By Mary Stadnyk | Associate Editor

Before the start of morning Mass on Sept. 7, parishioners quietly placed an assortment of unrelated items in the sanctuary of St. Ann Church, Lawrenceville. The items, that included a tool box and hand drill, a stethoscope, gardening shovels, a broom, a vacuum cleaner, a wheeled carrier filled with knitting needles, crochet hooks and glue guns, and a small tube of skin cream, made for an interesting display that represented the parishioners’ various fields of work, professions, ministries and hobbies. The parishioners were invited to bring the items to the Mass during which they and their owners received a special blessing in commemoration of Labor Day.

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It has become a tradition in St. Ann Parish to commemorate Labor Day, which was named a national holiday in 1894 with a Mass that included a Blessing of the Tools and provided an opportunity for faithful to reflect on their toils and trades.

The tenor of the Mass was celebratory, as the nearly 100 faithful readily joined in the singing of familiar liturgical hymns and the ever patriotic, America the Beautiful, which was chosen for the recessional song. In their prayer, parishioners also remembered fellow brothers and sisters those persons who are unemployed, underemployed and all who are experiencing challenges in making ends meet in the midst of an unpredictable national economy.

In his homily, Trinitarian Father Gerard Lynch, pastor of St. Ann Parish, spoke of how common it is for people to think that others are not watching them or what they do. People, he said, often quietly go about their work thinking that others might not notice.

“If you think that, you are wrong. You’re sadly mistaken,” said Father Lynch, his remark being met by a few chuckles from the congregation.

Noting that people do indeed observe others, Father Lynch said that Catholic Christians also have a responsibility to behave accordingly and, “we have to show that we are in the ordinary things that we do.”

Those who truly exemplify what it means to be Christian communicate to others and “preach in ways that can either draw people closer to God or give them reason to question God.”

Imploring the congregation to give “thanks for the gift of labor,” Father Lynch said that “We are here to receive Christ in the Word and the Sacrament so that we in turn can bring Christ to others.”

“Attending Mass is about giving to others what we received. So we have a duty to go and preach the Gospel with our lives each and every day,” said Father Lynch.

Following the reception of Holy Communion, Father Lynch blessed the various tools that were placed in the sanctuary with holy water and offered a prayer on how each of these gifts by themselves is “precious.” When they are brought together, he said, they are “tremendous” and show “how they are used in serving our parish family.”

While opening his tool box to show the wide range of tools he uses to make repairs in homes, Manuel Pineda smiled as he spoke of how the Mass on Labor Day was a special time for him to thank God for his work and to pray for his customers.

As she hoisted her wheeled cart down the steps of the sanctuary, parishioner Cami Vieni spoke of how meaningful it was to have items such as knitting needles, crochet hooks and glue guns that represented her membership in the parish’s prayer shawl ministry and her love of doing crafts, blessed during the Mass.

“This is awesome,” said Vieni. “This is a great idea to honor the many fields that people are involved in and a day for us to thank God for what he has given to us.”

Holding a tube of specialized skin cream in hand, fellow parishioner Bernadette Izzo talked about being an esthetician and her work with plastic surgeons and dermatologists. She concurred that Labor Day is about thanking God for having a job and she also extended thanks to Father Lynch for sharing his gifts with the community of St. Ann Parish.