In top photo, Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., blesses an outdoor statue of the Blessed Mother before the start of Mass marking the 50th anniversary of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, Whiting, Sept. 12. Joining the Bishop for the blessing are Father Evarist Kabagambe, pastor, and other clergy. Matt Marzorati photo
By Kayla Latendresse, Correspondent
Long before St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish had a church of its own, Theresa O’Neill’s family was part of the Catholic community taking root in Whiting.
Her father served as an usher from the parish’s beginning, and she followed in his footsteps as a teenager. Her older brother, Father James O’Neill, celebrated his first Mass there as the first parishioner to become a priest.
“My family has been parishioners from the beginning of the parish,” Theresa O’Neill said. “I am honored to be a longtime parishioner and excited to be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the parish.”
PHOTO GALLERY: St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish 50th Anniversary
Today, the parish has approximately 3,296 registered parishioners, 56 students in the religious education program, and about 22 ministries.
Parishioners gathered Sept. 12 to mark those five decades as Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., served as principal celebrant and homilist for the anniversary Mass.
Reflecting on the day’s Scripture readings, Bishop O’Connell focused his homily on forgiveness and what Christ asks of his followers.
“Forgiveness is a mercy that lets go. Forgiveness is a mercy that moves on, that reconciles, that makes things right again, or tries to, that brings peace, even when there’s no apology,” he said.
“Forgiveness does not change the past; it doesn’t. It changes the future,” Bishop O’Connell continued, concluding with the hope that Christ’s message would “live in our hearts for at least another 50 years.”
A parish shaped by its people
Father Evarist Kabagambe, who arrived as parochial vicar in 2018 and became pastor in 2022, said his years in the parish have taught him much about the people he serves. He said the faithful “contribute to the well-being of the parish with incredible energy.”
Father Kabagambe also expressed gratitude for the pastors whose work helped form the parish before him, including Msgr. McGovern, Msgr. Joseph Shenrock, and Father Pasquale A. Papalia. “I give thanks to God for their wonderful, thoughtful leadership,” he said.
Deacon Joseph Rider, now retired from active ministry, began serving St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in 1992. He continues to visit nursing home residents and homebound parishioners, bringing them Holy Communion. “I’ve gotten more fulfillment out of helping the people and seeing the people,” he said.
He also remembered his late wife, Jackie, who was one of the founders of the parish’s Youth Ministry and was involved in parish life even before he became a deacon.
Deacon Jerry Purcell, also retired, served the parish for more than three decades. He recalled helping people reconnect with their faith through conversation and practical guidance, while crediting the parishioners who sustained the community over the years. “I think the people were so dedicated and sacrificed so much,” he said.
Looking ahead, he expressed hope that the parish will continue its “tradition of reaching out” across generations and maintain “an open-door policy.”
Deacon Bob Scharen, who has served the parish for about 12 years, leads a Divine Mercy prayer gathering and considers the anniversary especially significant.
“To have people that you’ve really grown to love and to have the same walk in life … to be able to celebrate a day like this is absolutely wonderful,” he said.
Looking to the next generation
Before Mass, Bishop O’Connell blessed Mary’s Path, the newly redesigned prayer space surrounding the parish’s statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Created as a key project of the golden jubilee year, the space includes engraved pavers leading to the statue, landscaping, and benches for prayer and reflection.
“A path is more than a way from one place to another,” Bishop O’Connell said during the blessing. “For the Christian, it can remind us that our whole life is really a path, a pilgrimage, a journey of faith that leads us ultimately to Christ.”
He then prayed that those who visit Mary’s Path might “find peace in times of anxiety, hope in times of discouragement, consolation in times of sorrow, and renewed faith.”
Maria Wilson has experienced connections across generations of her own family as they follow the path of faith. A parishioner for 20 years, she once taught religious education and Vacation Bible School. Today, her daughter teaches religious education, while several of her children remain active in parish life through altar serving, volunteering, and parish activities.
“Being involved has made our faith something that we don’t just practice at Mass on Sunday; it has become part of our family life,” Wilson said.
Linda Quinn, a parishioner for about 30 years, retired in August after 26 years as parish business manager. Over the years, she also served in religious education, as a reader, and as an extraordinary minister of Holy Communion.
Quinn shared encouraging words for younger parishioners and families, “Now it is your turn,” she said. “Make faith the benchmark for raising your children. Embrace the tradition.”
Following Mass, clergy, parishioners, and guests gathered for an anniversary dinner in the parish hall, continuing a golden jubilee year that has included special events, parish gatherings, and opportunities to reflect on the history of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton.
As the parish looks beyond its first 50 years, Wilson hopes future families will experience the same sense of faith and belonging that her family has found there.
“To me, that is what makes a parish more than a building,” she said. “It is the people, the friendships, the traditions, the sacraments, the service to others, and the memories created along the way.”
Sacrifice and Service
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish was established in November 1976 as Whiting’s Catholic population was growing. Bishop George W. Ahr named the new parish for St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first native-born citizen of the United States to be canonized.
Seton, a mother of five and a convert to Catholicism from Episcopalianism, was born in New York City in 1774. Following the loss of her husband, William, in 1803, and her conversion in 1805, she went on to found both the first Catholic girls’ school and the first religious order instituted on American soil – St. Joseph’s Academy and Free School and Sisters of Charity, respectively. She was canonized in 1975 by Pope Paul VI.
Father John J. McGovern was appointed founding pastor of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in December 1976. Without a permanent church, early parishioners worshipped wherever space was available – the chapel at Whiting Memorial Park, the Whiting Firehouse, and during warmer weather, beneath a tent at Harry Wright Lake. During a rainy Palm Sunday Mass in 1977, ushers used brooms to push water from the tent as it flowed down the center aisle.
Ground was broken in September 1977 for the church, rectory and parish meeting center, and Mass was held inside for the first time in March 1979. Over the decades that followed, the parish continued to develop its worship and gathering spaces and establish ministries to serve the community.
