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By Colette M. Jenkins
Beacon Journal religion writer
POSTED: 09:26 p.m. EDT, Oct 29, 2009
Tony Petrasek has spent his entire life attending Sunday Mass at St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church.
On his first Sunday there, he arrived cradled in his mother's arms.
On his last Sunday there, he arrived carrying a load of care.
''I walked in, knowing this would be the last Sunday that I would attend Mass at St. John's. I was saddened, almost bitter, to know that my parish would no longer exist,'' said Petrasek, 76. ''As I meditated and prayed, a lot of memories flooded my mind: the times I served as an altar boy, my years attending grade school, my eighth-grade graduation, my First Communion, being married — how happy those times were. I shed my tears and I've accepted that it's over.''
The South Akron church, at 1034 Brown St., will close on Saturday as part of a diocese-wide reconfiguration. The parish will merge with the Church of the Annunciation to form Visitation of Mary Parish at the Annunciation property at 87 Broad St.
Cleveland Bishop Richard G. Lennon will celebrate the opening Mass of the new parish at 10 a.m. Nov. 8. He will also celebrate the closing Masses at 4 p.m. Saturday at St. John's and at 10:30 a.m. Sunday at Annunciation.
Last Sunday, Petrasek (who does not plan to attend the closing Mass at St. John's) said farewell to his fellow parishioners. He also took some photographs inside and outside the church.
''I'll always have my memories, and now I'll have some pictures so that I can visually reflect on the church, because it has been such a big part of my life,'' Petrasek said. ''It's a shame that after more than 100 years of hard work and dedication, this church will no longer be here.''
St. John's was organized on June 2, 1907, as a parish for Slovakian families in the area. Some of them had been traveling to Barberton to find a pastor fluent in Slovak. Others attended Mass at St. Bernard, a German parish, where they found similar traditions from the old country.
Initially, the Slovak congregation met in the basement chapel of the current St. Bernard, at Broadway and University Avenue in downtown Akron. In 1908, the Slovak community bought St. Bernard's former church at Broadway and Center Street.
As the congregation grew, it purchased property on Brown Street to build an elementary school, which opened in 1927. Ten years later, it bought a building near the school for a rectory as part of a plan to complete a parish complex. For several years, four Masses were said on Sundays in the school's third-floor chapel and one Mass was offered at the downtown church.
By 1939, the downtown building began to show signs of deterioration. It was condemned a year later, forcing the congregation to speed up its plans for a new church. Ground was broken for a church in May 1941 at the current site. The $36,000 English Gothic-style church constructed of Briar Hill sandstone was dedicated, debt-free, Dec. 21 that year.
The old church on Broadway was sold and many items (including the Schantz pipe organ, the statue of St. John the Baptist and oak pews) were moved to the new building. A house on Stanton Street, purchased in 1942, became the convent for the Vincentian Sisters of Charity, who taught at the school.
A new rectory, new convent and a school expansion, including a gymnasium-auditorium, were dedicated in 1951. The church was expanded toward Brown Street in 1958 to accommodate nearly 400 more people.
Parish once bustled
Mary Topper, who moved into the old rectory directly across the street from the church in 1952, remembers when the parish was bustling with activity.
''There used to be Masses practically every hour on Sunday. We had to put folding chairs in the aisles, until the fire marshal said we couldn't do that,'' said Topper, 88. ''As people moved away from Akron to the suburbs, the congregation got smaller. We got to the point where we only had one Mass on Saturday and one on Sunday.''
Because of declining enrollment, the parish school was closed in 1986 and merged with the Annunciation School. Annunciation-St. John closed in 2006 amid a continuing drop in enrollment and financial hardship.
St. John's last full-time resident priest, the Rev. Ralph Coletta, retired in 2005 after more than 18 years of service. The church was debt-free when he retired, and it had remained financially solvent.
Because the parish has fewer than 300 households, it does not meet the diocesan standard (a minimum of 500 households) to be assigned a full-time pastor. The Rev. Patrick Shields, an associate at Holy Family in Stow, has served as the sacramental priest. The Rev. Paul Rosing, administrator at Holy Family, is parochial administrator of St. John.
