Bishop Earl Fernandes visited two parishes in the Diocese of Columbus on Sunday, June 18, that were slated to close as part of the Real Presence Real Future initiative, which is designed to help shape the mission of the diocese for future generations.
The bishop celebrated Masses at Columbus Corpus Christi and St. Ladislas parishes before they closed at the end of June. Both parishes celebrated their final Masses on Sunday, June 25.
While celebrating Mass at Corpus Christi, the bishop recognized the hardship of closing a church with deep roots that has existed for more than a century.
In 1922, Bishop James Hartley, then-bishop of Columbus, consented to form a parish in the southeast end of the city. The name “Corpus Christi” was suggested to the bishop a couple of years later. The church and school were dedicated by Bishop Hartley in 1925. The current church building, 1111 E. Stewart Ave., was dedicated in 1952.
Corpus Christi was, at one time, the largest parish in the diocese. There were nearly 2,000 families in the parish in the late 1950s and early ’60s. Membership dwindled in the late ’60s with the exodus to the suburbs.
“It is no joy for me to come here to Corpus Christi and have a last Mass at the parish, but I hope it’s a new beginning,” Bishop Fernandes said.
The bishop acknowledged that it was a day of sadness. He also recognized that God is close to those who suffer, and He draws near to the brokenhearted.
“As a spiritual father of this diocese, there are many, many moments of smiling,” Bishop Fernandes said. “You often see me smiling, especially at the Mass, where we celebrate the Lord’s death and resurrection. But, on a day like today, sometimes we have to acknowledge our sadness or shed a tear, thinking about what could have been or what happened.
“We acknowledge many graces and blessings that have been poured out, and we can even shed a few tears, … but that’s not always the end of the story. Certainly, God’s people suffered. They were crying out to God for deliverance, and the Lord heard their cry, and He rescued them.”
The bishop told those gathered that they have a mission as Christians to bring comfort and consolation to others. Their mission extends beyond the walls of a church building.
“How many people feel that God has abandoned them, that they are completely alone, that they are in suffering, and where is God? How many people do you know need to know the closeness of our God, the tender compassion of our God?
“That is our mission, whether in this building or in another. Being a Christian is not only about coming to church for 45 minutes to an hour on a Sunday. It’s about being sent out.”
Since 2013, Corpus Christi and St. Ladislas had been part of a south-side cluster of parishes with St. Mary, Mother of God Church in the German Village neighborhood. Father Vince Nguyen is the current pastor at St. Mary who served all three churches.
Cecilia Reis and her husband, Mike Chambers, who are parishioners at St. Mary, heeded the bishop’s words to offer compassion to those who suffer. They attended Mass with the bishop at Corpus Christi to be in solidarity with those mourning and welcome them to St. Mary.
“I wanted to be here for the people of Corpus because we will be welcoming them to our parish, St. Mary’s, and it’s very difficult,” Reis said. “It’s losing family, so I wanted to be here to welcome them when they come to St. Mary’s.
“I hope many come. I hope many welcome them with warm, open arms and give time for the transition. It’s a very difficult situation for them.”
Growing up, Reis attended the former Columbus St. Leo Church in the city’s south side. She, her siblings and her children also attended grade school there. St. Leo is now an oratory under the spiritual care of the Institute of Christ the King Sovereign Priest, a religious order dedicated to celebrating the Traditional Latin Mass.
Reis was on the parish council when the former St. Leo Church closed in 1999, and she remembered well the difficulty of losing her parish.
“I have a heart for them,” she said of Corpus Christi parishioners. “It’s difficult, but good Catholics will open their arms and welcome them.”
Reis’ late brothers, Father Justin Reis and Father Michael Reis, were diocesan priests, and another brother, Deacon Chris Reis, serves at Columbus St. Catharine Church. She said her family has roots in Columbus’ south side, and she has many friends from the area.
For Anne Stewart, Corpus Christi was instrumental in her faith journey.
“I was baptized here and then left and then, just recently, came back probably eight years ago, and I will say that this parish’s nurturing of faith has never been matched,” she said.
Stewart’s ties to the parish were likened to John Held’s, who was born and raised in the south end of Columbus. Held attended grade school for eight years at the former Corpus Christi School, which closed in 1993.
“This is my spiritual home,” he said.
Held and his siblings grew up in the neighborhood around Corpus Christi, where his parents remained lifelong residents. The area changed throughout the years, he said, but the community at Corpus Christi did not.
“This neighborhood was just loaded with Catholics,” Held said. “It changed over time, but the parish was always open to anybody. This place was full of big families. We felt kind of average; there were only eight of us kids. This place was a place of family and openness and diversity, and just a real tight community was located here.
