Congregation of S. Side beacon marks 95th year

The Rev. Edward P. Noga is the pastor of the multicultural parish, a place of permanence in a changing area.
By LINDA M. LINONIS
VINDICATOR RELIGION EDITOR
YOUNGSTOWN -- St. Patrick Church stands as a beacon of stability on the South Side. The church, a light of hope and place of help, celebrates its 95th year this spring and looks forward to its milestone 100th anniversary.
The mission statement reflects changing times, referring to its "multicultural parish family" and offering "a welcome sign of permanence" in a neighborhood of change."
The statement also reads that "St. Patrick's is dedicated to enriching the spiritual life of community through faith in Christ and the Eucharist."
"It's a clear mandate for Christ's church to take Jesus out into the community," said the Rev. Edward Patrick Noga, who has served as pastor since April 1985. The church membership roll is 650 families and about 1,150 people.
What's planned
So along those lines, this anniversary will highlight the "universal" aspect of what catholic means in the "Big C" of Catholicism, Father Noga said. And that translates into a neighborhood party. It will take place Thursday. Friends, neighbors and parishioners on their way to work can stop for coffee and doughnuts from 6:30 to 8:30 a.m. under a tent in the church parking lot.
"When we talked to Father Ed about the anniversary, we decided a community event open to all would be the best,' said JoAnn Sweeney, president of parish council. "The idea of a community social sounded great."
Festivities will include a lunch for teachers and pupils at Summit Academy, next door to the church, and parish members, neighbors and friends. Later in the day, the parish will host a party with food, music and special attractions.
Parish members who gathered recently to "talk about the church" agreed on one thing -- that Father Noga would "crook his index finger" to call over a prospective volunteer and the job would be on its way to getting done.
But the group was quick to say that Father Noga is not only a delegator but a doer; they called him "24/7 priest" at the parish, going whenever or wherever he is needed.
That's evidenced by Father Noga's community involvement in co-founding ACTION (Alliance for Congregational Transformation Influencing Our Neighborhood); being involved in CHOICE -- Community Housing Options Involving Cooperative Efforts, a program to build and renovate homes on Youngstown's lower South Side; and working with the city to relocate a neighborhood playground to better serve children. The playground, across from Summit Academy on Oak Hill, was turned into a parking lot to be shared by the church and Needle's Eye. The playground is being relocated to Kenmore Avenue.
It's that sort of dedication, not only from the only parish priest, but also from members of the staff and parish, that makes St. Patrick's a special place of faith and a source of community outreach.
What they said
Here's a sampling of their recollections, reminiscences and reflections on the church:
Jack Doran of Warren, a church member almost "since birth," calls St. Patrick "one of the jewels of the South Side." The cross-shaped church of modern Gothic design might attract initial interest but "it's the friendliness of the people" that brings them back, Doran said.
A history buff of the church, Doran said a cleaning project in the last few years revealed something new. "The ceiling was cleaned, and we found four distinct details of brick work," he said, noting it was covered with something like soot.
Another member, Gordon Welsh of Youngstown, said he was baptized at the church in 1936. He recalled that geography dictated what Catholic church one should attend and St. Patrick's membership encompassed Indianola Avenue to the south, downtown and Federal Street to the north, South Avenue to the east and Glenwood Avenue to the west. "Now we're a racially and ethnically integrated parish," he said. Though many have moved out of the community geographically, they remain church members.
Years ago, he noted, the neighborhood was predominantly Caucasian and everyone "worked in the mills." Now it has changed to include Hispanics and blacks. "We have an English-Spanish Mass once a month," Welsh said.
Sister Julia Baluch of Youngstown, an Ursuline nun, lived in the neighborhood and later taught at St. Patrick School. Now volunteering as a pastoral minister, her area is bereavement counseling and help. "We help out where the family might need it," she said, and visit patients once a week at St. Elizabeth Health Center and Forum Health Northside Medical Center. "People remember me and connect me to the past, and now I'm part of the present."
"If you look upward at the church from the street, it looks like a ship ... and the anchor of the city," she said.
Sister Dorothy Zwick of Hubbard, a Humility of Mary nun who retired from a career in nursing, said she was "ready to answer another call." "This parish and its people do things for the love of Christ, and Father [Noga] is able to use the gifts they have or draw them out. The blessing is the beauty of the people in this multicultural parish," she said.
"People here have a vitality and generosity they bring forth," she said. "The hope here is the heart of the city and there's a lot of life, energy and enthusiasm."
That's shared with parishioners and visitors. The two nuns visit the homebound to give Holy Communion.
Mary Lally of Youngstown, who also has been at St. Patrick's "forever," working as parish secretary for 32 years and retiring four years ago. "Where is my home ... my residence or the church," she pondered. "There's no place like home and it's St. Patrick's."
Deacon Ed Hawkins of Poland, who has been at the church six years and works with Sisters Julia and Dorothy in the pastoral bereavement ministry, cited four elements: The church is filled with the Holy Spirit, the parishioners are loyal and want to be part of the church, the faith formation program is vital and "the leadership of Father Noga is the heart."
Cynthia Sanders of Youngstown, a church member for some 30 years, became a member because she moved to the neighborhood. For her and her family, the church has been a "nourishing place for families." "The presence of the church has been a comfort," she added. "Everyone is made to feel welcome.
"I think it speaks volumes that my sons come even if I'm working," she said. "It says a lot for the fellowship here."
Carla Hlavac of Poland, director of faith formation, supervises classes for youth through adults to help "people deepen their faith." "Generations of Faith brings all ages together ... from 2 to 80 years old ... and it's exciting," she said.
Incorporating the Hispanic-Latino culture into the church to foster a welcoming atmosphere also is part of her work. A summer event, St. John the Baptist bonfire, is a way to properly dispose of broken sacramentals but it also serves as a church get-together featuring a Hispanic band.