Mary’s tomb ‘became a ladder to heaven,’ says Bishop Lach

BURTON, Ohio — About 300 people attended the annual eparchial pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Mariapoch, Aug. 17-18. The theme for this year’s pilgrimage was, “Rejoice, hope of all.”

The pilgrimage began on Saturday afternoon with the lesser blessing of water, followed by Great Vespers with litija and blessing of pilgrims. At the blessing of water, Father Marek Visnovsky, the protosyncellus of the eparchy, said “quenching the spiritual thirst” is what’s important. He encouraged the pilgrims to drink the water and to bless themselves with it. Containers were available for people to take the water home.

Vespers were celebrated by Father Visnovsky, with Bishop Milan Lach, SJ, of Parma presiding, retired Bishop John Kudrick of Parma in attendance, and Deacon Joseph Hnat serving. Subdeacon Miron Kerul-Kmec Jr., and seminarian Michael Kunitz assisted.

In Bishop Lach’s homily, he said that the feast of the Dormition invites us to examine our lives.

“The Mother of God died — really — but as Jesus rose up, also the Mother of God was raised from the tomb,” he said. This fact in the life of Mary contributes to a Christian’s faith in the resurrection.

“The Mother of God is giving us an example of how to approach the mystery of our faith. The tomb became a ladder to heaven,” he said.

The bishop urged everyone to love. “People around us need our love; the world is thirsty for love,” he said.

Later that evening, Bishop Lach spoke of the Christian virtue of hope to the families and teens gathered around a campfire. Pilgrimage is “one tool to develop the Christian virtue of hope,” he said.

He commented on the lives of monks and nuns and their monastic garb as a symbol that they have died to this world.

“We need to see the witness of others; it gives us hope,” he said. He encouraged everyone to read the Bible for at least 10 minutes a day and to read the lives of the saints. He concluded with the example of the life of Blessed Bishop Paul Gojdich, one of the Eastern Catholic bishops who was martyred in Europe during communism. The evening ended with Compline at the shrine altar.

Clergy were available to hear confessions throughout the weekend
Sunday began with Matins, followed by a teen activity and Sixth Hour. A children’s activity, provided by the nuns of Christ the Bridegroom Monastery, took place during the talk by keynote speaker Dr. Ray Guarendi, so that parents could attend.



Shrine Director Deacon Bill Fredrick introduced Guarendi, a radio show host, Catholic father of 10 adopted children and a clinical psychologist, who could moonlight as a stand-up comedian. He addressed the serious topic of discipline with much animated humor. He said what we are now witnessing in American culture is unprecedented in human history: parents abdicating their parenting instincts to the “experts.” But, “love without discipline is child abuse,” he warned.

During a question and answer session, Guarendi addressed the situation of faithful parents who have witnessed their adult children leave the faith.

“Pray for them; do what you can. You are not their savior,” he said.

After the talk, pilgrims gathered at the Fatima Shrine recited the rosary for the intention of ending abortion, followed by a Moleben to the Mother of God, celebrated by Father Andrew Nagrant, at the shrine altar.

Bishop Lach celebrated the Hierarchical Divine Liturgy that concluded the pilgrimage. Knights of Columbus provided an honor guard for the entrance procession to the shrine altar. Fathers Visnovsky, Robert Jager and Bruce Riebe concelebrated, with Deacons Gregory Loya and Eugene Senderak. Subdeacon Kerul-Kmec Jr. and Kunitz assisted. St. Joseph Parish cantor Nicholas Lizanich led the responses.

Father Visnovsky gave the homily, explaining the hodegetria icon, attributed to St. Luke, in which Mary is pointing to Jesus.

Hodegetria means “one that shows the way,” he said. “She is not the road. Jesus Christ is the road; she is the sign on the road.” He said Mary chose to take that road.

“Mary, by her ‘yes’ is allowing God to become one of us,” he said. “We come here today with the hope that what happened to Mary will happen to us.”

This pilgrimage was the second for Roman Catholic pilgrim Donna Jean Gafford, whose daughter is Sister Petra Gafford, a nun of Christ the Bridegroom Monastery.

“We like to be with other people who are part of this Byzantine Catholic world,” she said.
 
Caption 1: Bishop Milan Lach, SJ, of Parma speaks about the virtue of hope to the families and teens gathered around the campfire at the eparchial pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Mariapoch in Burton, Ohio, Aug. 17.
  
Caption 2: Dr. Ray Guarendi, Catholic radio show host, clinical psychologist and Catholic father of 10 adopted children, gives the keynote presentation at the eparchial pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of Mariapoch in Burton, Ohio, Aug. 18. (Photos: Reen Nemeth)
 

As published in Horizons, Sept. 15, 2019.

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