News - June 2017 RSS Feed

Members of an already beautiful and vibrant Catholic church in Olean took things to a whole new level on Thursday evening. With help from a string quartet, brass ensemble and an angelic choir, the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels welcomed a couple new symbols that could only be displayed in a basilica. The church's new tintinnabulum bell rang for the first time as part of the opening procession and the ombrellino was placed behind the presider's chair. "We have much to celebrate this day," said Bishop Richard J. Malone to more than 600 parishioners who gathered for the Inaugural Mass, four months after the bishop received word from the Vatican that St. Mary of the Angels had been designated as the 83rd minor basilica in the United States. "You have been chosen and honored by Pope Francis for special distinction. Your distinction will be your one and only life mission as a community of Jesus' followers who come here to be nourished and energized in our word and sacraments and then go out as missionary disciples ready to re-propose the Gospel to a culture that desperately needs to hear it."

OLEAN — In what church officials called the most notable event in the entire history of the more than century-old parish, hundreds gathered into the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels Thursday night to solemnize its recent designation as a basilica. The Mass brought together parishioners, bishops, priests, civic officials and local religious leaders, as well as a large police presence around the West Henley Street church. More than 700 people attended, according to St. Mary’s officials. The Most Rev. Richard J. Malone, bishop of the Diocese of Buffalo, formalized Pope Francis’ designation of the church as a minor basilica. It is only the 83rd basilica in the U.S.

OLEAN — The Rev. Gregory Dobson didn’t have much time at this year’s St. Mary of the Angels’ Festival to enjoy Italian sausage with his family and friends. Instead, amidst the announcer calls from the “I got it!” booth and the ticks of the spinning cake-walk wheel, he gave confessions, hosted pilgrims and guided tours. “We’re tying together our religious tradition and the tradition of a big outdoor street party,” Dobson said Saturday afternoon. “We’re going to be here every June, we might as well say this is what we’re really about.” The 46th church festival once again raised funds for the recently-designated basilica through its usual collection of street food, games and live entertainment. But Dobson said it was equally important for St. Mary’s to stress the religious roots of the weekend’s festivities. He added some churches “had a festival that could have very easily been the Erie County Fair — I mean it doesn’t have any religious component.” That aspect of the festival is meant to be supplemented with the event’s hour changes, in particular the nixing of Friday events and an ending of 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, both of which had in years’ past ran until midnight. Together, those shifts shortened the festival by eight hours. Did that affect festival attendance? Dobson said he was pleased with this year’s turnout. After skimming the crowd and not recognizing but a few people, he added this year’s festival brought in more people from Allegany, Portville, Wellsville and surrounding areas. “I’ve seen people come quite a distance to be here,” he said. Dobson said the time changes were primarily for the good of the volunteers. “The people said to me, ‘We’re pushing too hard’” said the reverend. He added volunteers were working double shifts and becoming exhausted by the weekend’s activities. Dobson said one of the volunteers even thanked the reverend for the change, saying “We can do it better without being exhausted.” Though one festival-goer remarked the church could lose funds based off the shorter hours, many of the Saturday festival-goers said they were unphased by the change. Danielle Vaughn, 21, of Olean, said she “didn’t really notice.” To Jeanne Frisina, an Olean volunteer at the festival, St. Mary’s annual event is still “the starting festival of the summer.” And many said the entertainment, culinary and social aspects of the festival will keep them coming back. “I think it just really promotes the family atmosphere,” said Amy Windus, a resident of Olean and volunteer at the St. Mary’s festival. “It’s also a great way to support the church, and it’s fun.”

Olean Times Herald's photo gallery from the weekend's Church Festival at this link.