Enjoying the Recent Celebrations in the Diocese

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This past weekend I was privileged to be able to celebrate two occasions that reflect the best our local Church has to offer.

The first event, on April 28, was the 75th anniversary of St. Thomas Aquinas Parish. Despite the snowstorm, (which had turned to rain by the time we arrived in Hyde Park for Mass), the church was full to bursting with those ready to celebrate. The tone was set immediately by the wonderful music provided by the Westminster Handbell Choir of Logan’s First Presbyterian Church – and I was delighted to see that example of interfaith cooperation, particularly because Bishop Solis has asked that we in the diocese “foster a dialogue and encounter, not only with ourselves and with God, but with those who do not share our beliefs,” as he wrote in his pastoral letter, “A Springtime of the New Evangelization.”

Then, for the celebration itself, there was gathered not only parishioners but clergy who had served the parish in the past, creating a tangible link to the past 75 years. Who would have thought in 1941, when Dominican Father Joseph Valine began celebrating Mass in the chapel located at 45 East 500 North in Logan, that in less than a century the parish would grow to more than 1,200 households?

I enjoy reading about the past, so I was very pleased to pick up the parish history, edited by Adrienne Akers and with numerous contributors, including the writings of Msgr. Jerome Stoffel, who was the parish’s second pastor. In perusing it, one thing that struck me was that Fr. Valine celebrated the first Mass in the Alta Chapel while it was still under construction. I can just imagine the impatience of the parishioners, not wanting to wait until the construction complete, and so insisting that Mass should be celebrated there as soon as the building was fit for habitation. They celebrated a high Mass there on Christmas Eve, although construction wasn’t complete until the spring.

What a contrast 75 years make! The church in which the Mass was celebrated on Friday was large, well-furnished, and completely finished. I suspect that one thing was the same, however: The excitement as well as the gratitude to God. Theirs was a beautiful bilingual (English/Spanish) celebration that began with the bishops and priests sprinkling holy water on those present, and included music by the choir directed by Benedictine Sister Marilyn Mark and intercessions in half a dozen languages that represent the cultural diversity of the parish.

I am very glad I had the chance to attend the Mass and see how the parish honors its history and is continuing to build community. It was a wonderful, faith-affirming celebration that left no doubt that the Catholic heritage will flourish in Cache Valley in the years ahead.

Back in Salt Lake on Saturday, I attended the Diocesan Council of Catholic Women 2017 convention.  The speakers all delivered inspirational messages, but for me the best part was hearing about all the good work done by those selected as Women of the Year. You can read about some of them in the story on p. 9, but there’s not room to publish even a brief biography on all 32. What astonishes me is the myriad ways that these women find to serve: From the humble but necessary washing of altar linens to high-profile positions as chairpersons of fundraising activities, each is a wonderful example of the servants we all are called to be.

I have to confess that every year when convention rolls around I groan at the thought of spending 12 hours listening to speakers, but then when I’m actually there the speakers are inspiring and there’s always fun to be had. This year the new spiritual moderator, Fr. Rene Rodillas, got us moving after Saturday’s lunch with a rousing song, and on Sunday the African Choir of Saint Patrick Parish provided the type of faith music most of us don’t hear in our parishes, which got people to their feet to clap and dance and sing along.

Then, of course, there is the social aspect of the convention: Greeting friends and meeting new people, laughing and joking and just generally having a good time.

Writing this column, I realized that we indeed are blessed to live in a country where we can gather in such ways to celebrate our faith.

The third thing I celebrated this weekend was that our paper won six awards in this year’s Utah Press Association Better Newspaper Contest. The staff here works very hard week in and week out to produce a quality newspaper, and sometimes it feels a bit isolated because we are a religious publication in a predominantly secular industry, so it’s affirming when our peers in the newspaper business recognize the job that we do.

All in all, this weekend gave me numerous reasons to give thanks to God, and I am grateful to have been allowed to experience them.

Marie Mischel is editor of the Intermountain Catholic.