Parish stewardship: Donations of time, talent and treasure in the face of adversity

BANGALL — In the midst of Advent, Father William White, the administrator of Immaculate Conception Church in Bangall, received a phone call on Saturday, Dec. 14, 2013, from the office of Cardinal Timothy Dolan. Father White was told that Immaculate Conception, a charming little church on Hunns Lake Road and one of the oldest buildings in the Archdiocese of New York, was to be immediately closed and no longer used for any reason. The church is a timber frame building that dates from the 1850s or possibly earlier. Though the fate of the church, given its age and deteriorating condition, had been discussed many times in past years, the decision to close the building so suddenly was shocking to all. The reason seemed to be the impending snowstorm and the concern that the weight of snow could cause the roof to collapse. The parishioners scattered that Sunday, going to various parishes in the area, unsure of how to handle the situation. As the work week began, groups of parishioners discussed the matter and possible courses of action. On Thursday, Dec. 19, from 7 to 9 p.m., about 40 determined parishioners of all ages met in Saint Mary’s Hall, along with Father White, Father John Bida (the parochial vicar) and Bishop Dominick Lagonegro (the Episcopal vicar) to form a plan for continued worship for the faithful in their parish. After much contemplation and discussion, the parish decided to continue regular Masses in the parish hall, since the church was expected to be closed permanently. Bishop Lagonegro graciously offered to celebrate Christmas Day Mass in Bangall. However, it was clear that Saint Mary’s Hall, usually used for parish social gatherings, needed quite a bit of work before Mass could be celebrated there. Saturday morning at 6:30 a.m., a group of 11 parishioners met and began work bringing the heavier objects from the old church to the temporary new one. The altar was moved and the organ was brought down from the choir loft. Men with pickup trucks and trailers made numerous trips back and forth. They moved everything from music stands and microphones to Stations of the Cross and the holy water font. Then the early risers went to work. Engineers, construction workers and carpenters all pulled out measuring devices and ladders and began figuring the exact distances required to make the new church home. Meanwhile, upstairs workers set out with hammers and screwdrivers, taking apart a broken-down bookshelf to make room for the church’s contemporary music ministry in the soon-to-be new choir loft. Many more parishioners came to lend a hand as early as 8 a.m., and suddenly platforms for instruments were being built, lights were being changed, chairs were being set up and slowly the once empty hall began to take the shape of a church. Over the course of the day, nearly half the regular parishioners came to help, from children to octogenarians, working diligently into the late afternoon. Stations of the Cross were hung and even the beautiful manger scene that had once been in the church was set up. Every object that was placed was the decision of the parish community working together toward their goal. True stewardship was shown that day by everyone in attendance and their hard work paid off when Father Bida celebrated the Vigil Mass marking the Fourth Sunday of Advent at 5 p.m. that afternoon. Come Christmas morning, Bishop Lagonegro arrived at the new church to concelebrate Mass with Father White and Father Bida and was very impressed with the transformation of Saint Mary’s Hall. The building he had been in for a meeting just five days before now was fit to celebrate the Christmas Mass. He pointed out how much people can accomplish when they all work together toward a common goal. Now it seems that the Hall will be perfect for Mass until a better solution can be found. An old church slogan with no known origin says that “the family that prays together, stays together,” and the church family at Immaculate Conception in Bangall has definitely found a solution that will allow this family to stay together.Marina Ferreri is a lifelong parishioner at the Immaculate Conception Church in Bangall and a student at The College of Saint Rose.