Joining other parishes
Rosing said many of the 250 families registered at St. John's have indicated that they will join other parishes near their homes. The current parish membership lives in 24 different ZIP codes, mostly in the southern portion of Summit County. The majority of parishioners have said they will go to Visitation of Mary, St. Paul's (at 1580 Brown St.) or St. Francis de Sales (on Manchester Road in Coventry Township).
Mary Ann Mushinski, a lifetime parishioner at St. John's, said one of the most difficult things about closing the parish is knowing that the church community will be scattered. Mushinski said she and her sister, Monica Fanady, will go to the newly merged parish.
''I'm hoping that we will become a loving community at Visitation, just like the one we've had at St. John's,'' Mushinski said. ''I'm really going to miss the people at St. John's because we have been a family of people committed to helping each other and the people in the neighborhood. I'm confident that we will continue to serve people through ministry at Visitation because the people of Annunciation and the pastor have made it clear that Visitation will be 'our' parish.''
As the century-old parish closes on Brown Street, members will be given a 100th anniversary pictorial directory and a special St. John the Baptist icon. A reception is scheduled in the parish hall after the closing Mass.
Colette Jenkins can be reached at 330-996-3731 or cjenkins@thebeaconjournal.com.
Tony Petrasek has spent his entire life attending Sunday Mass at St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church.
On his first Sunday there, he arrived cradled in his mother's arms.
On his last Sunday there, he arrived carrying a load of care.
''I walked in, knowing this would be the last Sunday that I would attend Mass at St. John's. I was saddened, almost bitter, to know that my parish would no longer exist,'' said Petrasek, 76. ''As I meditated and prayed, a lot of memories flooded my mind: the times I served as an altar boy, my years attending grade school, my eighth-grade graduation, my First Communion, being married — how happy those times were. I shed my tears and I've accepted that it's over.''
The South Akron church, at 1034 Brown St., will close on Saturday as part of a diocese-wide reconfiguration. The parish will merge with the Church of the Annunciation to form Visitation of Mary Parish at the Annunciation property at 87 Broad St.
Cleveland Bishop Richard G. Lennon will celebrate the opening Mass of the new parish at 10 a.m. Nov. 8. He will also celebrate the closing Masses at 4 p.m. Saturday at St. John's and at 10:30 a.m. Sunday at Annunciation.
Last Sunday, Petrasek (who does not plan to attend the closing Mass at St. John's) said farewell to his fellow parishioners. He also took some photographs inside and outside the church.
''I'll always have my memories, and now I'll have some pictures so that I can visually reflect on the church, because it has been such a big part of my life,'' Petrasek said. ''It's a shame that after more than 100 years of hard work and dedication, this church will no longer be here.''
St. John's was organized on June 2, 1907, as a parish for Slovakian families in the area. Some of them had been traveling to Barberton to find a pastor fluent in Slovak. Others attended Mass at St. Bernard, a German parish, where they found similar traditions from the old country.
Initially, the Slovak congregation met in the basement chapel of the current St. Bernard, at Broadway and University Avenue in downtown Akron. In 1908, the Slovak community bought St. Bernard's former church at Broadway and Center Street.
As the congregation grew, it purchased property on Brown Street to build an elementary school, which opened in 1927. Ten years later, it bought a building near the school for a rectory as part of a plan to complete a parish complex. For several years, four Masses were said on Sundays in the school's third-floor chapel and one Mass was offered at the downtown church.
By 1939, the downtown building began to show signs of deterioration. It was condemned a year later, forcing the congregation to speed up its plans for a new church. Ground was broken for a church in May 1941 at the current site. The $36,000 English Gothic-style church constructed of Briar Hill sandstone was dedicated, debt-free, Dec. 21 that year.
The old church on Broadway was sold and many items (including the Schantz pipe organ, the statue of St. John the Baptist and oak pews) were moved to the new building. A house on Stanton Street, purchased in 1942, became the convent for the Vincentian Sisters of Charity, who taught at the school.
A new rectory, new convent and a school expansion, including a gymnasium-auditorium, were dedicated in 1951. The church was expanded toward Brown Street in 1958 to accommodate nearly 400 more people.
Parish once bustled
Mary Topper, who moved into the old rectory directly across the street from the church in 1952, remembers when the parish was bustling with activity.
''There used to be Masses practically every hour on Sunday. We had to put folding chairs in the aisles, until the fire marshal said we couldn't do that,'' said Topper, 88. ''As people moved away from Akron to the suburbs, the congregation got smaller. We got to the point where we only had one Mass on Saturday and one on Sunday.''
