ST. MARY BYZANTINE CATHOLIC Strong faith takes church to centennial

But the parish in Boardman faces dwindling membership.
By LINDA M. LINONIS
VINDICATOR RELIGION EDITOR
BOARDMAN -- Christmas Eve holds a double meaning for St. Mary Byzantine Catholic Church. Along with being the vigil for Christmas Day, this church will celebrate its 100th anniversary.
The centennial will be marked at a service at 10:30 a.m. Dec. 24 with the Most Rev. John Michael Botean, bishop of the Eparchy of St. George in Canton, presiding over the Divine Liturgy and giving the homily. A reception will follow in the church hall.
Ironically, the church was founded by 22 charter members on Christmas Eve 1906, and it has that number now. It originally was located at 73 Prospect St., Youngstown, where the cornerstone was dedicated July 25, 1909. The church was consecrated in August 1979 at its current location, 7782 Glenwood Ave.
The church membership numbered about 200 in the 1930s. In the 1990s, it was at 30. Though small in number, the church is somehow managing to survive.
"It's a miracle," said Vito R. Carchedi, a member since 1995 who is president of the Society of St. John Chrysostom, Youngstown-Warren Chapter. The organization, which promotes Catholic-Orthodox dialogue at its monthly meetings, has 60 members and is based at the church.
Agreeing with Carchedi on the church's status was John Boila, president of the pastoral council that advises the pastor on financial matters and spiritual concerns.
Remodeling
"We knew we had to do something," Boila said. So, the church proceeded with a renovation project in 2000 that turned the nondescript hall that looked like a gym into a pleasant banquet hall and upgraded the kitchen. "We did some of the work ourselves to save money," he said. "We did put a lot of hours in."
The church managed to pay off the debt, which was about 50,000.
The hall is rented for weddings, graduations and banquets to help out the church coffers. It's also the site of the "best spaghetti dinner in town" as the church bulletin touts the fundraiser that is held the last Sunday of each month.
The stewardship council, led by president Joseph Marinelli, advises the pastor on financial matters.
The Rev. George D. Gage, who has served as the pastor since Dec. 6, 1992, is no stranger to difficulties. He and his wife, Juliana, came to the United States from Romania and faced language and cultural challenges.
"We left because, under the Communist regime, I was arrested because I belonged to a human rights group," Father Gage explained. He and his family arrived Feb. 11, 1981, in the United States.
After serving in churches in New York, Chicago and Marionville, Ind., Father Gage was called to St. Mary's. Father Gage described himself as a "biritual by special permission of the Holy See" and is permitted to say Masses in the Roman and Byzantine rites.
In addition to duties at St. Mary's, he served at St. John the Baptist Romanian Catholic Church in Hermitage from 1992 until 2004, when the church closed.
St. Mary's is part of the Romanian Catholic Diocese of St. George in Canton. Liturgies are chanted in English after a Romanian melody. Sunday liturgy takes place at 10:30 a.m., and on Feast Days at 8:30 a.m.
"I just love the liturgy," said Carchedi, who also is a member of St. Nicholas Roman Catholic Church in Struthers. "I come here to St. Mary's to experience that. It's a personal thing."
Boila said he had been a member when the church was on Prospect Street on Youngstown's East Side but drifted away. He met Father Gage when his mother was hospitalized. "I met him then and liked him. And I've been here [at the church] ever since," he said.
Dwindling numbers
St. Mary's isn't alone when it comes to dwindling membership; it's a common situation among many denominations. "It brings up the idea of change, merger or consolidation," Carchedi said.
"It's a challenge here," Father Gage said. "The people are very much committed to keep it open. But we are operating in a debt situation."
In Romanian diocese, the churches stand on their own financially; there is no assistance from the diocese to help struggling parishes. "But we have a group of people working together. It's a family here," Father Gage said. "They are strong in faith."
The three men acknowledged that the ethnic element of the church might be unappealing to some potential members. But that is part of the heritage, they noted, and it is respected but not the focus.
What is admirable is the dedication of a small group to keep the church going. "We have a coffee after the liturgy," Carchedi said, and noted it was a way to get to know people.
"We want to bring in more souls ... and the younger generation," Father Gage said. But, he admitted, accomplishing that goal is the challenge.
St. Mary's offers a beautiful setting for worship. A handmade icon, Our Lady of Soufanieh, which pays tribute to a miracle that took place in Damascus, Syria, highlights an outdoor wall. The icon was installed in August 2001.
Inside, there's a blend of old and new. The wooden pews from the old church were installed at the new church. A huge chandelier, made in Greece, illuminates the church interior that features stained-glass windows.
A wooden iconostas is enhanced by hand-painted pictures of Jesus as a teacher, the Blessed Virgin Mary with Jesus, and archangels Gabriel and Michael. An eternal light is hung over the altar.
"The liturgy uses all of your senses in the act of worshipping God," Carchedi said. "It's not silent; there's always something going on."