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SUMMER 2009NEWSLETTER

S’novim godom – that’s the Russianequivalent of Happy New Year. Mark yourcalendar and reserve Jan. 16, 2010 for theFriends of the Sacred Landmark Initiativecelebration of Russian new year.

Actually, the Julian calendar Jan. 1 fallson the modern calendar Jan. 13. Becausethat is in the middle of the week, theFriends have chosen the followingSaturday, Jan. 16, as the date for the event.

The celebration will take place at St.Nicholas Byzantine Catholic church, 2711West 40th Street, Lorain. All are welcometo take part in the Divine Liturgy at 5 p.m.in the church. Doors to the church hall willopen at 6 p.m.

Guests are welcome to wear partial orcomplete Russian folk costumes.

You will be welcomed to the hall bygreeters with the traditional bread and saltand a shot – alcoholic or non-alcoholic – asyou choose. Enter, then, into a winter won-derland specially designed for the occa-sion.

While you wait for dinner to be served,enjoy zakusky (hors d’oeuvres) and com-panionship with the other guests.

There will also be entertainment.Singers and dancers will perform for yourenjoyment. A fortune teller will be on hand

to tell your fortune. The strolling brotherswill provide violin music during dinner.

According to the tentative menu, thedinner will begin with Russian borscht, asalad of cucumbers in sour cream, beefstroganoff or chicken kiev with straw pota-toes and Charlotte Russe for desert. Guestsare invited to bring their own alcoholicbeverages.

The event will end with the arrival ofmidnight (around actual 10 p.m.) and toast-ing the new year, wishing one another,“S’novim godom.” and singing theMnogaya leyta – God grant you manyyears.

The price for tickets is $40 per person,$75 per couple or a group rate of $300 fora table of eight people or $375 for a tableof 10 people. Proceeds from the event willhelp fund the publication of the LorainCounty Stained Glass monograph.

S’novim godom

Stained glass note cards A set of four stained glass note cards is

still available. The cards show photos ofstained glass windows from Agudath B’naiIsrael Synagogue in Lorain, St. Teresa ,Sheffield, First Congregational UnitedChurch of Christ, Elyria and EmmanuelLutheran Church, Elyria. Cost of the set offour is $5. They can be purchased by e-mailing sli@lorainccc.edu.

Sacred Heart Chapel

The history of Sacred Heart Chapelbegins during World War I. Thousands ofMexicans and Mexican-Americans trav-eled to Lorain in search of employment inthe city’s steel plants. In 1948, PuertoRican males emigrated to Lorain, also insearch of jobs. They began to share ideasand values. It was the beginning of theHispanic community. They had a mutualrespect for one another and a commondesire to express their own traditions andvalues.

On July 2, 1952,Father Gerard Fredericksanswered the people’sprayers. He was sent bythe Trinitarian Fathers tonurture the religious andspiritual needs of theHispanic community. TheDiocese authorizedFather Fredericks to rentthe old Rebman MeatMarket on Vine Street.On July 22, 1952 FatherFredericks moved intothe neighborhood; two

days later Trinitarian Sisters Mary Jean andCarmen Teresa arrived. The former meatmarket was converted into a church and thesisters set up home in their convent nextdoor.

Under the leadership of FatherFredericks and the sisters, the membersbegan to share values and the Christianway of life, forming a parish built on loveand filled with God’s presence.

The Hispanic men began to play a moreactive role in Sacred Heart. In 1959 ninemen, along with Father Martin VanTriesteattended a Cursillo in Texas and broughtthe concept back to Sacred Heart Chapel. A

Men’s Cursillo was established inDecember, 1960; a Women’s Cursillo inAugust, 1962.

In May of 1974, construction on theUrban Renewal Housing Project forcedSacred Heart Chapel to relocate. While thereplacement chapel was being constructedservices were held in the old Kohlmyerhardware store building.

The new Sacred Heart Chapel, on PearlAvenue, was blessed and inaugurated onApril 20, 1975. The principal celebrant ofthe Mass on that occasion was guestBishop Martinez Aponte from San Juan.

By 1982 the parish, still a missionparish, had grown and formed a basicChristian community. It was at this timethat the Trinitarians departed and SacredHeart became part of the ClevelandDiocese, whose priests began to serve theparish. Two of these priests were FatherMichael Schneid (1980-1982) and FatherRobert Burge (1983-1988). Their leader-ship sparked new life into the parish, espe-cially with the parish music programs.

Father Robert Reidy was the pastorfrom 1989-1998. He oversaw the renova-tion of the church building to accommo-date better the expanding community and

its spiritual needs. One outstanding featureof the renovation was installation of a bap-tismal pool, located at the entryway doorsof the church. The renovated chapel wasdedicated in June, 1998.

Today, under the leadership of FatherBill Thaden, who became pastor in 1999,the parish continues to grow to its currentapproximately 1,200 families. Parishorganizations include: the GuadalupeSociety, St. Vincent dePaul Society, Altarand Rosary Society, Catholic CharismaticRenewal, the men’s and women’s Cursillogroups, as well as various apostolategroups such as catechists, Bible study anda vacation Bible school, choirs and musi-cians, youth groups and an evangelizationcommission, to list only a few of the manyactivities. Originally established byMexican-Americans and Puerto Ricans,the parish now embraces people of manynational origins, not only Hispanic, butalso Irish, German, African-American andItalian as well.

Sacred Heart Chapel, LorainCompiled by Father Nick Rachford