Except for Sunday Mass on February 5, 2023, when an evacuation shuttered the doors of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in East Palestine, Ohio, worship and outreach efforts have continued uninterrupted—albeit with a renewed sense of urgency. Our Lady of Lourdes Parish is located within one mile of where the wreckage was still burning from the Norfolk Southern train derailment two days before the one canceled Mass.
“Through all of this, the parishioners have been doing very well and we’re kind of back to how it should we be,” said Father David Misbrener, pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, as well as of Saint Jude Parish in Columbiana.
On Sunday, March 19, Bishop David Bonnar celebrated the parish’s 8:30 a.m. Mass “to give praise and thanksgiving, to pray with you and for you, to affirm your faith, which is so strong and so alive.”
Before beginning his homily, the bishop reassured the congregation of the concern and support from the entire Diocese of Youngstown and Catholic Charities, as well as those from beyond diocesan boundaries. “We stand in solidarity with you, the faithful of this storied parish and the residents of East Palestine in the aftermath of the recent train wreck. I also have received, as part of the Annual Diocesan Appeal donations, prayer petitions from throughout this diocese of people intentionally praying for you. Please know that you are not alone,” Bishop Bonnar stated.
The bishop also commended Father Misbrener, noting, “Father Misbrener has been in continued communication with me from day one of this life-changing experience. I know that he has been so present to this community, much as any pastor would be.” Bishop Bonnar also encouraged parishioners to call upon the intercession of Our Lady of Lourdes and Saint Jude to persevere through this challenging and uncertain time.
The celebrant referenced the 1971 musical Godspell, composed by Stephen Schwartz, featuring a song “Day by Day,” which reached #13 in the Billboard pop singles chart in 1972. “The lyrics of the song included a three-fold petition – ‘Day by day, Dear Lord, three things I pray: To see thee more clearly, Love thee more dearly, follow thee more nearly, Day by Day.’
“What a beautiful prayer upon which to live one’s life, to see, to love and to follow Jesus,” the bishop remarked. Noting that visual perception is the foundation of this prayer, Bishop Bonnar said, “sight is at the heart of the Word of God today. For example, in the first reading from the Book of Samuel we hear these words, ‘Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance, but the Lord looks into the heart.’”
Referencing the day’s Responsorial Psalm—Psalm 23, the Good Shepherd Psalm in which the shepherd guides us in right paths even as we walk in the dark valley—Bishop Bonnar said, “Essentially, the shepherd sees for us.”
Continuing that theme was the Second Reading from Saint Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians which says, “…but everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for everything that becomes visible becomes light,” with Saint Paul’s conclusion that “Christ will give you light.”
Finally, the homilist noted the day’s Gospel, which relates the story of the man born blind who, after encountering Jesus, is cured and is able to see.
“Faith, or the act of believing, is often associated with seeing and the light. We often hear the phrase, ‘the eyes of faith,’ as well as ‘the light of faith.’ Pope Francis defined this act of seeing in these words. He said, ‘Faith does not merely gaze at Jesus, but sees things as Jesus sees them, with his own eyes: it is a participation in his way of seeing.’“
“One of my favorite exercises that I invite others to embrace in this Lenten season is to imagine being behind Jesus on the cross, but looking at what is happening in front of him through his eyes. In other words, imagine that one’s own eyes are behind or inside the eyes of Jesus. This is what faith, hope and love are all about. When we look at one another as well as the situations before us through the eyes of Jesus, we see differently. In the eyes of the world, it appears awkward. In a certain sense, it is like putting on someone else’s glasses.
“To see as Jesus sees, is to acknowledge that our sight needs to be corrected. When I first arrived in Youngstown, I invited a religious order priest and retired professor of homiletics to speak to our priests and deacons about preaching. He defined preaching as the act of ‘removing scales from one’s eyes.’ It is interesting how we often associate preaching with hearing, but it is really about seeing and seeing as God wants us to see, like him.”
Bishop Bonnar encouraged the congregation to apply the sight of Jesus to the current situation in East Palestine. “What do you suppose Jesus sees and wants us to see? First, I believe Jesus sees suffering. He knows the disruption, inconvenience, loss that has rippled through this small community. But remember, when Jesus sees suffering in the Gospel, he also sees an opportunity for compassion and mercy. This is your moment to demonstrate who you are and whose you are. To see as Jesus means to see not with anger or judgment, but even in mystery, uncertainty and bewilderment, to demonstrate compassion and mercy. Jesus says, ‘Love one another as I have loved you.’”
Stating that Jesus sees the fear and anguish that this event has caused as an opportunity for faith, Bishop Bonnar noted the words of Saint Paul, “‘We walk by faith, and not by sight.’ This is a moment for this community to walk together in faith, keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus,” advised the bishop.
Believing Jesus views the darkness of this moment as an opportunity to radiate his light, Bishop Bonnar continued, “In this moment, there is the opportunity for us to radiate the virtue of hope. As Saint Augustine says, ‘We are an Easter people.’ The Collect, the Opening Prayer for this Fourth Sunday of Lent, points us toward this hope that is realized in Easter. Moments ago, I said these words, ‘grant, we pray, that with prompt devotion and eager faith the Christian people may hasten toward the solemn celebrations to come.’ To ‘hasten’ means ‘to move or travel hurriedly.’ In other words, ‘to accelerate’ our readiness for this event. Today, we do that with a sense of rejoicing as we celebrate Laetare Sunday.”
