There is strength in numbers and strength in tradition.
Combining those strengths will build the future of the new Cambria City Roman Catholic parish created from six traditions, Bishop Joseph Adamec said Sunday at the inaugural Mass for the new Resurrection Church.
Hundreds participated in the service, which also featured the presentation of gifts from each of five churches combined to form the Resurrection Church. Two gifts were presented from SS. Casimir and Emerich Parish, representing both of the former churches that were merged a few years ago.
Using a Bible account as an illustration, Adamec compared the Resurrection congregation to disciples who walked with Jesus to Emmaus on the day Christians believe Christ was raised from the dead. As told in the Gospel of Luke, the two disciples talked with Jesus at length about the events of his life, but did not recognize him until later in the day.
Adamec pointed out the disciples’ “extreme disappointment that things did not turn out the way they thought they would.”
Many in the combined church may have similar feelings, Adamec said.
“We, too, find Jesus walking with us in a way that he has not done thus far,” Adamec said. “We too are challenged to reflect on the past, and upon what has occurred, and see in all that God’s plan for our salvation and the future of his church.”
Comparing the situation to other Bible accounts such as seven loaves of bread and a few fish being used to feed a large crowd, Adamec pointed out it was Jesus’ followers who distributed the meal and collected baskets of leftovers.
“I see the similarity,” Adamec said. “The crowds worshipping in Cambria City could not have their needs addressed by this or any other parish. (God) said ‘You take care of it.’ And so you did. Those parishes who had more put in with those who had less so everybody had enough. It’s another miracle.”
Adamec said he is encouraged by the new church’s enrollment.
From more than 1,500 families enrolled
last year in the five former Cambria City parishes, about 825 preregistered for the new parish.
Following his message, Adamec installed the Rev. Alan E. Thomas as Resurrection Roman Catholic Church’s first pastor.
Acknowledging the hurt feelings and resentment remaining in some members of the former churches, Thomas spoke after the service about the future.
“I hope that, going forward, we can both work on creating something that is new, but at the same time respecting traditions that made this parish possible,” Thomas said.
Those traditions were represented in gifts from the former parishes.
Immaculate Conception presented its “miracle statue” of Mary, which survived the Johnstown Flood of 1889.
Parishioners recovered the statue when they returned to the flood-ravaged church following the disastrous flood, Margaret Blough said during her presentation.
“One object alone had escaped the water’s wrath,” Blough said during the Mass prelude.
“The statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary was unsullied as the day she was made. The flowers and wreath and lace veil were not even splattered.”
An image of Poland’s icon, Our Lady of Czestochowa, was presented by Ann Marie Furman, representing the former St. Casimir Church.
A set of altar candles from St. Emerich was presented by Ben Gagan.
A sanctuary lamp and tabernacle to hold communion bread and wine was presented by Linda Symon from St. Columba.
The statue of the resurrected Christ from
St. Rochus was presented by Larry Olek.
A statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus was presented by Ann Fygart of St. Stephen.
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