By Rocio Granados - La Voz Catolica
Photographer: ROCIO GRANADOS | LVC
Archbishop Thomas Wenski presides and more than a dozen priests concelebrate the Mass marking the 50th anniversary of St. Louis Parish.
MIAMI | For only the second time in its history, St. Louis Parish cancelled all its weekend Masses. The last time this happened was 25 years ago, and the reason was the same: a jubilee celebration, only this time it was the parish�s 50th.
Instead of having a regular schedule of Masses at the Pinecrest church, the parish community, between 3,500 and 4,000 strong, gathered at the Bank United Center on the University of Miami campus to celebrate a single Mass in honor of the parish�s golden anniversary.
�The jubilee committee transformed the Bank United Center into a cathedral of praise and adoration, with lights, music, joy and an atmosphere of celebration,� said Father Paul Vuturo, St. Louis� pastor.
The best part of the event, he said in announcing it, �is that we will all be together.�
The year-long jubilee celebration actually began on All Souls Day of 2012 with a memorial Mass for all the priests and parishioners who have died. Another Mass took place this August roughly coinciding with the actual date the parish was founded � Aug. 31, 1963 � and its patron�s feast.
�We did a great weekend event to celebrate the feast of St. Louis (King of France) Aug. 25. There was a historical exhibit in the Family Center and the big event was the Mass in honor of our patron,� Father Vuturo said.
That was followed by a parish concert, a 5K run, and the closing celebration Nov. 23 at the Bank United Center. The Mass was celebrated by Archbishop Thomas Wenski with a long list of priests serving as concelebrants, including: Msgr. James Fetscher, who served as St. Louis� pastor for 28 years and is now pastor of St. Sebastian in Fort Lauderdale; Father David Russell, another former pastor who is now retired; and many current and former parochial vicars.
�Today is the last Saturday of ordinary time, but there is nothing ordinary about it,� Archbishop Wenski said. �We are celebrating the solemnity of Christ the King and the golden anniversary of this parish.�
He described parishes as �way stations along our pilgrim way,� adding: �St. Louis is more than a simple way station. It is an oasis where pilgrims rest and are refreshed in the midst of the desert. Parishes exist to reintroduce hope into the world. St. Louis does that through its various ministries and its excellent Covenant School. This parish truly is an oasis for those journeying toward the house of the Lord.�
At the end of his homily, he urged St. Louis� parishioners to �Remember the past with gratitude, welcome the present with enthusiasm and look toward the future with confidence.�
During the Mass, parishioners paid special recognition to three of their own: Myrna Gallagher, who created the Emmaus retreat in 1978; Miriam Columbro, who launched the Vocation Chalice program; and Christine Mathisen, the founding principal of St. Louis Covenant School.
Indeed, throughout its 50-year history, St. Louis has been at the forefront of parish ministry initiatives: In 1967, it was the first in the archdiocese to establish a parish council. Its perpetual adoration began back in 1983.
The Emmaus retreat movement began at St. Louis in 1978 as a ministry to women. It was expanded to men in 1986 and the retreat has now spread to other parts of the U.S. and internationally.
�A group of Argentines told me that Cardinal Bergoglio (now Pope Francis) was spiritual director of Emmaus before landing his current job at the Vatican,� said a smiling Father Vuturo.
The Vocation Chalice, which is given to a different family each week to pray for vocations to the priesthood and religious life, began at St. Louis in 1999 and also has spread throughout the archdiocese and in other countries.
Each year the parish also celebrates the Festival for the Poor, the proceeds from which benefit the poor and needy in Miami-Dade County. Last year, the festival raised $98,000.
�We don�t use it for the parish or the school,� said Father Vuturo. �All the funds are donated to charitable organizations such as Camillus House and the Missionaries of Charity.�
St. Louis is also known for its permanent church, a striking circular building with a capacity for 720 people which was dedicated in 1980, during Father Russell�s tenure as pastor. The parish, however, refers to this building as its �worship space� to remind members that �we the people are the Church.�
Instead of having a regular schedule of Masses at the Pinecrest church, the parish community, between 3,500 and 4,000 strong, gathered at the Bank United Center on the University of Miami campus to celebrate a single Mass in honor of the parish�s golden anniversary.
�The jubilee committee transformed the Bank United Center into a cathedral of praise and adoration, with lights, music, joy and an atmosphere of celebration,� said Father Paul Vuturo, St. Louis� pastor.
The best part of the event, he said in announcing it, �is that we will all be together.�
The year-long jubilee celebration actually began on All Souls Day of 2012 with a memorial Mass for all the priests and parishioners who have died. Another Mass took place this August roughly coinciding with the actual date the parish was founded � Aug. 31, 1963 � and its patron�s feast.
Photographer: ROCIO GRANADOS | LVC
Myrna Gallagher, who founded the Emmaus retreat movement at St. Louis in the late 1970s, was one of three parishioners honored during the Mass closing the 50th anniversary year.
That was followed by a parish concert, a 5K run, and the closing celebration Nov. 23 at the Bank United Center. The Mass was celebrated by Archbishop Thomas Wenski with a long list of priests serving as concelebrants, including: Msgr. James Fetscher, who served as St. Louis� pastor for 28 years and is now pastor of St. Sebastian in Fort Lauderdale; Father David Russell, another former pastor who is now retired; and many current and former parochial vicars.
�Today is the last Saturday of ordinary time, but there is nothing ordinary about it,� Archbishop Wenski said. �We are celebrating the solemnity of Christ the King and the golden anniversary of this parish.�
He described parishes as �way stations along our pilgrim way,� adding: �St. Louis is more than a simple way station. It is an oasis where pilgrims rest and are refreshed in the midst of the desert. Parishes exist to reintroduce hope into the world. St. Louis does that through its various ministries and its excellent Covenant School. This parish truly is an oasis for those journeying toward the house of the Lord.�
At the end of his homily, he urged St. Louis� parishioners to �Remember the past with gratitude, welcome the present with enthusiasm and look toward the future with confidence.�
During the Mass, parishioners paid special recognition to three of their own: Myrna Gallagher, who created the Emmaus retreat in 1978; Miriam Columbro, who launched the Vocation Chalice program; and Christine Mathisen, the founding principal of St. Louis Covenant School.
Indeed, throughout its 50-year history, St. Louis has been at the forefront of parish ministry initiatives: In 1967, it was the first in the archdiocese to establish a parish council. Its perpetual adoration began back in 1983.
The Emmaus retreat movement began at St. Louis in 1978 as a ministry to women. It was expanded to men in 1986 and the retreat has now spread to other parts of the U.S. and internationally.
�A group of Argentines told me that Cardinal Bergoglio (now Pope Francis) was spiritual director of Emmaus before landing his current job at the Vatican,� said a smiling Father Vuturo.
The Vocation Chalice, which is given to a different family each week to pray for vocations to the priesthood and religious life, began at St. Louis in 1999 and also has spread throughout the archdiocese and in other countries.
Each year the parish also celebrates the Festival for the Poor, the proceeds from which benefit the poor and needy in Miami-Dade County. Last year, the festival raised $98,000.
�We don�t use it for the parish or the school,� said Father Vuturo. �All the funds are donated to charitable organizations such as Camillus House and the Missionaries of Charity.�
St. Louis is also known for its permanent church, a striking circular building with a capacity for 720 people which was dedicated in 1980, during Father Russell�s tenure as pastor. The parish, however, refers to this building as its �worship space� to remind members that �we the people are the Church.�
Photographer: ROCIO GRANADOS | LVC
The St. Louis parish choir performs during the 50th anniversary Mass.
