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By Colette M. Jenkins
Beacon Journal religion writer
POSTED: 01:46 p.m. EDT, Jun 18, 2009
NORTON: The war memorial that sat on the lawn at SS. Cyril & Methodius Church in Barberton is now the focal point of a memorial tribute to the closed parish.
The 600-pound Dakota mahogany granite slant monument — inscribed with a dozen names of sons of SS. Cyril & Methodius who died in World War I, World War II and the Vietnam War — was moved today to Prince of Peace parish in Norton. It was the final piece needed to complete a memorial garden that pays tribute to Barberton's four ethnic Roman Catholic parishes that are now closed.
''When I was assigned as pastor here at Prince of Peace, Bishop (Anthony) Pilla (retired bishop emeritus of the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland) asked me to remember and honor the heritage of the four parishes,'' said the Rev. Robert Jackson, who has served as pastor of the Norton parish since 2005. ''This fulfills my promise to him.''
The memorial garden is divided into four areas. Each area contains a cross shaped from limestone that is engraved with the church name, the year it was established and the names of the pastors who served the parish and the years they served. The limestone cross sits at the base of the focal point of each section of the garden:
• Holy Trinity (1911, Hungarian). The eye of God symbol (an equilateral triangle with a single eye inside and rays emanating from it) for Holy Trinity. The triangle represents the Holy Trinity and the eye symbolizes the eternal watchfulness of God.
• St. Mary (1912, Polish). Icons of Our Lady of Czestochowa and Our Lady of Perpetual Help, made by a former parishioner.
• Sacred Heart (1917, Slovak). A statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus from the lawn of the original Sacred Heart Church on Hopocan Avenue.
• SS. Cyril & Methodius (1905, Slovak). The war memorial, containing these names: John Kochis from World War I; Joseph Bank, Alex Ferenc, Joseph Franko, Joseph Freno, Bernard McGivern, Joseph Pier, Michael Pasternak, John Siroki, Paul Ratay and Paul Bezuk from World War II and Paul Brouse from the Vietnam War. The memorial is made from the same type of stone found on Mount Rushmore.
SS. Cyril & Methodius closed Sunday as part of a diocesan reconfiguration plan. Like the war monument, most of the secular items have been distributed to other parishes, an assisted living facility and nonprofit organizations. The diocesan chancellor is in the process of deciding where religious items will go. Some of the sacred items (like stations of the cross, the baptismal font, hand bells, and chalices) will go to parishes that receive former parishioners from SS. Cyril & Methodius.
Some items will be given to parishes and others will have a value placed on them, meaning parishes will have to pay for them. Other items that have a significant meaning for a particular neighboring parish will be made available to that parish.
''C & M is going to be a good test for how items are to be properly disposed of as we go through the reconfiguration process,'' said Robert Tayek, spokesman for the diocese.
The restructuring plan calls for the diocese to drop from 224 parishes to 191 by June 30, 2010, by closing and merging parishes. Summit County will lose six parishes. Of those six, four (SS. Cyril & Methodius, St. Hedwig, St. John the Baptist and Christ the King) will close this year. Sacred Heart of Jesus and St. Mary's are scheduled to close next year.
Holy Trinity closed in 2007. Sacred Heart and St. Mary merged in 2002 to become what is now Prince of Peace.
Jackson said he is working to secure other items from Holy Trinity and SS. Cyril & Methodius to incorporate at Prince of Peace, which has furnishings and religious items inside the church from St. Mary's and Sacred Heart. The parish also has vestments from Sacred Heart, St. Mary's and SS. Cyril & Methodius.
He said his hope is that the religious items and garden, which is located behind the church, serve as reminders of the people who laid the foundation for future generations.
''The religious items and the garden are a good way to remember our history and remember that we got where we are today because of our ancestors,'' said Jackson, who is a retired military chaplain. ''The war memorial itself is a good way to honor the heritage of service, not only to the church but to the community and the nation. Hopefully, it will be an inspiration to us to serve where we can.''
Colette Jenkins can be reached at 330-996-3731 or cjenkins@thebeaconjournal.com.
NORTON: The war memorial that sat on the lawn at SS. Cyril & Methodius Church in Barberton is now the focal point of a memorial tribute to the closed parish.
The 600-pound Dakota mahogany granite slant monument — inscribed with a dozen names of sons of SS. Cyril & Methodius who died in World War I, World War II and the Vietnam War — was moved today to Prince of Peace parish in Norton. It was the final piece needed to complete a memorial garden that pays tribute to Barberton's four ethnic Roman Catholic parishes that are now closed.
