Who knows when, the check-in thing was kind of a big thing when Facebook was at its all-time high. I think a bunch of us were checking in at Mass when we would go, just so others would know that we go, and it kind of did the job. People got curious about it. I know a bunch of my friends said oh, I didn't realize that you go to Mass at such and such a church. And they're like oh, that's right in my neighborhood, can I go with you next time? And I didn't even have to ask, I just came.
Speaker 2:And making use of social media to invite people to Mass is a great thing too. I often will post where I am or before Mass starts if I invite people to turn their phones on to silence so they don't disrupt us during Mass. Also, saying, hey, and before Mass begins, why don't you post and let people know where you are and invite them to come? That's a nice way to offer an invitation, because a lot of times if people haven't been invited, they won't come, and so invitation goes a long, long way and people say I wouldn't have come had you not invited me to this. I wouldn't have joined RCA had you not invited me. I wouldn't have joined Bible study had I not been invited. Like Jesus called and people followed Not everyone the rich young man turned away.
Speaker 3:You know he was sad. But no invitation, well, no welcome then, right, yeah, I think also, like over the Easter week, I had a couple of people tell me like almost shamefacedly, I don't know if I'm going to go to Mass. And I looked at them with love in my heart honestly and I just said, oh, can you tell me why that is? And I think that's the other thing is to find out from people. When you love them, you want to know why wouldn't you want to do this thing?
Speaker 2:that's good for you yeah what's going on?
Speaker 3:Yeah, what's going on with that? And then I think, like if they say something happened that caused scandal at the parish, or they didn't get along with somebody, or something like that, you can also make recommendations oh, have you tried such and such parish that's near you, because I've heard great things about that place, or the music there is tremendous, or I know that, I know the pastor and he's a great guy and I think you'd really like it there, instead of, maybe, the place that you've gone, where you've had some kind of hurt or whatnot. But I think I do think that finding out about the other person and where their head is also gives you that place of where is this person in their own faith, life and journey, and what are they ready for? So could they do? Would they do better with just a small group, a theology on tap kind of a night, or are they ready to make that next step and go to Mass? And so also, I think, making yourself available to say I'll go with you, I'll sit beside you, I'll help you with this.
Speaker 1:The gospel according to Ted Lasso right, right, be curious, not judgmental. Absolutely Find out the reasons why they're not going or why they've had a bad experience, and then give them an alternative to say look, the church isn't your one experience, there are other experiences to have, because I've also had people say it like I cry the whole time because for whatever reason they feel that sense of being away from Jesus and then close at mass.
Speaker 3:I'll go and sit beside you and not bring the tissues.
Speaker 2:Yeah, blessed are you who mourn and cry. Church is a good place to do that.
Speaker 1:It validates their experience. Sometimes, too, when they have been hurt, yeah, it doesn't make it like, well, that couldn't have possibly happened. You allow them their own hurt and their own pain and their own experience.
Speaker 3:Sure.
Speaker 1:Unfortunately. Right yeah From time to time things happen. So anyway, so yeah, so those are various ways. I think that we've invited people, so I think that Billboards.
Speaker 2:you can invite people Write a letter.
Speaker 3:I know somebody from my Reach More group knew somebody from their family. They weren't super close so they wrote a letter just to say I've been praying for you, I'm thinking about you and I don't know what your mass attendance looks like, but I would love to hear that you're going to mass.
Speaker 2:You know.
Speaker 3:Just like I said, it depends on the relationship and where you are.
Speaker 2:And then, even if they say thank you for your letter, I don't want to go to mass but, I, want to go out to lunch with you.
Speaker 1:Good, okay, that's a start and let's talk and hear where you're going and see where that leads.
Speaker 2:hear where you're going and see where that leads.
Speaker 1:So yeah, for those of us who are on parish staffs or clergy, one of my friends always reminds me. He says that you know before, before every mass, he's a priest. I guess before every mass he goes, I walk outside in my vestments, just so people know that we're open, right? Some people know mass is going on and I'm about to celebrate mass and it goes. A couple of people have seen me out there and I was like, oh, I didn't know mass was at this time. I'm coming right now.
Speaker 2:I'm also intentional, especially with parishes that are in a well-trafficked or populated area, to be out on the front steps before Mass and then after Mass, as long as it's not below zero, to shake hands with people so that they see life coming out of the church too. Yeah, I think that's all very important stuff and, as Pope Francis would say, literal open doors of churches are inviting People can say, oh, I can see what's going on, and I understand. If you have air conditioning or heat and you're worried about your bills, fine, but maybe on a day that's moderate you could leave the church doors open and people can see in there and say, oh, can I go in there? And that curiosity of just wondering what's inside can go a long way too.
Speaker 1:I know my friend's parish, St Clement in Chicago. It was a requirement of the parish staff to be out on the front steps before every Mass. It's Chicago, it's cold, so yeah, they'll be out there bundled up. Even They'll be out there for as long as they can take it, and then they would just invite people in. So it's good practice, I mean. I think it's just good to show both ends of that, as you said, FD.