Because of declining enrollment, the parish school was closed in 1986 and merged with the Annunciation School. Annunciation-St. John closed in 2006 amid a continuing drop in enrollment and financial hardship.
St. John's last full-time resident priest, the Rev. Ralph Coletta, retired in 2005 after more than 18 years of service. The church was debt-free when he retired, and it had remained financially solvent.
Because the parish has fewer than 300 households, it does not meet the diocesan standard (a minimum of 500 households) to be assigned a full-time pastor. The Rev. Patrick Shields, an associate at Holy Family in Stow, has served as the sacramental priest. The Rev. Paul Rosing, administrator at Holy Family, is parochial administrator of St. John.
Joining other parishes
Rosing said many of the 250 families registered at St. John's have indicated that they will join other parishes near their homes. The current parish membership lives in 24 different ZIP codes, mostly in the southern portion of Summit County. The majority of parishioners have said they will go to Visitation of Mary, St. Paul's (at 1580 Brown St.) or St. Francis de Sales (on Manchester Road in Coventry Township).
Mary Ann Mushinski, a lifetime parishioner at St. John's, said one of the most difficult things about closing the parish is knowing that the church community will be scattered. Mushinski said she and her sister, Monica Fanady, will go to the newly merged parish.
''I'm hoping that we will become a loving community at Visitation, just like the one we've had at St. John's,'' Mushinski said. ''I'm really going to miss the people at St. John's because we have been a family of people committed to helping each other and the people in the neighborhood. I'm confident that we will continue to serve people through ministry at Visitation because the people of Annunciation and the pastor have made it clear that Visitation will be 'our' parish.''
As the century-old parish closes on Brown Street, members will be given a 100th anniversary pictorial directory and a special St. John the Baptist icon. A reception is scheduled in the parish hall after the closing Mass.
Colette Jenkins can be reached at 330-996-3731 or cjenkins@thebeaconjournal.com.
Comments
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Akron, OH
Posted 10:48 PM, 10/29/2009
"Visitation of Mary" . . . I wonder who selected that name . . . . . it's not bad enough that the church building is to be abandoned . . . . . the name has to be obliterated also . . . . . the name of the merged parish should contain the name of each of the original parishes . . . . . sentiment means nothing.
rmk/akron
Posted 01:22 AM, 10/30/2009
I agree with you R M that the names should be some how combined. What is happening to the St. Vincent De Paul Society and the meals for the poor? It is a shame to close this church when they were not owing money and there is so much need for them and their services. God bless you all that you enjoy your new church.
Posted 01:46 AM, 10/30/2009
I might have St. Paul and St. John's confused as to where the meals are served sorry; I have not been to either. Wonder why they didn't join St. Paul and St. John to make a larger parish or maybe they are closing both?
Posted 07:54 AM, 10/30/2009
My grandparents were life long members of St. John's parish. My grandmother continued to drive her friends to church on Sunday until she stopped driving at age 88. Father Coletta was a wonderful priest. The community will miss this church.
medina, oh
Posted 08:58 AM, 10/30/2009
Annunciation-St John worked for the school, why not the church name?
Paradise, Oh
Posted 12:42 PM, 10/30/2009
Turn it into a Head Shop.
Call it John the Baptist's Head...Shop.
Posted 01:46 PM, 10/30/2009
Noodles don't you have any respect, I know it's a joke, but we are taking about a church closing here not a corner bar.
Paradise, Oh
Posted 02:51 PM, 10/30/2009
Dragon Lady, no, I don't have much respect for organized religion. I think it's just a tool to suck money from crazy people.
It was just a joke. You are just sore because I came up with it first.
Akron, OH
Posted 03:07 PM, 10/30/2009
That's what I think, Domer.
P.S. Are you a genuine domer?
rmk/akron
Barnsville, Ohio
Posted 11:01 AM, 11/27/2009
They wonder why people are leaving the Church. St. John's has always been a self supporting Parish all the way back to the 40's. The Vatican is going to loose in the long run as will the Cleveland Diocese.
Too bad Bishop Pila. retired. I went to St. John's School and was an Alter Boy when Fr. Valko and Father Bias were there many years ago. St. John's done more for the Community than any of the other Church's. It will be a sad day.
