Arriving along the sidewalks of East Lehman Street in Lebanon just as their ancestors did a century ago, parishioners of St. Cecilia Parish gathered at their beloved church on Sunday afternoon, August 24, to celebrate its 100th anniversary.
One hundred years ago, Bishop Philip McDevitt laid the church’s cornerstone as a foundation for future generations – including those who filled its pews Sunday for Mass celebrated by Bishop Timothy Senior.
“What a great joy it is to be here and celebrate this Mass with all of you and give thanks to God for 100 years of faith here in this beautiful church. I can’t help but think of so many who have gone before us, who are one with us in the Communion of Saints, as those who have died are still close to us in that wonderful gift of our faith, especially when we celebrate the Eucharist,” Bishop Senior told the congregation.
“I can’t help but think of so many who sat in these pews and worshiped here and have gone through the struggles – the ups and downs – of following Jesus Christ as disciples,” he said.
Parishioners recalled them, too – parents, grandparents and great-grandparents from Germany, Austria and Hungary who settled in Lebanon in the early 1900s, attracted by jobs in the local steel mills.
St. Cecilia’s was formed in 1906 as St. Gertrude Parish to care for this flock, and its first church was completed a year later. But it wasn’t long before the growing number of Catholics proved the need for a larger church, the cornerstone for which Bishop McDevitt laid on November 2, 1924. He dedicated St. Gertrude’s Church – the current St. Cecilia Church – on August 30, 1925.
With its brick edifice, arched doorways and prominent belltower, the church – along with its education center – has long been a symbol of the Catholic faith along East Lehman Street. Its admiration extends far beyond its parishioners and the Lebanon County community; St. Cecilia’s is famously known for its annual fastnacht sale that has continuously drawn people from various counties and states for the Shrove Tuesday celebration since the 1920s.
Just as rich and hearty is the faith tradition handed down through generations, even as St. Gertrude Parish was consolidated in 1995 with St. Gregory the Great Parish a few miles away to form St. Cecilia’s. Last names like Allwein, Kury and Stump are etched within the church, with their descendants sitting in its pews today.
“I’m sure for many of you this parish church has been the center of your faith life, perhaps for your whole life…. It is a place to worship God, encounter the Lord and be formed in our faith, as every parish church is. What a great gift the parish community is in each of our lives,” Bishop Senior said.
Reflecting on the day’s Gospel reading (Luke 13:22-30) of striving to enter through the narrow gate, the bishop remarked that “Those who would follow Jesus through the narrow gate are also called to carry the cross. It’s all the more reason that we need to be formed for that journey, formed and guided and also supported by fellow believers who bear witness to us of a life of the faith lived well, who invite us and challenge us by their witness and example, and who encourage us in our prayers. That’s the great gift of a parish faith community.”
The Mass drew several hundred parishioners, a newly-formed choir, visiting priests and a number of Sisters of St. Francis, who served the parish and taught at the former St. Gertrude School for decades.
“This is such a wonderful day. I think of all the people who have come through those doors, down the aisle, and received so many sacraments and offered so many prayers they have prayed in this church,” said Father Michael Laicha, pastor.
“Our church is here for us to celebrate the Mass, the greatest prayer we can offer our Father in heaven. We come here for God, we come here in a special way to remember all of those who have come into this church over the course of some 100 years,” he said.
“I thank you for your dedication to our parish, and for your love of God,” he told the congregation.
(Photos by Jen Reed, The Catholic Witness.)
By Jen Reed, The Catholic Witness