“And then gradually, there was an ebb to it, and then it kind of faded, but that (community) portion of it never faded. Maybe it wasn’t as loud, but the voices that were there were still as strong. There just weren’t as many of them anymore.”
Held said he could identify with the words the bishop spoke in his homily. He related to the feeling of sadness when reflecting on memories from his years at Corpus Christi.
“When (Bishop Fernandes) was talking about shedding a tear, I was just envisioning my mom and dad – my dad in the back in the choir, my mom in the front row,” he said. “They were just stalwarts of this parish, and they were the spine of this parish, along with a lot of other real dear families.
“There’s a lot of strong people at this parish. It’s really sad to see it go, but I understand.”
Those same sentiments prevailed at the 11 a.m. Sunday Mass at St. Ladislas celebrated by the bishop that immediately followed the 9 a.m. Mass at Corpus Christi.
“There is a bit of sadness. We all must acknowledge our sadness at what’s coming for St. Lad’s parish,” Bishop Fernandes said in his homily to approximately 100 in attendance who spanned the spectrum of ethnic backgrounds and ages from young children to a 92-year-old gentleman.
“But it’s not an entire sadness. We have cause to give thanks for the many graces and blessings that have been poured out upon us here in this place.
“Nevertheless, we have to acknowledge what we feel. Sometimes genuinely, we feel like crying. But the Lord is attentive to our cross.”
He continued, “Here at this church, Jesus has come to us time and time again. He says, where two or three are gathered my name. … Jesus comes to us in the person of a priest or a bishop. Jesus comes to us in the proclamation of the Word, especially in the proclamation of the Gospel, and, above all, Jesus comes to us in the Holy Eucharist.
“And while we have to acknowledge our sadness, we have to count our blessings. Who am I that God loves me so much that He gave His only Son? Who am I that God wants to come and dwell in my very soul and strengthen me with His love day after day, Sunday after Sunday?
“Our hearts are filled with gratitude and sadness and joy that we are loved.”
St. Ladislas Church was founded in 1907 on Columbus’ south side by Hungarian descendants for their fellow migrants. Over the years, European immigrants who once resided in an area known as Hungarian Village moved out, and other ethnic communities inhabited the neighborhood, but many of the longtime parishioners continued to come to Mass there after moving to other parts of the city.
The church was renovated in 1983. Near the rear entrance hangs a framed Apostolic blessing proclamation from Pope St. John Paul II in 1982 to mark the parish’s 75th anniversary.
“You will go forth from St. Lad’s into the world,” the bishop said. “Hopefully, you will go up the road to St. Mary’s, but I do hope you go somewhere to receive God’s grace through the sacraments and continue to be part of our family, which is the church.”
Carolyn Lenihan, a parishioner at St. Ladislas since 1964, said some of the current parishioners planned to attend Grove City Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, and some will go to St. Mary in German Village.
With Corpus Christi and St. Ladislas closing and Groveport St. Mary scheduled to close in the future, St. Mary in German Village will be the only church directly south of downtown in the city of Columbus.
“Some don’t know where they’re going because some people don’t live close to here,” said Lenihan, who resides about four miles from the church. “There’s one family that comes from Canal Winchester and one from Westerville. We’ve got people coming in from all over, and so it’s kind of divided.”
The St. Ladislas complex, located at 277 Reeb Ave., included the current church, which was dedicated in 1958 to replace the original church; the former school building; and a convent, where an Adoration chapel was located and remained open until the final week.
The parish’s school operated from 1917 until 1993. The current school building, dedicated in 1950, has been used for religious education and other purposes.
Lenihan sent all five of her children to the school. Two of her sons were married in the church, and her husband, Jim, was buried from there in 2015.
“Three of them were baptized here,” she said of her children. “They all received their First Communion and confirmation here.
“It’s sad. And 15 churches being closed (in the diocese), it’s hard. I was really upset when they first announced it, but I’m trying to see God’s will.
“My son and I were at St. Mary’s when they announced St. Leo was closing, and that was bad. But now they’re an oratory.”
Some parishioners expressed concern about what will happen to buildings, which is yet to be determined, and the parish’s outreach to those in need. The parish’s St. Vincent de Paul Society had been in operation since 1947.
“No matter what happens here at St. Lad’s or what the future might hold,” Bishop Fernandes said, “remember your faith, our faith in Jesus Christ, that we are saved. This is our great hope.
“Remember your family. Remember your family that is St. Lad’s. Remember your family that is the Church. Our bonds in the Holy Spirit, our spiritual homes, are stronger than any church. Remember your family in heaven. And, above all, remember Jesus Christ, Who saves us from our sins, Who feeds us with His body and Who is the Good Shepherd Who lays down His life for His sheep.
“So, when you go forth from St. Lad’s, proclaim to the whole world the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