Speaker 2:People love being invited to things by people who love them and even if they say no, they know that well, they took a risk. And even it's like asking a girl out on a date. You know you could get rejected.
Speaker 3:But the fact that someone asks is pretty cool and come back again and ask later. You know, don't just take it as a one time. The person said no and you give up. I know that that's how I ended up back in the church is my sister did not let up on me. She chased after me and said you know, you got to do this, you got to do this, you got to do this. And it didn't matter how many times I was like no dude relax, chill out.
Speaker 2:I like that we both call our friends dude.
Speaker 3:Dude, is it a Gen X thing yet?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think it is Maybe. Yeah, right, exactly. The other thing I wanted to say was tell people what you like about your parish right, you know like you know it's, you know, you know, look, I really love. I really love this parish because the people are just so great and they're so inviting. You know, I think you would really and you mentioned this earlier I think you would really enjoy this vibe, right? I think you would really like it here.
Speaker 3:Or anything that's going on at the parish. Like say they're having a paint and sip or they're doing a special mission activity where they're serving the poor in the community and you know this person's about social justice. Bring them in and let them experience the parish. And our parishes are multidimensional, and so let's experience them in that multidimensional way, right.
Speaker 1:I know my friend's son. My friend was really worried that his son was no longer going to mass, and so he sat him down and said, well, what are the things that you're really passionate about? And he said, well, you know, look, I'm really into hunger programs. I really think we should be feeding poor. And he goes. And so I work at the soup kitchen all the time and he goes. You know, my parish has a soup kitchen right. And he was like no way. And he was like, yeah, and he goes, would you go with me to the soup kitchen at my parish as well? And he said, yeah, I can do that. And they went in. He met the pastor at the soup kitchen. He really liked the pastor and he started going to Mass again.
Speaker 3:Amazing Right.
Speaker 1:You know, those kinds of things can happen. Be, curious, not judgmental. Yeah, awesome, alright, so I still haven't seen Ted Lasso, by the way.
Speaker 3:Really, oh my goodness, it's such a good show.
Speaker 2:Wait, is it on Disney or HBO or something? Apple Plus? I don't have it. We have Hulu over in the rectory, oh, okay.
Speaker 1:Well, it might end up there, right.
Speaker 2:You know Maybe.
Speaker 1:Sometimes these platforms cross at some point, but actually I I think you would really enjoy Ted Lasso.
Speaker 2:You're the third or fourth person to tell me? That so I will see it eventually.
Speaker 1:All right Okay.
Speaker 3:Good stuff.
Speaker 1:All right Church search. Why don't we go to Hudson?
Speaker 3:Oh hey.
Speaker 1:You love to talk about your parish.
Speaker 3:I do love to talk about it. Yeah and FD.
Speaker 1:It was my first and only parish assignment. That's right. Yeah, I have a great love, you love about St Mary Hudson.
Speaker 3:So that thing that we were saying about inviting people the pastor and the staff are always outside the doors welcoming people in. They also say goodbye to you on the way out. They pay attention to all of the details about liturgy there. So it's really well done. But the people themselves in Hudson at that parish are very warm and welcoming. They turn very warm and welcoming. They turn to you and smile and when you come in I've been late a couple of times. I hate to say that, but it's true, people move over or they let you through. There's not that proprietariness of things, but just overall it's been a warm welcoming and the church itself is incredibly gorgeous. It's fairly new, fr Damien.
Speaker 2:Well, it was renovated recently. It was built in 95. It's the third church that they've had. So the original one's down on the green, on 303 and 91.
Speaker 2:It's now like a spiritual yoga center or something. The second one is room 101 and 102 in the chapel, but then that became meeting space. And now the new church was built in 95 and was renovated probably eight years ago. It was more fluorescent lights, it kind of felt like a mall with carpet, but then they put in like a very noble altar of stone and, yeah, it's a modern church that really presents noble simplicity. Well, it's a beautiful space.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and there's big windows along the sides so you can see out. They have a gorgeous grotto on the left side of the church to the Blessed Mother and I just love it there. It's natural light in the church.
Speaker 2:So the way I describe it, or I like the word that you use the warmness of the community, because I felt that too and I resented being assigned there because I was a blue collar kid from Parma and I did not want to go to Hudson because I knew it was a wealthy community and I didn't think I had anything to offer, nor did they need anything from me. What I realized was there is also a thing called spiritual poverty, not just material poverty, and it was a great blessing for me to be there. But I remember coming in parking my car, which is a little bit before I got ordained, maybe two weeks before I went to meet the staff, and I noticed the statue that's in the circle right around the opening doors.
Speaker 2:Father Costello had that put in and it's Mary with a ponytail and the angel is in the scene of the Annunciation. And because Father Costello knew that youth ministry was very important there, he wanted a statue that the teens could relate to. And not only was that statue there, but what I saw in the statue's head was it had a crown of flowers on it and they did a May crowning down there and something about that spoke to me that I thought there's like a devotional life here and I found that in the people. Oftentimes in high powered communities where you have a lot of managers and well-educated people, they often can be to me a bit harsh and like telling you what to do.
