St. Stan's Has Joyous Rebirth on Palm Sunday

By Derek Gentile
Berkshire Eagle
April 2, 2012

http://www.berkshireeagle.com/ci_20305274/st-stans-has-joyous-rebirth-palm-sunday

The Rev. Daniel Boyle prays during the Palm Sunday Mass at the former St...

ADAMS -- For Sandra Mod erski, hearing the bells tolling at her church Sunday morning was the most beautiful sound in the world.

"It was so wonderful to hear them again," she said.

After three years of silence, the bells summoned the faithful to celebrate Mass on Sunday, and Moderski and about 300 other parishioners gathered at the former St. Stanislaus Kostka Church for Palm Sunday services.

Sunday's service was the first since the church was closed in 2009 following an announcement by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield that the parish would be consolidated at Notre Dame Church as part of a new Pope John Paul the Great parish. After a vigil by parishioners lasting 1,150 days and an appeal that went all the way to the Vatican, the church was reopened as a "chapel/mission" of the parish. But what is most important is that the church has now reopened for worship, as well as weddings, baptisms and funerals.

"I call it a miracle," said Joseph Dean, another parishioner. "It's what a lot of people have been waiting for, for a long time."

"I think this is great, a miracle," agreed parishioner Joan Pause.

"It was beautiful to see everyone here," said Helen Lipinski.

Churchgoers were seen sitting in their cars at 6:30 a.m., waiting for the doors of the church to open for the 8 a.m. service.

Cars filled both church lots and were parked along Summer, North Summer, Hoosac and East Hoosac streets,

not to mention in various private lots in businesses that surround the church.

The Rev. Daniel Boyle greeted parishioners at the entrance to the church on Sunday morning. At the end of the service, he stood outside the building and shook hands and accepted congratulations and hugs.

"It has been," he said after the service," a long three years.

"But today," he continued, "I have been thanking God for this moment. I have been praying for it for a long time."

Boyle emphasized that he also appreciated the decision by Bishop Timothy A. McDonnell of Springfield to allow the church to reopen on a regular basis, and to allow baptisms, weddings and funerals there.

"He didn't have to do that," he said of the bishop. "He could have allowed the church to open only once a month. But he was very generous in allowing us to return to the status quo."

"Adams is a very tight-knit community," Boyle said. "It is a place where religion and family play very big roles. The church is important to them."

Visitors and worshippers packed the church, and spilled over into the foyer. A small number of people briefly had to step outside to get some fresh air.

At the end of the Mass, the church erupted into cheers.

A busload of visitors from the Holyoke area were among those in attendance. They were there not only to celebrate the reopening of the church, but they also were in search of inspiration.

The visitors were members of the Mater Dolorosa parish in Holyoke, which has also been closed by the diocese. The parishioners have appealed the closing to the Vatican and have also set up a vigil.

"This is a day of celebration for all the efforts of these people," said Sandra Zieminski of South Hadley. "I believe the Lord made this happen, and I wanted to come to a place of such positive energy."

Contact: dgentile@berkshireeagle.com