“May the Holy Eucharist we receive today empower us all to continue our journey of faith, seeing as Jesus sees, with compassion, faith and hope. Quite simply, may this Eucharist nourish us with the virtues of faith, hope and love, so that we may see Jesus more clearly, love Jesus more dearly and follow Jesus more nearly,” concluded Bishop Bonnar.
During the announcements following Mass, Nancy Voitus, Executive Director of the Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana Agency of Catholic Charities, reassured the congregation of the agency’s continuing support and outreach efforts to meet their needs. “Just as you have supported us in the past through the diocesan appeal, Catholic Charities keeps you in our hearts and our thoughts. Just as the Gospel said, ‘we want to be your eyes.’ We want to be available for things that you need,” Voitus stated.
Beginning on Thursday, March 23, and for at least the next four weeks, the director announced that a caseworker will be on site at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish to listen and respond to individuals’ needs. Voitus said the caseworker lives in East Palestine, “so she understands what you are going through. Please don’t hesitate to contact us.”
Father Misbrener then thanked Bishop Bonnar for his pastoral outreach and for his prayers. Hearing from people throughout the diocese and the United States, “has restored my hope in humanity,” the pastor commented. One of many letters Father Misbrener received came from a priest in Nevada who sent the proceeds of a collection taken up by his parish, totaling over $5,000.
“This season of Lent is the season of bright sadness, but also the season of hope because we know what comes with Lent and Holy Week, and what comes after Good Friday. That is how we should also live our lives—go forward in faith as we continue volunteering our time, distributing goods and providing the monthly Community Meal. We’re doing what our Lord calls us to do,” Father Misbrener said, thanking parishioners for all their efforts.
After Mass, coffee and donuts were offered in the parish hall. There, the Knights of Columbus presented Bishop Bonnar with a complete set of the seven-volume illuminated Saint John’s Bible for the diocesan library.
Virginia and Harry Foster, who live one block from the tracks, appreciated Bishop Bonnar’s message and all the prayers directed toward their community. “It’s been an ordeal,” Virginia said. She is grateful the couple were in Columbus at the time of the fire. “I’d probably be still having nightmares if I was here. Faith helped us through that,” she added. Since returning to their home, Harry Foster said, “We’ve had no problems. The good Lord keeps us safe.”
Patty Zocolo, parish Coordinator of Apostolates and Evangelization, echoed Father Misbrener’s words of continued ministry. “From the time we were able to reenter the church, we started receiving supplies daily to distribute to the people of East Palestine. Every day, we have a package appear at our door and it’s anonymously sent. We’re carrying out the Gospel message to help those in need. Just yesterday, we delivered 60 gift boxes of personal items, put together by Girard St. Rose’s Confirmation class, to our shut-ins,” said Zocolo, who is grateful for every donation.
Matthew and Casey Evans, residents of nearby New Waterford, are members of Columbiana St. Jude Parish, which collaborates with Our Lady of Loudres Parish. They attended the 8:30 a.m. Mass to offer their support. “Just the effects of it being in the parish affected all of us. We travel through here all the time, and we know a lot of people from here. When the car caught on fire, it traveled quite a distance, and it could have easily derailed in our town, only five miles from here,” Matthew Evans related.
“With the leaves off the trees, we can see the tracks from our second-floor bedroom. It’s hard to believe (the train) was on fire going through our town,” Casey Evans added.
Ron and Bonnie Novak, who live outside the evacuation zone, stayed indoors during the derailment. Nonetheless, “everybody is affected by it one way or another. Things are getting a little bit back to normal. It’s going to be a long time before things settle down, but it’s a strong, resilient community, and I think we’ll do okay,” commented Ron Novak.
The couple are part of a team of volunteers who distribute the Community Meal to shut-ins. “We’ve been doing this for a long time. [Getting the meals out] took on a more urgent need after the derailment. We have faith things will get better and we very much appreciate the bishop being here and his message of encouragement,” Ron Novak added.
Deacon Christopher Evans found it interesting that after a tragedy, people often pull back out of fear, “but I didn’t notice that here. The same amount of people came for Mass. The biggest issue people want is to be given a straight story,” Deacon Evans stated.
The outpouring of support has been both amazing and challenging, in a way. “We, as a community, are always ready to help anybody. But when it happens in your own backyard and people start reaching out to you, you don’t know how to deal with it,” he explained.
Deacon Evans said humility comes into play when people realize they need help. “Whether that be spiritual help or help for a physical need, we talk about the corporal works of mercy—feed the hungry, give counsel to those who are struggling, offer a smile or a kind word; and the spiritual works of mercy— prayer. That’s what it’s about. The good thing about having the bishop is that people don’t realize the bishop is the bishop of everyone within the diocese, whether they are Catholic or not. It’s good to have him down here showing support.”
