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PARMA, Ohio — Holy Spirit Parish celebrated its golden anniversary on Pentecost, the parish patronal feast day, June 9.
Fifty years earlier, June 15, Father Lawrence J. Slavik and a group of parishioners from Holy Ghost Parish in the Tremont neighborhood of Cleveland celebrated the first Divine Liturgy in the new church building for Holy Spirit Parish at 5500 W 54th Street in Parma.
The celebrant was the newly consecrated Bishop Emil Mihalik, the first bishop of the Eparchy of Parma. Other concelebrants included Msgr. Tomislav Firis, and Fathers Joseph Radvansky, Robert Karl and Paul Graycar and Judson Procyk, who later became metropolitan archbishop of Pittsburgh.
The 50th-anniversary Hierarchical Divine Liturgy was celebrated by Bishop Milan Lach, SJ, of Parma. The concelebrants were Fathers Marek Visnovsky, John Kachuba, Dennis Hrubiak, James Batcha, Robert Stash, Miron Kerul-Kmec and Nathan Adams, as well as Deacons Robert Cripps and Gregory Loya.
Seminarian Miron Kerul-Kmec Jr was master of ceremonies. Parishioner Tim Shirilla was the cantor. Thomas Breech, Frank Hanigosky, Anthony Mastrobuono, Alex Mastrobuono and Damian Webb were the altar servers; Thomas Loya and Nicholas Loya held the bishop’s blessing candles, the dikerion and trikerion.
Parishioners Michael Carny and Abigail Mastrobuono greeted Bishop Lach on his arrival, giving him the traditional gifts of bread and salt; Anthony Mastrobuono gave him the hand cross. Members of the Knights of St. John and the Knights of Columbus provided an honor guard; 150 people were in attendance.
Bishop Milan expressed his joy on the occasion in his homily. He exhorted the faithful to live out the Gospel message every day, not just at church. He said many people often ask in times of distress, “Where is God?” He reminded everyone present that churches were closed in Eastern and Central Europe during the decades of communist oppression. During that time, God was in the hearts of all the faithful. He encouraged everyone to pray and read Scripture daily for assistance in living the Christian life.
A dinner was held after the liturgy in the Father Hanulya Memorial Hall; 116 people attended the dinner. Mayor Timothy DeGeeter of Parma addressed the guests and spoke about the history of Holy Spirit Church, as well as the parish’s long record of service to the community.
Fathers Hrubiak and Batcha spoke as former pastors, who jointly had served for more than half of the parish’s 50 years of existence.
Pastors of Holy Spirit Parish have included Fathers Lawrence Slavik (1969-1973), Joseph Ridella (1976-1980), Donald Petyo (1980-1985), Emil Masich (1985-1987), Andrew Vaida (1987-1992), Dennis Hrubiak (1992-2004), and James Batcha (2005-2018).
Parish administrators have included Fathers Eugene Linowski, Daniel Gurovich, John Zolota, Gary Francisko, Steven Koplinka, and Marek Visnovsky.
Holy Spirit Parish has given three priestly vocations to the eparchy: Fathers Francisko, Stash and Bryan Eyman.
Caption: Clockwise, from the foreground: Carter Maxim, Diane Pilat, Richard Pilat, George Yurchisin, George Lizanich, Jean Lizanich, Sue Heryak and Ann Heryak enjoy the 50th-anniversary celebration for Holy Spirit Parish June 9. (Photo: John Jurcsisn)
As published in Horizons, June 23, 2019.
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