Published: July 07, 2008 11:17 am      

CHURCH: Sacred Heart celebrates its final mass

The founding fathers of Medina’s Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church formed a close-knit community parish steeped in Polish tradition and custom that has remained strong for the past 98 years.

A chapter of that story came to a close as its parishioners gathered to celebrate the final Sunday worship before the diocese’s Journey in Faith and Grace merger next week. Sacred Heart will join with St. Mary’s Church in Medina and St. Stephen’s Church in Middleport to create Holy Trinity — a name selected by a majority vote a few months back for its notable symbolism.

While Sunday Mass will continue at St. Stephen’s and St. Mary’s, Sacred Heart will become an oratory for the sacramental purposes of baptisms and weddings until its 100th anniversary in 2010. It will be up to Holy Trinity to decide how the church building and rectory will be used thereafter.

Clear blue skies shone high above Sacred Heart as parishioners arrived Sunday for 11 a.m. Mass, filling every pew to capacity.

The Rev. Joseph Fifagrowicz, the pastor of Sacred Heart and St. Joseph’s in Lyndonville for over a decade, likened the change to Vatican II in the 1960s.

It was a sad and frustrating time for Catholics and priests as they exchanged old traditions for new, he said. Priests were required to lead Mass in English instead of Latin and to face the congregation. Parishioners were asked to set aside their rosaries and prayer books to focus on the liturgical message and to become active in church ministries.

Drastic changes of this nature were, for many, “very frustrating, very disturbing, very upsetting,” Fifagrowicz said — much like the church closings today.

But they paved the way for better things.

“If we’re honest, today we’re a better church,” he said. “We’re a church more in tune with the times.”

An allegory helped to illustrate his point: A man passed a car dealership selling a brand new 2008 Lexus for only $300. The car was in perfect condition, had never touched the road and purred like a kitten. Only, there was a catch.

The car would only take the man where he ought to go, not where he wanted to go.

The journey to form Holy Trinity should be approached with the same wisdom, Fifagrowicz said. As difficult as it is for the parishioners of Sacred Heart to say goodbye, they must have faith that it will lead to something greater, he said.

“The Catholics we produced here ... were the best examples of our faith,” said Chris Keller, president of the Parish Council. “We really want to keep that going. ... They can close the building, but they can’t take the spirit of the thing away.”

Readings were provided by Pat Ossont, Sally Grimm, Holly Walker, Emily Vreeland and Aaron Toussaint. Lyndonville students Anthony Moule, 5, and McKayla Moule, 7, dressed in their Sunday best to hand out copies of the church bulletin with their mom, Tina Moule, close by.

John “Wolfe” Walker, a fourth grade graduate in the Royalton-Hartland School District, was presented with the ParVuli Dei award for exceptional Cub Scout community service.

Mass concluded with Polish hymns befitting the occasion and a parish picnic on the front lawn.

The merger will take place 10 a.m. Sunday at St. Mary’s. With them, parishioners at Sacred Heart will bring their vigorous participation in the church’s ministries. Sister Presentia Stawicki hopes Holy Trinity will bring a “brighter and better tomorrow” as parishioners inspire each other in new ways.

One Polish tradition Parish Council member Ginny Klonowski hopes to see continue is The Franciscan Associates, she said. Next week’s Mass will also see some items from Sacred Heart’s sanctuary as a constant reminder of the past.

“The parish isn’t ended, it’s just changed,” she said.

Contact reporter Nicole Colemanat 798-1400, ext. 8227.