Speaker 2:And what I found in the community where people were high powered, wanting to serve, but there was a softness like a Marian heart that I experienced down at that parish and I think that's the warmness that you're describing. Yeah, I would agree, and my mom had died a year before I was ordained. So what I found in that parish was a mother in Our Lady that was given to me through the parishioners there and yeah, I love that parish. It's got a great place in my heart. I would not. I say the seminary taught me about priesthood, but I learned to be a priest at St Mary's Hudson.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and it's rock and roll in place too. I'll just say that, like, there's something for everybody there going on, that faith formation programs all the way up through adults and small groups, social justice activities and, um, they're into the eucharistic revival. So you guys can check out, like um, their website and they've got they've just got lots and lots of amazing things going on. And one other little just shout out is they did a super cool thing that they did at advent. That they're continuing on is they put a QR code sticker in every pew on like, where the the hymnals are and when you click on that it welcomes you to their, their home page on their website. But it's like instructions on, like, how to follow along at mass and what's going on at the parish, so that if, if you did just come back after being away for a while or that's your first time in their church, not only are there people there, but they're also offering you a digital way to connect.
Speaker 2:Nice. I know Father Larry is very big on. How are we going to get our message out and welcome people when they come in, especially weddings, funerals, baptisms they're in the church for the first time. How do we keep them?
Speaker 1:Yeah, Father Larry Jersic is the pastor who's one of the friendliest people I've ever met.
Speaker 3:And Father Scott Swinerton, the associate, is a wonderful guy as well.
Speaker 1:Yes, exactly so. Great parish, let me try that again. Great parish, st Mary, hudson in Hudson, ohio, yep, all right. So our readings for this coming week. I will take a look at Doubting Thomas and the Gospel. The thing I'm always amazed by it says Thomas was not with them, and my curiosity always gets me. I say, well, where was he?
Speaker 3:Grocery shopping.
Speaker 1:Right, exactly, he had sent someone out for provisions, right? It probably is the actual answer. I mean, we don't know, but I often think that everybody was cowering in a corner and Thomas was the one who was able to be brave enough to get up and go out and face sort of face whatever was beyond those doors for a little while. And then he came back and then he doubted that you know, I was gone, you guys were hallucinating, come on, you know. And then he comes to believe by seeing and touching. And then Jesus says well, blessed are those who have not seen and yet believed.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I love that line. I taught fourth grade catechesis for a long time at my home parish in Greensburg, pennsylvania, and I blessed are those who have not seen me but still believe. And I would tell the kiddos that's us, you guys, how exciting is that that Jesus was talking about us all that time ago.
Speaker 2:I like the wounds a lot and that when Jesus rose from the dead he still had wounds and that's how he was recognized, and he invites people into his wounds, and I like to think that he has shown us his wounds, so we ought not be afraid to share ours with him, cause usually what we want to cover up are the parts of us that are hurt, and he makes it okay for us to share that. And I wonder too, like in our resurrected bodies, what will our wounds look like? Like what are those things? Where we'll be? That's how people will recognize us by that, that particular wound. So I think a focus on the wounds is where I'm heading for my preaching this weekend.
Speaker 1:Very nice, awesome. I will be on retreat this weekend at the Desert Retreat House with the Leave Land Retreat. Yes, you've got a good crew there. Yeah, 40 folks coming out and a big group from Sacred Heart Chapel in Lorain. So it'll be great, nice, I'm heading to South Bend this weekend.
Speaker 2:Nick Geine, one of my parishioners former parishioners from St Mary's Hudson he went to Seton Catholic School is being ordained a priest this weekend, so that's going to be exciting. The only thing I'm sad about is that I won't be in town Friday night because the women's final four is here and Caitlin Clark is in town who is a Catholic, by the way. She is, and she's just lighting it up. It's so, so fun to watch. I love Caitlin Clark. I hope she comes to Mass at the cathedral. If she does, let her worship and then maybe ask for an autograph outside the church. But if people come to Mass and they're celebrities, let them pray. Let them pray. Kobe Bryant used to come to church here at the cathedral. That's right.
Speaker 1:My parish in New York was right in the middle of Lincoln Center, and so we would get quite a big variety of actors and actresses coming through. Kristen Chenoweth was a regular parishioner. Still, I think Regis Philbin used to come on High Holy Days back, you know, for the host of who Wants to be a Millionaire. I gave him communion once.
Speaker 3:He's a.
Speaker 1:Notre.
Speaker 2:Dame grad, he is a Notre Dame. Yes, he is a Notre.
Speaker 3:Dame grad yes.
Speaker 1:Yeah, he was great. He was a lot of fun to be around. But anyway, celebrities aside, this is Question of Faith. If you have a question of faith, you can write that to us, mhays at diocesaclevelandorg, and we'll answer it right here on this year's podcast. Tell your friends, rate and review and do all those things, and we'll see you all next time.