Mass honors public servants from Struthers, Campbell, Youngstown, Poland, Boardman

By jeanne starmack

starmack@vindy.com

struthers

Public servants such as your mayor, police chief and even your water commissioner don’t always have it easy.

“Public service can involve rejection,” the Rev. Bob Bonnot of Christ Our Savior Parish told schoolchildren from St. Nicholas School in Struthers on Tuesday at a Mass to honor public servants from Struthers, Campbell, Youngstown, Poland and Boardman.

“Sometimes, public servants have a vision that things could be better, and they get laughed at,” Father Bonnot continued.

“People laugh, reject and rebel against them,” he said, giving examples from Christianity of three public servants who suffered that fate.

Christ himself was laughed at when he told people a man whose daughter had died was only sleeping. But he brought her back to life, Father Bonnot said, citing from the Gospel of Mark.

King David mourned the death of his own son who, along with others in his kingdom, rebelled against him and was killed during fighting, Father Bonnot related from the Second Book of Samuel.

And St. John Bosco had to leave one orphanage with some trouble-making boys to keep taking care of them. He founded a home for boys and became a great educator of young people, Father Bonnot said.

“And we see, it’s not easy to be a public servant,” he said.

“In our lifetime, we need many people in many different circumstances,” fifth-grade teacher Alvera Bell told the children.

“Many people have given of themselves so that our lives will be easier, more pleasant and much safer,” she continued.

Attending the Mass at St. Nicholas Church were Bill VanSuch, Campbell mayor; Struthers Councilmen Tony Fire and Ron Mathews; Struthers Tax Commissioner James Bertrando; Struthers Fire Chief Gary Mudryk; Struthers Police Chief Tim Roddy; Jay Macejko, Youngstown prosecutor; John Casciano, Youngstown water commissioner; Shirley Sepesy, Struthers recycling and litter coordinator; Mike Evanson, Campbell finance director; and Dale Boyer, a state-prison corrections officer.

The school also honored Elizabeth McCullough, its principal, and the rest of its staff.

“These are our unsung heroes, who touch our lives every day,” said Bell. “We often forget to say ‘thank you’ and we wanted to acknowledge them today.”

The Mass was celebrated during Catholic Schools Week.