Bishop Clark Christens Blessed Trinity/St. Patrick's Parishes in Outdoor Mass

 
Sing a new church into being, one in faith and love and praise. 

  That's what 1,000 people did under a light rain at the Town of Owego's Hickories Park late Sunday morning, September 14,  to celebrate the birth of Blessed Trinity Parish, born of five Roman Catholic Churches in the Tioga County Region, and clustered with St. Patrick's of Owego. 

 Diocese of Rochester Bishop Matthew Clark had about one minute to make his first decision for the christening - bless the falling light rain or walk among the flock using a hand held ambo (sprinkler) for the rite of sprinkling. 

  Bishop Clark turned from a side altar after he blessed holy water from the six parishes. As he faced the congregation, the rain stopped, umbrellas were folded, the sun came out, a relieved celebrant smiled and the new congregation got sprinkled by the bishop "the old fashioned way." 

  In his homily, Bishop Clark said "You were rewarded by one of the most spectacular sprinkling rites I have ever experienced. I thought it was a liturgical duplication of what God did so much more beautifully. Wasn't that extraordinary? If that had happened about one minute later I would not have gone in your midst for sprinkling but I would have said the prayer and God would have done it. Isn't that spectacular? I won't forget that while I think of this day. A wonderful day. A day of memories of sacramental growth and love for the faith revisited." 

  Answering questions from the news media, Bishop Clark said "Your Tioga Region Planning team has worked for five years at my request, as have all parishes in the diocese, to devise ways that we can meet changing circumstances in human resources and finances. How best to take our gifts for the very best use so that we can share them and save them. Another factor is that we are experiencing a smaller number of priests and we need to make some adjustments not to stretch their generosity to the breaking point but recognize they are human and limited. Also how much can we expect of the quality of  the service they offer?"

 Bishop Clark proudly said "We're celebrating today five years of very hard work and negotiation working the problems because we understand the practical. These folks have given up some things that they are very familiar with and cherish in the way of Mass schedules, places where they worship and how they go about it. They have been wonderful. Today is really a Day of Thanksgiving and a day to bless our future together because our work is not over. This was a nice moment for you people to shine." 

 Pastor Father William Moorby felt the biggest challenges were to keep the six individual worship sites open for Masses and not to lose the personal identification of each parish and to administer to their needs with a centralized staff. 

 Bishop Clark celebrated Mass. Assisting at the altar were Pastor Father William Moorby and Parochial Vicars Father Patrick VanDurme and Father Symon-Peter Ntaiyia of Kenya. Also Deacons George Burnett, Warren Rutan and Joe Fedorowicz. Also St. James Pastor Emeritus Father Thomas Watts. Also Deacon Ray Defendorf, now Pastoral Administrator at St. Mary's-Bath, and Father Eloo Malachy Nwosu, now pastor of three Northern Cayuga Catholic Community Parishes in the Weedsport areas. 

  The Opening Procession was in the order from the youngest parish to the oldest and the colors used to represent each parish.

  The Processional Cross, carried by Seminarian Ken Shelton of St. Pius-Van Etten, came from Sacred Heart Cathedral in Rochester. Standards and streamers bearing the names of the six parishes were carried by their parishioners. 

  The Altar in front of the amphitheatre represented the five worship sites of Blessed Trinity Parish and the tablecloth placed on the altar represented the parish of St. Patrick's clustered with Blessed Trinity. 

  The Paschal Candle came from St. Patrick's, the Ambo from St. Francis, the Lectionary from St. John's, the Sacramentary from St. Pius, the Baptismal Bowl from St. James, the Book of the Gospels, the Chalice and Paten from St. Margaret Mary. 

  Liturgical music was performed by musicians and singers from all six parishes.