April 6, 2018 at 1:53 p.m.
NUMBERS INCREASE
St. Anthony's, Troy: a parish success story
Rev. Mario Julian, OFM, had returned to his hometown parish after about 25 years serving elsewhere. He had received all the sacraments, including ordination to the priesthood, at St. Anthony's.
His last assignment had been a parish in Connecticut that drew 400 people to every liturgy. The first Saturday night vigil he celebrated as pastor of St. Anthony's had 38 people in attendance.
"I said, 'Oh, dear Lord, I don't know if I'll be here that long,'" Father Julian recalled.
But since then, statistics have steadily improved: Mass counts are now in the 700 to 800 range - up from 270 in 2004 - and parishioner registrations have more than doubled to about 400 families.
Parishioner involvement has also ballooned; parish ministries are being launched and the religious education program is being revived after at least a decade-long hiatus.
Forming faith
Until recently, "if anybody came with any kids," Father Julian said, "I sent them to St. Joseph's [parish in Troy for faith formation]. Before, you came to church and then you left. It's changing. The parish has become more viable."
St. Anthony's now boasts a long list of eucharistic ministers, lectors and cantors, as well as a Rosary group that leads recitations before Mass and a cleanup committee. Parishioners of St. Anthony's and Our Lady of Victory parish in Troy formed a peace and justice committee. For one month each year, St. Anthony's parish works with Joseph's House shelter in Troy to house homeless people in the church hall overnight.
Father Julian wants to start a bereavement group whose members would be present at funerals and wakes and serve at liturgies. The parish's new pastoral council is embracing a change in semantics from "parish council" by focusing less on fundraising and more on parish life; it's currently planning monthly post-Mass coffee socials.
Social and spiritual enrichment events have become the norm: a "Harvest Hello" in the fall, a Lenten mission on the writings of Pope Francis and a ziti dinner to benefit local Catholic schools and food pantries.
No, it's you
Father Julian credits parishioners with the turnaround. Many laud his charisma as a shepherd, calling him a refreshing presence.
"It's because of Father," said Angela Weisenforth, a lector and eucharistic minister. "He relates to people well. Even the children understand him."
Parishioner Gino Sestito agreed: "It's mainly due to the pastor. He is a very jolly person [and] makes everyone feel comfortable."
Father Julian's homilies are "down-to-earth," Mr. Sestito added. "He breaks [the Gospel] down into everyday situations. At the end of each Mass, most times, he'll tell a joke. They experience a very solid warmth and acceptance as part of the congregation. He develops a camaraderie that parishioners are wanting to be a part of."
Called to parish
The pastor said the diocesan Called to be Church pastoral planning process, which closed or merged 35 parishes by the end of 2009, also played a role in the growth of the parish. St. Anthony's attracted Catholics who needed new parishes and shifted from being designated an ethnic shrine church to a territorial parish.
Once largely Italian, St. Anthony's became multi-ethnic, with a Hispanic population large enough that it recruited a Spanish-speaking priest to celebrate weekly Spanish Masses that now draw up to 120 people. This year, there will be a bilingual Easter vigil Mass.
Father Julian did not allow the meaning of being redubbed a "parish" go unnoticed. He tries to "get people to realize that this is their parish. It's not just some place you go to when you can't get somewhere else."
Many parishioners travel outside parish boundaries to get to St. Anthony's: "I welcome anybody who wants to come," the pastor said. "I don't ask them why they're here. I'm so happy they're here."[[In-content Ad]]
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