VALPARAISO – Parishioners at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton admit they are a small, rural parish, and that’s just the way they like it.
Many of them gathered on July 20 to celebrate the 43rd anniversary of the parish’s dedication with a Holy Mass and the annual parish picnic, which resembled a family reunion.
“As I look around the room, I can say that I know at least one person at every table,” said Larry Brandt, the lector at Mass. “We pretty much all know each other, and it is a very welcoming parish.”
Father Michael Kopil, pastor, put his finger on the reason for his congregation’s friendliness and closeness. “Everybody here came from someplace else, since we are only 43 years old,” he noted. “Seventy-five percent of our parishioners have joined within the past 10 years, so the people of this parish really welcome new parishioners.”
Bishop Robert J. McClory received a warm welcome as he arrived to celebrate the anniversary Mass, bringing with him a theme that stressed neighbors and relationships.
In his homily, the bishop recalled a widow who was a neighbor of his family in suburban Detroit when he was a boy, and how his father would mow her lawn and perform other tasks to help her. In exchange, she would prepare delicious soups or gelatin salads for the family.
“When I went to pick up the food, she would ask me about my brothers and sisters – I was the youngest – and wanted to talk,” said the bishop. “I realized this was not a transactional thing, but a relationship.
“I think a lot about that in terms of our life as Christians and the example of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton,” he added, noting that she struggled financially with 11 children to raise after her husband died, yet she continued to serve others, funding the first Catholic school in the U.S. and establishing a religious order.
“We can fill our lives with things we do for God and think we deserve a reward, but Jesus calls us for much more than that … to have a relationship with him.”
Bishop McClory called upon the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton congregation to “Be inspired by her and have love for the Lord, a love that needs to go outside the doors of the church and serve people who are anxious and worried, like Martha in our gospel today (Luke 10: 38-42). Just say to them, ‘How are you?’ or ‘Can I pray with you?’ It’s not that complicated.”
Gretchen Bergstedt, who has co-chaired the parish picnic for five years with her husband, Alex Bergstedt, embodies that spirit of cultivating relationships at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. “We had been so separated by the COVID pandemic and had been helping some friends with the picnic before 2020; we took it over that year and have been doing it ever since,” she said.
“I like being in a smaller parish, like I grew up in at St. Andrew, now Holy Martyrs, in Merrillville,” she added. “A lot of us know each other, and we get to see people all together, people you might not see at weekly Mass in a big parish.
“The picnic is important because we associate it with the dedication of the parish, and it’s a fun summer event,” Bergstedt said.
Ray and Dolly Manista attended the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton dedication Mass 43 years ago, he recalled, and while memories of the details have slipped away, “I remember that our first Masses were held in people’s homes, and then we began meeting in a dance hall at Lake Eliza. A new section was built adjacent to the old building where we held Mass, and I remember there was a fire one night and the next morning the new section was badly damaged, but that old building was untouched,” said Ray Manista.
After a few years, the church was finished and dedicated in 1982. “What I like best about our parish is the camaraderie; we have developed a lot of good friendships,” he added.
Dolly Manista agreed that fellow parishioners “are very friendly and always help us out. I like Father (Michael) Kopil, our pastor, too. My family knew his family back in Glen Park and his parents drove me to work.”
Among the best friends of the Manista’s are Bill and Charlotte Rosta, whose favorite thing about her parish is the Prison Ministry that she and her husband established in 2003 to provide clothing for prisoners when they are released from the Indiana State Prison in Michigan City and the Westville Correctional Center.
“People in our parish and throughout the diocese are very generous, but we always need clothing for the program,” added Rosta. To learn more about how to donate, call the parish office at 464-1624 and press 8.
Helen Giacomin called her parish “very giving,” adding that the Funeral Luncheon Ministry is known for its bountiful meals. “There are so many food choices, people are overwhelmed.”
Darcia Schwarten recalls working with the Ministry of Encouragement for 13 years with fellow parishioner Pat Hehmann, offering “rides to doctor appointments, grocery stores and other places,” and putting together floral displays for holidays. “It was wonderful; we got more joy out of it than the people we helped,” she said.
Director of Religious Education Emily Hynes praised her parish’s “devoted parish ministries and the people dedicated to leading them, including the Devotion Ministry, Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Prison Ministry and Bereavement Ministry.”
Ed Weber, who helped grill the burgers and hot dogs for the picnic, said his favorite thing about his parish is that “I don’t hear a negative thing come out of anyone’s mouth, and if anyone is in a pickle and asks, people help out.”
Rommel Biscacho, who joined St. Elizabeth Ann Seton three years ago with his wife, Cheryl Biscacho and their family, recalls feeling very welcome. “It’s a smaller parish and has a great sense of community,” he said.
“Gatherings like this picnic” drew the praise of Jack Lukas, who proudly proclaimed that he was “born and raised at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. Whether you are new or old parishioners, there is a feeling of community.”
Caption: Bingo players clap after one of their tablemates won a game during the annual parish picnic at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Valparaiso on July 20. White elephant prizes were supplied by parishioners, who also brought potluck side dishes and desserts to share. The parish provided hamburgers, hot dogs and brats grilled by volunteers. (Marlene A. Zloza photo)
