Published: January 17, 2008 09:27 pm      

ALBION: One family, one parish

ALBION — Merging two families can be a difficult process.

Old traditions must be discarded in favor of new, shared ones. Personalities may clash. Resentment may be felt.

In the end, though, what is gained is almost always more than what was lost.

For the Roman Catholic Church community in Albion, the blending of St. Joseph’s and St. Mary Assumption under the name Holy Family is no different.

The final Mass at St. Mary Assumption, a church erected in 1891 on Brown Street by Polish immigrants, took place Christmas morning.

“It was very emotional. A lot of tears were being shed,” said Rev. Richard Csizmar. “The people were prepared for the merger, but there’s still difficulty. In the smaller parish, they knew everyone.”

Consolidation into one parish became official the following Sunday, Dec. 30, coincidentally the Feast of the Holy Family. The 8 a.m. Mass typically held at St. Mary Assumption was held at St. Joseph’s for the first time, cementing the fact that St. Mary’s is now only an oratory for weddings and funerals.

“It was personally difficult for me at the 8 o’clock Mass, knowing how difficult it was for the people of St. Mary’s,” Csizmar said. “I could feel an aura of sadness in the air.”

The one small comfort of the merger came with the announcement that Csizmar has been re-appointed pastor of Holy Family for the next six years.

Waterport resident Debbie Groden, a 20-year parishioner at both St. Joseph’s and St. Mary Assumption, called Csizmar’s continued presence throughout the transition a “blessing.”

The appointment was equally well received by Csizmar. The parishioners’ “great warmth” since his first day on the job has made him feel like they are his own family, he said.

“It’s hard for any of us to leave a beautiful church like St. Mary’s and all the ties we have there,” Groden said. “Father Dick did a great job of just being positive and encouraging everyone. It’s not really about the building, it’s about God and all of us being together.”

Csizmar is optimistic the shift towards functioning as one family parish will be a relatively gradual one compared with area churches. The two have shared a number of organizations over the past decade; religious education, youth groups and Eucharist ministry, to name a few.

Still, the parishes anticipated that an eventual merger would be difficult for the 75 families at St. Mary Assumption and the 1,000 families at St. Joseph’s. Facilitators were established two years ago to start the process. Betty Genter represented St. Joseph’s and Bob Ballard represented St. Mary Assumption.

A volunteer transition team with 40 members from each church was created a year ago to work out the details, particularly, the new name.

Genter said there are some minor things that still need to be considered. A single Parish Council with updated bylaws will be formed by the April election. There is also a possibility the two choirs may combine. Csizmar said both will be participating in a Musical Festival made up of all the musical groups from churches in the greater Albion area at St. Joseph’s at 4 p.m. Feb. 10.

In other areas, there will be opportunity for expansion. Parishioners at St. Mary Assumption can become involved with St. Joseph’s folk group. There are even members who have been motivated to become more involved in church activities to help lighten the pastor’s mounting duties, Genter said.

“The end result will hopefully be a revitalization of parish life,” Csizmar said. “It’s beautiful to see people grow spiritually. That’s part of the whole pay off.”

Csizmar grew up in North Tonawanda where he attended Ascension Church with his seven brothers and sisters (yes, he is the only Catholic priest in the bunch). Knowing early on that he wanted to enter the priesthood, he attended the Diocesan Preparatory Seminary in Buffalo for two years and St. John Vianney, now Christ the King Seminary, for four years before becoming ordained in 1968 at the age of 25.

He took a post at Notre Dame High School in Batavia teaching religious education and mathematics classes, where he served as the first development director for 25 years. During that time, he lived at St. Joseph’s and St. Anthony’s in Batavia, performing Masses on the weekends.

When he stepped down from his teaching position in 1994, it was to come to St. Joseph’s in Albion. The previous pastor, the Rev. Frank Cybulski, was the first to become leader of both St. Mary Assumption and St. Joseph’s after the Rev. Walter Waligora retired in 1990.

Located on the corner of South Main Street and West Park Street, St. Joseph’s was built in 1896 next to the Proctor Mansion on land purchased for $8,000 from the Orleans County District Attorney at the time. The attorney was pressured to leave town because of his involvement with the only person ever to have been hanged in the county.

Legend has it, Csizmar said, that the attorney sold it on one condition: that they build their new church close to the street, blocking the view of the First Baptist Church from Main Street.

A beginning like that can only have room for improvement.

One hundred years from now, parishioners past and present will hopefully speak of the fortunate day in Albion two became one.

“St. Mary’s had to shut its doors, but we all feel very welcome at St. Joseph’s,” Groden said. “Everybody has a smile or a minute for you. It’s a good place.”

Contact reporter Nicole Colemanat 798-1400, ext. 2227.