Two Indianapolis east side parishes form a ‘union in Christ’

Members of the former St. Bernadette Parish in Indianapolis fill their faith community’s church for Mass on Nov. 23. It was the final parish Mass in the church. Effective on Nov. 30, the parish was merged with nearby Our Lady of Lourdes Parish. The union of the two parishes came about as a result of the Connected in the Spirit planning process. (Submitted photo by Gary Yohler, St. Bernadette Class of 1959)

By Sean Gallagher

The spiritual story that binds Our Lady of Lourdes Parish and the former St. Bernadette Parish, both in Indianapolis, can be traced back to an apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary to St. Bernadette Soubirous on Feb. 11, 1858, in Lourdes in southwestern France.

That story inspired the building of a great shrine in Lourdes and brings countless pilgrims there every year.

Father Noah Casey, pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, hopes that the story will strengthen the bond of the two faith communities that have come together as one.

The union of the two parishes came about through the Connected in the Spirit planning process. On May 21, Archbishop Joseph W. Tobin announced his decisions regarding the process for the four Indianapolis deaneries.

Those decisions included the merger of St. Bernadette Parish into Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, which became effective on Nov. 30.

Instead of referring to it as a merger, however, members of both faith communities seek to understand it as a union, a “union in Christ,” said Father Casey.

“This isn’t a banking deal,” said Father Casey of the difference in terminology. “This is about people.”

The union of the people of the two faith communities became a reality on the weekend of Nov. 29-30 when members of both parishes came together for Mass on the First Sunday of Advent at Our Lady of Lourdes Church and receptions after the liturgies.

Bob Eha, who served as president of St. Bernadette’s parish council and was involved in the Connected in the Spirit process, said the liturgies and receptions were encouraging.

“Things that we tried to put into place seem to be bearing fruit,” Eha said. “To a person, the people at Lourdes on Sunday were welcoming and sympathetic. It was sincere.”

Nonetheless, Eha acknowledged that the members of St. Bernadette still have a “long way to go” in coping with the fact that their parish has been closed.

Father Casey honored the feelings of St. Bernadette parishioners when he facilitated a three-hour “listening and reflection session” in August in which they shared a meal, and had the chance to speak about and share their emotions regarding the upcoming merger.

“It was very hard, but it was absolutely necessary,” Father Casey said. “There were a lot of tears. I would encourage this in any of these situations. These people must be heard … .”

The effort to bring members of both parishes together gained momentum on Sept. 7, when a Mass attended by approximately 400 people was celebrated on the grounds of St. Bernadette Parish.

It was the only Mass that weekend for both faith communities. Their fellowship was also fostered through a picnic meal that they shared after the Mass.

“It was extremely powerful,” Father Casey said. “It was a beautiful day. The liturgy was great. People really got into it. There was good mixing, good mingling. People were saying, ‘Why have we never done this before?’ ”

While he values the various meetings he participated in through the Connected in the Spirit process, Eha said having people from the two parishes come together in worship and a shared meal is what really brings them together as one community.

“You get to know people if you’re carrying a table across a field or if you’re in the kitchen flipping hamburgers,” Eha said.

Colleen Kenney, 54, has lived her whole life as a member of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish. As its current parish council president, she is glad to see her new unified parish enhanced by the gifts that former members of St. Bernadette are bringing to it.

“St. Bernadette was a small community,” she said. “They had some very strong gifts in social outreach that weren’t quite as strong at Lourdes. Those gifts will strengthen us.”

She and other members of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish made phone calls to every St. Bernadette household in the days following the Nov. 23 Mass that was the final parish Mass at St. Bernadette Church.

The calls were meant to be a sign of support and a chance to answer questions about Our Lady of Lourdes Parish.

“Most people haven’t decided what they’re going to do, but they greatly appreciated that outreach,” Kenney said regarding what parish the former St. Bernadette parishioners will join.

Our Lady of Lourdes members continued that outreach during the First Sunday of Advent Masses and the receptions that followed.

Kenney said that one of her fellow Our Lady of Lourdes parishioners came up to her after one of the receptions and said that she must be glad to have all that work completed.

“I said, ‘Now the real work begins,’ ” Kenney replied. “Now, they’re going to be with us. We can’t say, ‘OK. We’re done now.’ ”

Although Our Lady of Lourdes and St. Bernadette are now a unified parish, work still continues, said Eha, because of the uncertain future of ministries sponsored by St. Bernadette Parish.

Those ministries included the retreats that take place in parish facilities, an annual Christmas dinner the parish hosted for people in need, and the parish festival that took place annually on the second weekend of June.

The question about the future of these ministries is still an open one, said Eha.

“The best answer at this point is, we don’t know,” he said. “That’s pretty painful. Right now, the decisions are probably being made as fast as they can be made.”

Father Casey acknowledged that there are challenges to members of both faith communities as they come together as one. At the same time, he has seen the blessings that have come out of the process.

“It’s challenging,” Father Casey said. “Everyone has to change a little. [But] something new is about to happen.”
 

(For more information about the Connected in the Spirit planning process, including the decrees regarding the parishes that have been involved in it thus far, log on to www.archindy.org/connected.) †