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May 9, 2005 
VOL.
43, NO. 9Oakland,
CA
St. Paschal Parish – 50 years of community prayer
Ten years ago, Adrian Mison Fulay visited St. Paschal
Church in Oakland without high expectations. He assumed the Saturday evening
Mass would be reflective of a “let’s get it over with”
mentality he’d observed among some parishioners in other parishes.
Instead, he experienced an engaging liturgy and a surprisingly friendly
congregation. “They knew I wasn’t part of the community, but
they welcomed me and they invited me back,” he said.
The Berkeley resident returned for a Sunday Mass and again found the parishioners
to be affable and the liturgy vibrant.
“I felt that this (liturgy) was something very important to the
community here,” he said. “And that has kept me coming back.”
Today he is the parish’s liturgy director. And liturgy remains at
the center of parish life.
Next Sunday, May 15, Bishop Allen Vigneron will preside at the 10:30 a.m.
Mass, the culmination of the parish’s 50th anniversary celebrations
that included a brunch kickoff last May, a special Advent pageant, and
a dinner/dance last month for 200 current and former parishioners. The
Mass will be the only liturgy on Sunday and will be followed by a champagne
brunch.
Liturgy is what St. Paschal has long been known for, said Father Michael
Norkett, pastor since 2001. He cited the successful music ministry, including
an “excellent” choir, as one of the strengths of their liturgy
program. His predecessor, Father Robert Rien, pastor from 1990 –
1998, was a liturgist who developed a liturgy committee and choir, leaving
a lasting legacy, Father Norkett said.
Father Rien helped the parish focus on “really celebrating liturgy
well and really making it the center of our lives and the community,”
Fulay added. “He got the parishioners involved in owning the liturgy
or making it their own.”
“A lot of people have the sense that they are responsible for making
the liturgy work and happen on a Sunday,” Fulay explained. “They
are here, they are involved in the ministries [as Eucharistic ministers,
greeters, Eucharistic bread bakers], they are involved in the choir, they
expect engaging homilies and music that uplifts and inspires.”
This sense of ownership among the 220 registered members spills out into
other parish ministries. Some volunteer at downtown Oakland’s St.
Mary’s Center, which gave St. Paschal’s its “outstanding
parish” award a couple of years ago
Others are involved at Elizabeth House for homeless women and their children
and Casa Vincentia, a residential program for single pregnant women, both
in Oakland. During Advent, the parish sponsors a Giving Tree program to
aid local charities.
About three years ago, SPRED, the diocesan Special Religious Education
Department, moved its model training center to the parish’s former
convent. This ministry for Catholics with developmental disabilities has
brought fresh energy to the parish, said Chris Dobbins, pastoral council
president. Since SPRED’s arrival, a number of parishioners have
become active supporters of the program.
Last year the parish went through a difficult time with the closure of
St. Paschal School, one of three schools in the diocese to close because
of low enrollment and revenues. But the older parishioners realized that
it was inevitable because there were few Catholic families with children
enrolled there, Father Norkett said. A private school, Northern Light,
is now renting the site.
As the parish looks toward its future, it has begun the formidable task
of attracting new and younger members. The issue is especially challenging
because the church is tucked up on a hill in a residential area near the
Oakland Zoo. High housing costs have deterred potential young adult homeowners
from moving into the area.
The parish may benefit from new housing construction at a former quarry
near Edwards Avenue and a possible housing project at the former Oak Knoll
Naval Hospital.
In the meantime the parish has started a campaign that is part-evangelization
and part-community building called “Growing the Parish.” Parishioners
have distributed flyers and brochures in the neighborhood to let residents
know about the parish and have hosted a block party on parish property.
A group of parishioners are also going door-to-door to visit homes in
the neighborhood to introduce themselves, describe the parish community
and invite residents to visit the church and see for themselves. “Part
of it is reaching out to people who are not part of a church anymore or
who have left the Church or who just haven’t thought about it,”
said Fulay.
One focus is teens and young adults. “We’re trying to get
a young adult program going,” said Dobbins, 33. He acknowledged
that many of his peers are not motivated to go to church. To help bridge
the generation gap he has helped organize events for younger people, including
a haunted house for Halloween. He hopes to plan similar activities in
the future. “It is a challenge for any of the churches to get younger
people
going,” he said.
St.
Paschal Church sits on an Oakland hill with sweeping views of San Francisco
Bay. Its three-bell tower (left) is a landmark, easily seen from Hwy.
580..
Father Michael Norkett, pastor, elevates the consecrated host and wine
during Sunday Mass. Left, a group of the parish’s Eucharistic ministers
prepare to help him distribute Communion.
Parishioners of all ages, including infant Jovan Hacker and his dad (above), worship in the church which acquired a new altar in 1992. Bishop Cummins presided at the dedication liturgy on April 5 of that year.
GREG TARCZYSNKI PHOTOS
