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May 7, 2020By Tanya Connor | The Catholic Free Press
SHREWSBURY - It started with the traditional crowning of Mary, watched remotely this May because of coronavirus restrictions.
It continued with the people’s presence – and presents – for their priests.
Folks from St. Mary Parish and Elementary School flocked to the grounds Friday, honoring their pastor, Msgr. Michael F. Rose, and associate pastor, Father Javier Julio, with a surprise car parade.
The vehicles started coming, as planned, shortly after the priests and a few laypeople held a brief crowning ceremony at the statue of Mary outside the pastoral center.
Jeannie MacDonough, St. Mary’s principal, said they usually do the crowning with the whole school, praying the rosary, then processing from the church to the outdoor statue of Mary, which an eighth-grader crowns.
With school closed this May because of the virus, her eighth-grade daughter, Bridget, did the crowning, which other people could watch on Facebook. Msgr. Rose spoke briefly about celebrating Mary’s motherhood and her discipleship and example, and there was a Marian hymn, Gospel reading and prayer.
Then folks started driving through the parking lot in front of the priest s, some with messages and/or other decorations on their vehicles, some bearing little gifts. The priests greeted them warmly.
“See you soon,” Msgr. Rose said to one. And to another, “Have a good weekend - not too much homework!” And to a third, “Any excuse to get out!”
“We miss you,” said Father Julio. “Pray for us. You are the best people in the world.”
“Hugs … I can’t wait to come back,” a driver said to one of the priests.
“Everyone wants to say something to you,” someone told Father Julio, who responded, “It is amazing.”
“This just shows how wonderful Father Mike and Father Javier are,” Jean Marie Carey, a religious education teacher, told The Catholic Free Press, as she stood waving to the people driving by the priests. “The line is still coming! It’s unbelievable! And we know they’ve been with us. We have a peace and calm during this difficult time.”
“All the people that are part of this parade - this is our Church,” said Lisa Ferguson. “We don’t have to be in the church to be a community.”
“It shows how the people feel about the priests,” added Ronald Thompson. “Because of all the extra effort they put forward, everybody thought this would be a wonderful idea.”
The priests have shared so much with them - including Masses and the May crowning - during this time when the parishioners can’t go to church, he said.
“You are so loved,” Kelly Paulina, who helped organize the event, told the priests after it was over.
“Thank you so much,” the priests responded.
Were they surprised?
“Totally,” said Msgr. Rose.
“When I saw the cars, I said, ‘They are coming to pray to Mary,’” Father Julio commented. “It was wonderful! People here are amazing. They made my day. And we didn’t know anything - we never know what they are doing.”
“The kids and their posters!” marveled Msgr. Rose, adding that some of the children had been scheduled to make their first Communion the next day. “It was the first time the parking lot’s been filled with kids” since school closed because of coronavirus restrictions.
“It’s a challenging time on many levels,” said Beth Duncan, a religious education teacher who came up with the idea of the parade. “As a nurse - and I’m married to a police officer - both of us have experienced first hand the effects of this pandemic.
“And our faith has carried us forward through this difficult time. We have been so profoundly grateful for the comfort and strength of weekly Mass on TV.” (St. Mary’s Sunday Masses are pre-recorded and broadcast on Shrewsbury Media Connection, and daily Masses are livestreamed on Facebook Live.)
“I just really wanted to express the appreciation our parish has for our priests just keeping us connected,” Mrs. Duncan continued. “Monsignor - he has been there for my family … good times and bad. … Father Javier has been such a beautiful addition to our parish.”
She said seeing birthday parades on the news gave her the idea of doing this. Later, she learned of the appreciation parade members of North American Martyrs Parish in Auburn held for their pastor, Father John F. Gee, April 19.
“People coming through the line - they were so happy,” Mrs. Duncan said of those driving by Msgr. Rose and Father Julio. “This was really needed for the parishioners.”
Seeking intercessionWEBSTER – Father Adam Reid, pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish, held an outdoor crowning of Mary, which included praying the rosary, Saturday. “It was, in part, a way of asking Mary to intercede for Sacred Heart Parish and the Blessed Sacrament
chapel here,” he explained. “We did this in line with the Holy Father and bishops globally who in various places consecrated or reconsecrated elements of the Church to Mary.” Father Reid said several people actively participated in the ceremony and others gathere d in the parking lot, careful to practice social distancing.
The large statue of Mary in the church, too big to move outside for the ceremony, has also been adorned with a crown.
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