YOUNGSTOWN Holy Name asks questions, and it also has the answers

Unusual signs sparked curiosity from parishioners and passers-by.
By ROB MEYER
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Three simple questions. One simple purpose.
Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church was concerned about its direction. The church wanted its parishioners and its neighborhood to take notice. So earlier this month, Holy Name took a decidedly different approach to finding its way.
The Rev. John Reiss and his parishioners created two dozen signs, each displaying one of three questions: Where are we going? Where do you fit in? Where are we now?
Parishioners stuck the blue and white signs on their front lawns and the lawn of the church at 613 N. Lakeview Ave. on the West Side. The signs were meant to spark curiosity in both current parishioners and others. They did just that, Reiss said
Discuss the future
A meeting was then held June 1 celebrating the church's 87th anniversary. But rather than talk about the past, parishioners discussed the church's future by answering each of the questions displayed on the signs.
"In answering those questions, we were planning our pastoral plan for the future," Father Reiss said.
Albert Chance Sr., a longtime West Side resident and Holy Name parishioner, said the meeting gave a variety of members a chance to express their opinions.
"We had 70 or 80 people, young, old and middle-aged," he said. "We had a lot of input. This is an older parish, and we are trying to regroup and maintain our Slovak heritage."
Father Reiss will have a follow-up meeting in September and is creating committees that will address the church's future.
"We need to keep this parish vital, keep it alive," Father Reiss said.
So, what do the signs mean?:
WHERE ARE WE GOING?
Karen Lesko, a parishioner, said members' staying united and playing an active role in the church will keep it alive.
"Everyone has to play their part, not just take up space in the church. The signs were a wake-up call, to show people that every individual has to participate to keep the church thriving," she said.
WHERE ARE WE NOW?
The church is dealing with accommodating its older members.
Many Holy Name parishioners are senior citizens. Some have trouble using the stairs to the church entrance. The church may install a ramp for better access.
Parishioners will do more service-related activities, too, such as reaching out to the needy and volunteering at hospitals, Father Reiss said.
WHERE DO YOU FIT IN?
The "you" can be interpreted as parish members or those new to the church.
Chance said a key issue to maintaining a healthy parish is keeping new members coming in. The signs helped, he said.
"Not only did those signs invigorate the current parishioners, I think they also stimulated people to join us," Chance said.
Youth crucial
Chance pointed to the parish's youth as crucial to the church's present and future.
"We don't have as many youths as the parishes on the outskirts of the city," he said. "But the ones we do have are active. We have to set an example for them."
Part of that example was the sign display.
Father Reiss compared it to a campaigning politician. "Some people actually thought they were from someone running for office," he said of the signs.
For Chance, the signs are one of many steps the church must take to remain a positive force.
"This parish is active, this parish is not going downhill," he said. "When someone walks into Holy Name, they feel something special. We want to be around for another 80 years."