Archbishop Buechlein celebrates parish feast day, blesses St. Theodora portrait

Archbishop Daniel M. Buechlein and Father Varghese Maliakkal, administrator of St. Michael the Archangel Parish, consecrate the Eucharist during a Sept. 29 feast day Mass at the Indianapolis West Deanery church. A nine-day novena preceded the liturgy. The portrait depicting St. Theodora Guérin teaching children will hang on a pillar in the church.

By Mary Ann Wyand

It was a festive celebration of saints.

After completing a nine-day novena to their patron, St. Michael the Archangel parishioners in Indianapolis celebrated the feast day of the archangels—Michael, Gabriel and Raphael—and honored St. Theodora Guérin during a Sept. 29 Mass celebrated by Archbishop Daniel M. Buechlein.

Cardinal Ritter Jr./Sr. High School band members were on hand to play after the feast day liturgy and Archbishop Buechlein blessed a portrait depicting St. Theodora ­teaching children that will hang on a stone pillar in the Indianapolis West Deanery church.

“My sisters and brothers, let us turn to St. Theodora Guérin to intercede for us,” the archbishop said. “We believe she was a woman in whom the qualities of beauty, courage, hope and holiness are combined with such grace and strength that she is a visible sign of God’s Providence to our God-hungry, troubled and war-weary world.”

In his homily, Archbishop Buechlein told St. Michael parishioners that the feast day liturgy celebrates and reveres the mighty archangel as our defender and God’s messenger.

“St. Gregory said whenever some act of wondrous power must be performed, [the archangel] Michael is sent,” he said, “so that his action and his name may make it clear that no one can do what God does.”

That message is timeless, Archbishop Buechlein said, and very timely for Christians to remember in their daily life.

God’s mercy is his greatest gift to us, he said, but do we place our trust in God?

“Do we have the confidence that the Father’s mercy is there for us?” Archbishop Buechlein asked. “Are we willing to place ourselves in God’s hands? Do we put our trust in Jesus Christ? … If all things are possible with God, why does our faith falter [at times]? Do we believe that Jesus can and will see us through the decisions—the ups and downs—of our lives? … Let’s take this ­opportunity at this Eucharist to renew our trust in Christ’s love and mercy for us.”

Faith is like a muscle, he said, which must be ­exercised through regular prayer.

“With the intercession of St. Michael, our defender and our messenger from God about God’s mercy,” the archbishop said, “let’s renew our ­commitment to be faithful people who pray.”

Next year marks the 60th anniversary of the founding of the parish, Father Varghese Maliakkal, parish ­administrator, told the gathering. He praised the “great St. Michael’s family” for being “good and loving people.”

At the conclusion of the liturgy, Father Varghese ­presented a traditional ornamental cloak made in India to Archbishop Buechlein and thanked him for doubling their joy with his presence.

Parish council president Dave Legge also thanked the archbishop for celebrating the feast day Mass and ­blessing St. Theodora’s portrait for the church.

“It was about now—60 years ago—that 103 families from St. Anthony, Holy Trinity and Holy Angels [parishes] set foot on the ground that is now the St. Michael campus,” Legge said. “It would be May 1948 before the ­cornerstone would be set on the school, where Mass was first offered, and nearly two years more before the first footprint of our church was made a reality.”

Since the parish was founded after World War II, Legge said, “each decade has strengthened our ­footsteps and our resolve. The school addition was ­constructed in 1965, this sanctuary was completed in 1978 and the Parish Life Center was added in 1999. The meditation garden is the latest improvement added just last June.”

St. Michael’s 103 founding families have grown into 683 households, he said. “… We are hungry to ­celebrate life in God, to spread God’s love and healing to others, and are committed to passing on our Catholic heritage.” †