Invited to the King’s feast

At first ‘Mob,’ archbishop says point of architecture ‘to celebrate what happens in the church’

Detroit — Andrew Chmielewski remembers going to Palm Sunday Mass at St. Francis D’Assisi in Detroit when he was a little boy, and seeing the church packed.

But lately St. Francis has struggled to fill its pews for any Mass.

Naturally, Chmielewski — a fourth-generation parishioner — was more than a little excited when roughly 1,500 people came for the Oct. 12 noon liturgy.

The occasion was a double-celebration: the 125th anniversary of the church, and the location of the seventh Detroit “Mass Mob.”

“Hopefully this will reinvigorate an interest in the faith,” said Chmielewski, who served as chairman of the church’s anniversary committee, and also helped coordinate bringing the Mass Mob to St. Francis.

The Detroit Mass Mobs were inspired by the Buffalo Mass Mobs in New York, and have drawn hundreds — sometimes thousands — of people to each of the city churches since the Detroit movement began in April.

Mass Mobs are organized and publicized via social media, inviting any and all to support old, historic churches in the area by setting a specific Mass to attend together.

The last Detroit Mass Mob was Sept. 28 at St. Florian Parish, Hamtramck, and drew about 2,000 people.

Chmielewski said St. Francis had reached out to the Mass Mob organizers in the beginning — “when they were just bringing about 500 people” — and it worked out to have the mob take place at the anniversary liturgy.

“We were well-prepared,” he said, adding that other Detroit churches that had hosted Mass Mobs offered helpful input.



St. Francis D’Assisi’s was also the first Mass Mob attended by Archbishop Allen H. Vigneron, though the archbishop had posted a video message of encouragement to Mass Mob participants back in July.

He presided over the Mass, which was concelebrated by local priests including Fr. Ravi Marneni, PIME, pastor of St. Francis D’Assisi and St. Hedwig Parish, which merged in 2013.

In his homily, the archbishop described himself as “kind of a coach” to help the faithful grow in gratitude for the gifts God has given them, and especially for the gift of 125 years at St. Francis D’Assisi.

The archbishop gave his homily from St. Francis’ lofty pulpit: “When I have the opportunity to preach from a pulpit like this, I always take it,” he quipped, as the congregation chuckled.

On a more serious note, Archbishop Vigneron extended a welcome to newcomers in the church, adding that many congregants were present that afternoon “because you particularly find beautiful the architecture of this church.”

“The whole point of the beauty of this church is to celebrate what happens in the church, which is the King’s feast,” he said.

The archbishop explained that Jesus humbles himself so much “that he wants to be our host, and even more — that he wants to make his very self the food and drink he sets before us, as a foretaste, a shadow, of the incomprehensible joy he wants to pour into our hearts.”

Anniversary committee co-chairs Jane Rusin and Peter Moros told The Michigan Catholic that St. Francis D’Assisi has been a great blessing in their lives. Moros married his wife — who received all of her sacraments at St. Francis — in the church in 1967, and Rusin became a parishioner in the early 2000s while church hunting.

“I was searching for a church and the parishioners didn’t even know me, but they welcomed me,” Rusin said.

Fr. Marneni said he was thankful for the blessings of the day, from the parishioners’ dedication, former pastors and nuns’ service in the former school, as well as Archbishop Vigneron’s presence and support: “We hope to continue for many more years.”

The Mass Mob organizers themselves were equally pleased to see another flood of support for an old Detroit church.

AnnaMarie Barnes, Thom Mann and Jeff Stawasz said they initially all connected via social media, along with a fourth organizer, Anthony Battaglia, who was unable to make it for St. Francis’ event.

“We all found each other through the grace of God,” Stawasz said.

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Who’s up next?

The next Detroit Mass Mob will be at Our Lady Queen of Apostles Parish, 3851 Prescott St., Hamtramck, on Sunday, Nov. 16 at noon.

Visit DetroitMassMob.com for more information.