''When I was assigned as pastor here at Prince of Peace, Bishop (Anthony) Pilla (retired bishop emeritus of the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland) asked me to remember and honor the heritage of the four parishes,'' said the Rev. Robert Jackson, who has served as pastor of the Norton parish since 2005. ''This fulfills my promise to him.''
The memorial garden is divided into four areas. Each area contains a cross shaped from limestone that is engraved with the church name, the year it was established and the names of the pastors who served the parish and the years they served. The limestone cross sits at the base of the focal point of each section of the garden:
• Holy Trinity (1911, Hungarian). The eye of God symbol (an equilateral triangle with a single eye inside and rays emanating from it) for Holy Trinity. The triangle represents the Holy Trinity and the eye symbolizes the eternal watchfulness of God.
• St. Mary (1912, Polish). Icons of Our Lady of Czestochowa and Our Lady of Perpetual Help, made by a former parishioner.
• Sacred Heart (1917, Slovak). A statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus from the lawn of the original Sacred Heart Church on Hopocan Avenue.
• SS. Cyril & Methodius (1905, Slovak). The war memorial, containing these names: John Kochis from World War I; Joseph Bank, Alex Ferenc, Joseph Franko, Joseph Freno, Bernard McGivern, Joseph Pier, Michael Pasternak, John Siroki, Paul Ratay and Paul Bezuk from World War II and Paul Brouse from the Vietnam War. The memorial is made from the same type of stone found on Mount Rushmore.
SS. Cyril & Methodius closed Sunday as part of a diocesan reconfiguration plan. Like the war monument, most of the secular items have been distributed to other parishes, an assisted living facility and nonprofit organizations. The diocesan chancellor is in the process of deciding where religious items will go. Some of the sacred items (like stations of the cross, the baptismal font, hand bells, and chalices) will go to parishes that receive former parishioners from SS. Cyril & Methodius.
Some items will be given to parishes and others will have a value placed on them, meaning parishes will have to pay for them. Other items that have a significant meaning for a particular neighboring parish will be made available to that parish.
''C & M is going to be a good test for how items are to be properly disposed of as we go through the reconfiguration process,'' said Robert Tayek, spokesman for the diocese.
The restructuring plan calls for the diocese to drop from 224 parishes to 191 by June 30, 2010, by closing and merging parishes. Summit County will lose six parishes. Of those six, four (SS. Cyril & Methodius, St. Hedwig, St. John the Baptist and Christ the King) will close this year. Sacred Heart of Jesus and St. Mary's are scheduled to close next year.
Holy Trinity closed in 2007. Sacred Heart and St. Mary merged in 2002 to become what is now Prince of Peace.
Jackson said he is working to secure other items from Holy Trinity and SS. Cyril & Methodius to incorporate at Prince of Peace, which has furnishings and religious items inside the church from St. Mary's and Sacred Heart. The parish also has vestments from Sacred Heart, St. Mary's and SS. Cyril & Methodius.
He said his hope is that the religious items and garden, which is located behind the church, serve as reminders of the people who laid the foundation for future generations.
''The religious items and the garden are a good way to remember our history and remember that we got where we are today because of our ancestors,'' said Jackson, who is a retired military chaplain. ''The war memorial itself is a good way to honor the heritage of service, not only to the church but to the community and the nation. Hopefully, it will be an inspiration to us to serve where we can.''
Colette Jenkins can be reached at 330-996-3731 or cjenkins@thebeaconjournal.com.
Comments
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Akron, OH
Posted 02:46 PM, 06/18/2009
To Father Jackson: Well done, dear friend, from Bob Kraus.
Sadly, the Holy Trinity and SS Cyril & Methodius properties will be, for as long as they stand, a reminder that material things do not last forever.
Canton, OH
Posted 04:10 PM, 06/18/2009
Bishop Lennon let us down. . .We can NOT spread the WORD & help people when we are shuttering doors. . . .
Posted 04:44 PM, 06/18/2009
How can you stop Catholicity? By shutting down the place of worship were our prayers are interceded by the saints. Way to go Lennon, end the 2009 year old Catholic church. Looser.
Posted 10:06 PM, 06/18/2009
r3rjr ~ I, too, hate to see the old Churches go. But remember, you can pray to God no matter where you are ... Be it in a Church or in your own home!
