Princeton Junction parish festival ‘like celebrating the world’
January 27, 2025 at 3:40 p.m.
UPDATED Jan. 27, 2025
St. David the King Parish, Princeton Junction, celebrated its inaugural St. Sebastian and International Food Festival Jan. 25, celebrating the diversity of the parish, which serves more than 17 ethnic communities.
PHOTO GALLERY: St. Sebastian Feast Day celebration
“It’s like celebrating the world,” said parishioner Soumy Jimmy, who attended the afternoon festival that began with an outdoor procession. Six parishioners carried a decorated statue of St. Sebastian and placed it near the altar in the sanctuary. Many of the nationalities represented in the parish claim St. Sebastian as their national patron, said Father Jason Parzynski, pastor.
A Mass followed the procession, with Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M, serving as principal celebrant and homilist. Bishop O’Connell noted that the feast of St. Sebastian coincided with the Word of God Sunday, which Pope Francis established liturgically in 2019. As Bishop O’Connell preached in his homily, this designation attests to the “power of the Word of God to unite a community.”
Word of God Sunday
The Bishop highlighted the importance of listening to the Word of God each Sunday and not becoming distracted from God’s message. He pointed out how deeply the Word of God has penetrated the hearts and minds and souls of the Church’s greatest saints over the centuries, leading many of them — like St. Sebastian — to give up their lives as martyrs for the faith.
“The heroic stories of these ancient early martyrs support the truth of the Church Fathers’ assertion that the ‘blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church,’” the Bishop said. “The more Christians were persecuted, the more they would multiply. The witness of martyrs — the word itself means ‘witness’ — gave life to the Church, and their blood has borne fruit for and in the Church.”
Bishop O’Connell also spoke of the inspiration of St. Sebastian, who lived in the third century. When Sebastian’s faith was detected, the Emperor Diocletian demanded his execution by arrows. However, he was saved and nursed back to health by a Christian woman named Irene, and later directly confronted the Emperor, condemning his persecution of Christians. When Sebastian was killed, another Christian woman named Lucina, who had received visions of the martyr, retrieved his body from the common sewer and gave him a proper burial in the catacombs.
“We who are the Church today must never give up doing good and giving witness to him who is ‘the Way, the Truth and the Life,’ which nothing, even martyrdom, can ever take away,” Bishop O’Connell said.
Following St. Sebastian’s example
Father Parzynski said St. Sebastian “stands as a powerful example of perseverance and faith. His unwavering conviction in defending his faith, even in the face of persecution, makes him an inspiring model for living out the Gospel in our daily lives.”
Following the Mass, parishioners carrying a St. Sebastian statue decorated with ribbons and flowers led the celebrants, altar servers and others in a procession through the building to the Great Hall for an ethnic feast. The evening included cultural dance presentations, a dance floor and karaoke contributions from many, including Bishop O’Connell; Father Jean Felicien, the Bishop’s priest-secretary and master of ceremonies; and Father Parzynski. Dozens of couples flooded the dance floor as the clerical trio sang Nat King Cole’s 1965 hit “L-O-V-E.”
The combination of St. Sebastian’s celebration with the International Food Festival was no coincidence.
“By celebrating his feast day, we recognize the shared devotion that connects us across our diverse backgrounds,” said Father Parzynski. But the pastor said such gatherings “go beyond cultural celebration. They reflect the Eucharistic unity we share in Christ. By coming together in this way, we live out the Gospel call to love and serve one another, celebrating both our diversity and our oneness in Christ.”
Connecting with others
Many parishioners personally connected with the celebration. Neena Kurian spoke fondly of the “grand celebrations” for St. Sebastian in her home state of Kerala, India.
Some said the evening was a part of an arc of community events becoming more common for the parish following the restrictions of COVID-19.
“After COVID, our parish suffered in terms of connecting with people,” said Jane Labban. “We took it for granted before. You have to support your Church.”
Parishioners credit Father Parzynski for the increase in St. David’s sense of unity as a parish, as well as education and outreach efforts.
“Father Jason has done a lot for education about the saints,” said parishioner Bob Savage. He called it “great participation” that about 300 people came to celebrate the parish’s cultural heritage.
