Congregation thrilled by liturgy

Each of the 5,000 to 7,000 people who came to the Sesquicentennial Liturgy had his or her own story about why they came or what they derived from the celebration. Here is a sampling:

* Christine Cornell of St. Paul's Church in Hancock traveled two-and-a-half hours to participate in the Sesquicentennial liturgy with her young son Clinton. "I thought it would be a good experience for both of us," she said. "It was beautiful. I was in awe. Just everything about it was beautiful and touching." She was most impressed by "so many people [of one faith] all in one place," she said.

* Marilyn Casey, a parishioner of Our Lady of Victory Church in Troy, came to the event "to attend Mass and participate in the celebration along with Cardinal O'Connor. I think he's wonderful. They're all wonderful." She was struck by "the unity. That's the beauty of it. The whole day was just beauty."

* For the Sheppard family of St. Vincent de Paul Church in Albany, the day held special meaning. It was John Sheppard's idea to bring his wife Kathy, and two-month-old daughter Olivia Claire to the celebration. "I'm a member of the catechumenate class of '98. I'm in the RCIA program," he said. "I thought this would help me along in the journey. I wanted to go as a family."

"I found it very moving," he continued. "At one point, I felt a little teary. I felt like someone special in the group even though there were thousands there. The inside of the coliseum was fantastic. It had a homey feeling. It was a good thing that I came. It was great to see Cardinal O'Connor and Bishop Hubbard. I've only seen them on TV. It seemed like such an occasion."

* Mrs. Sheppard was happy her young daughter could be part of this historical celebration. "It's exciting that she'll continue and there is a future for her [in the Church.] It was a good start for her," the new mother said.

* The Mietlickis of Corpus Christi parish in Ushers were also pleased they could participate in this celebration as a family. The couple has three children, 13-year-old David, 11-year-old Robert, and seven-year-old Mary.

Said Mr. Mietlicki, "It's a once in a life time event. I'm originally from Buffalo and saw a similar event as a child. I thought it would be good for their faith," he said of his children's presence at the liturgy.

Young David Mietlicki, a student at LaSalle Institute in Troy said, "It was kind of exciting," he said. Looking to the future and the bicentennial of the Diocese in 2047, he said, "I'll see both celebrations in one lifetime. Not everybody gets to."

Mrs. Mietlicki was moved by the event. She was most impressed by the Gospel procession. "The singing of the Alleluia around the Church was impressive," she said. "Hearing 5,000 people respond was incredible."

* Joe DeVito, from St. Anthony parish in Schenectady, said: "The whole thing is overwhelming: the pageantry of it, the music, the fact that the Bishop is here, the amount of people that are here, the way the church is decorated."

* Michael McGuire, a parishioner of St. Gabriel the Archangel Church in Rotterdam, recalled "when the Cardinal got up and said, `My name is O'Connor.' That was the funniest part. The best part was the diversity: the ethnic groups, the fact that people from all over the Diocese came together to celebrate a milestone."

* LouAnn Sparrow from St. Patrick's parish, Johnstown, said: "I was enthralled with the whole thing. I loved the music and Cardinal O'Connor's homily."

* Paul Abate, a member of St. Mary's parish in Clinton Heights, said: "The singing was great, and at the end, when they applauded our ecumenical brothers and sisters."

* Marie Diehl of St. Mary's Church, Amsterdam, noted: "What impressed me was the number of priests. You don't realize all of them. And the music was all volunteer!"

(Contibuting to this article were Kate Blain, assistant editor, and Maureen McGuinness, staff writer.)

(09-18-97)