Planners of jubilee on Sesquicentennial: All the work 'paid off'

The events of the Sesquicentennial year did much to buoy the faith of Catholics in the Albany Diocese, say its organizers.

"We've had some wonderful celebrations of faith," said Rev. Randall Patterson, pastor of Our Lady of Victory Church in Troy and a member of the Sesquicentennial Steering Committee. "The opening was a magnificent celebration of faith. People in our parish are still talking about it. Auriesville was spectacular. There was a lot of work, but it paid off."

Father Patterson has heard from many Catholics that the Sesquicentennial events were meaningful for them. He said people have said the events left them "so proud to be a Roman Catholic."

'Upbeat'

C. Elizabeth Rowe, director of the diocesan Formation for Ministry program and a steering committee member, agreed. "The spirit of the people was upbeat," she said.

The Mass at Auriesville left a particular impression on many people, she noted. "They have said, `It made me proud to be a Catholic.'"

Fred Ruff, a parishioner of St. Vincent de Paul in Albany and another member of the steering committee, agreed with those sentiments. "It made me feel good to be a Roman Catholic," he said. "I felt the same from the opening."

Auriesville success

"Auriesville was a highlight," Miss Rowe said, referring to the Mass celebrated there in September. "We were able to involve a lot of people and recognize a lot of people, like different ethnic groups, parishes with anniversaries, regions, clergy. It was such a joyful celebration."

The Mass, like the other Sesquicentennial celebrations, went off without a hitch. However, there were many concerns behind the scenes for each of the events.

"There was always a concern -- would the people be there," Miss Rowe said. Other concerns about the Auriesville Mass were the weather, traffic flow and the colosseum itself.

"There were strong reservations about Auriesville," Father Patterson said. "Auriesville was appropriate geographically and because of the martyrs and the waters of the Mohawk flowing by. It was an appropriate place. But the weather could have dampened the whole thing. Also, getting the colosseum ready [was a challenge.]"

Concerns

Throughout the planning process and through all the concerns, Miss Rowe said, one thought was foremost: "Every decision was to make the people feel comfortable and welcome."

Sometimes, a need wasn't apparent until the last minute. On the Friday before the Auriesville liturgy, for example, it became apparent that the large video screens set up to help people see the Mass needed to be shielded so that if the sun was shining, people would still be able to see them.

"The assembly of believers was the most important component," Miss Rowe said. "The planners continued to focus on that."

Spiritual events

At the events, Miss Rowe found that "the spirit of the people was upbeat."

Father Patterson agreed, saying: "People that I've talked to, if they've been part of one of the celebrations, they share their excitement and joy [with me.]"

He said the Sesquicentennial celebrations followed a long tradition of successful faith celebrations. "The Albany Diocese has done some wonderful liturgies," he said, listing Bishop Howard Hubbard's, Bishop Edwin Broderick's and Bishop Harry Flynn's ordinations and/or installations as bishops as well as the historical 1986 Palm Sunday reconciliation service between Christians and Jews. "Albany is highly respected in the way they celebrate their faith."

Planning

The Sesquicentennial events were the culmination of years of planning by hundreds of people. The first meeting to discuss the Sesquicentennial was held in March 1993.

Mr. Ruff was impressed by the work of organizers. "There was a steering committee, subcommittees, and subcommittees of the subcommittees," he said. "The people were very responsible. They did the job they had to do."

Each of the diocesan events was unique, he said. "They were pretty diversified," Mr. Ruff said. "Each event had its own impact."

Miss Rowe said the year of celebration accomplished what leadership hoped it would. "I think the committee was able to meet the goals -- celebration, revisiting the past and looking to the future," she said. "We reverenced our tradition without becoming nostalgic while continuing to move forward."

Future

The Sesquicentennial year "called us to recognize where we are and where we are going and that we have the skills and gifts to go forward," Ms. Rowe said.

While anniversaries can be a time of glorifying the past, organizers believe the Sesquicentennial focused just as much on the future.

"The Sesquicentennial was an opportunity to call it all to mind," Miss Rowe said. "We've got the course to move into the future. It's not a panic where we're going to go. This is a journey in hope."

(12-11-97) [[In-content Ad]]