St. David the King parishioners present traditional dance during the international festival held in the Great Hall Jan. 25. The festival followed the celebration of Mass by Bishop O'Connell. John Batkowski photos
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UPDATED Jan. 27, 2025
St. David the King Parish, Princeton Junction, celebrated its inaugural St. Sebastian and International Food Festival Jan. 25, celebrating the diversity of the parish, which serves more than 17 ethnic communities.
PHOTO GALLERY: St. Sebastian Feast Day celebration
“It’s like celebrating the world,” said parishioner Soumy Jimmy, who attended the afternoon festival that began with an outdoor procession. Six parishioners carried a decorated statue of St. Sebastian and placed it near the altar in the sanctuary. Many of the nationalities represented in the parish claim St. Sebastian as their national patron, said Father Jason Parzynski, pastor.
A Mass followed the procession, with Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M, serving as principal celebrant and homilist. Bishop O’Connell noted that the feast of St. Sebastian coincided with the Word of God Sunday, which Pope Francis established liturgically in 2019. As Bishop O’Connell preached in his homily, this designation attests to the “power of the Word of God to unite a community.”
Word of God Sunday
The Bishop highlighted the importance of listening to the Word of God each Sunday and not becoming distracted from God’s message. He pointed out how deeply the Word of God has penetrated the hearts and minds and souls of the Church’s greatest saints over the centuries, leading many of them — like St. Sebastian — to give up their lives as martyrs for the faith.
“The heroic stories of these ancient early martyrs support the truth of the Church Fathers’ assertion that the ‘blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church,’” the Bishop said. “The more Christians were persecuted, the more they would multiply. The witness of martyrs — the word itself means ‘witness’ — gave life to the Church, and their blood has borne fruit for and in the Church.”
Bishop O’Connell also spoke of the inspiration of St. Sebastian, who lived in the third century. When Sebastian’s faith was detected, the Emperor Diocletian demanded his execution by arrows. However, he was saved and nursed back to health by a Christian woman named Irene, and later directly confronted the Emperor, condemning his persecution of Christians. When Sebastian was killed, another Christian woman named Lucina, who had received visions of the martyr, retrieved his body from the common sewer and gave him a proper burial in the catacombs.
“We who are the Church today must never give up doing good and giving witness to him who is ‘the Way, the Truth and the Life,’ which nothing, even martyrdom, can ever take away,” Bishop O’Connell said.
Following St. Sebastian’s example
Father Parzynski said St. Sebastian “stands as a powerful example of perseverance and faith. His unwavering conviction in defending his faith, even in the face of persecution, makes him an inspiring model for living out the Gospel in our daily lives.”
Following the Mass, parishioners carrying a St. Sebastian statue decorated with ribbons and flowers led the celebrants, altar servers and others in a procession through the building to the Great Hall for an ethnic feast. The evening included cultural dance presentations, a dance floor and karaoke contributions from many, including Bishop O’Connell; Father Jean Felicien, the Bishop’s priest-secretary and master of ceremonies; and Father Parzynski. Dozens of couples flooded the dance floor as the clerical trio sang Nat King Cole’s 1965 hit “L-O-V-E.”
The combination of St. Sebastian’s celebration with the International Food Festival was no coincidence.
“By celebrating his feast day, we recognize the shared devotion that connects us across our diverse backgrounds,” said Father Parzynski. But the pastor said such gatherings “go beyond cultural celebration. They reflect the Eucharistic unity we share in Christ. By coming together in this way, we live out the Gospel call to love and serve one another, celebrating both our diversity and our oneness in Christ.”
Connecting with others
Many parishioners personally connected with the celebration. Neena Kurian spoke fondly of the “grand celebrations” for St. Sebastian in her home state of Kerala, India.
Some said the evening was a part of an arc of community events becoming more common for the parish following the restrictions of COVID-19.
“After COVID, our parish suffered in terms of connecting with people,” said Jane Labban. “We took it for granted before. You have to support your Church.”
Parishioners credit Father Parzynski for the increase in St. David’s sense of unity as a parish, as well as education and outreach efforts.
“Father Jason has done a lot for education about the saints,” said parishioner Bob Savage. He called it “great participation” that about 300 people came to celebrate the parish’s cultural heritage.
St. David the King parishioners present traditional dance during the international festival held in the Great Hall Jan. 25. The festival followed the celebration of Mass by Bishop O'Connell. John Batkowski photos