Archbishop Schnurr to celebrate outdoor Mass at Richard Blankenship farm
Lead Summary
By
Brandy Chandler-brandychandler@gmail.com
Hail Mary, full of grace – Highland County resident Richard Blankenship, a longtime educator and broadcaster of high school football, stands by the
grotto to the Virgin Mary on his farm east of Hillsboro.
Archbishop Schnurr to celebrate outdoor Mass at Richard Blankenship farm
In a sanctuary “built by the hands of God,” the Catholic parish in Highland County will host an Archbishop during a farm service on June 12.
Archbishop Dennis Schnurr, of the Cincinnati Archdiocese, will celebrate an outdoor Mass on the property of Richard Blankenship, located on state
Route 124 near Rocky Fork Lake.
“This is historical. This is the first time in the history of the Catholic Church in Highland County. Since 1845, the Archbishop has never
come out for a farm Mass, for both St. Benignus and St. Mary (Catholic churches),” according to Father Mike Paraniuk, who is the pastor of both
churches, located in Greenfield and Hillsboro, respectively.
How did the churches achieve such an honor after more than a century without a visit from an Archbishop?
“I asked,” Paraniuk said, and then laughed. “The parishes were together until 1899. Since it has been 110 years for both churches to be joined by
one pastor, and because of the fact that the Archbishop is new, I thought it would be a wonderful thing for him to perform his first official Mass in Highland County by having a farm Mass and a party.”
Schnurr was named Archbishop of Cincinnati by Pope Benedict XVI in 2008.
Paraniuk, known as “Father Mike,” has been the pastor for both churches since Father Frank X. Klamet – the former pastor at St. Benignus – died in
2009.
Since taking on the responsibilities of both churches, “Father Mike” has been busy, doing double the work if he had just one congregation, but says
“I’m enjoying what I’m doing.”
He performs seven Masses a week, including an Hispanic service. Father Mike said that Blankenship requested that the service be held at his farm, and
that an outdoor service is something the churches usually have once a year. Blankenship has “a beautiful grotto to the Virgin Mary, which will present a
beautiful backdrop. We will be surrounded by trees, and it just gives it a holy atmosphere.
“(During a farm service) instead of Mass being said in a church building, the Mass is said outside,” Paraniuk said. “It’s just a change in
location, instead of being in a church built by the hands of man, we are in a church built by the hands of God.”
Approximately 300 people are expected to attend the service, which will include a potluck dinner afterward.
“The Archbishop has been very interested in reaching out to all corners of the archdiocese,” said Tony Stieritz, director of Catholic Rural Life at
the Cincinnati archdiocese. “The coadjutor has made a very special effort to visit as many parishes as he can and be involved as much as he can with the
Catholic communities.”
Typically, Stieritz said, the Archbishop would participate in approximately two farm Masses a year, organized by the Catholic Rural Life.
However, “This happens to be a very special one. This was really done on the initiative of the parish and the Blankenship family.”
Blankenship said that this year’s event will be the 14th farm Mass he has hosted, and that he built the grotto “in honor of my mother and the blessed Virgin Mary. It’s a very sacred and holy event to me. I think it comes from the fact that I was in a Catholic orphanage that was run by nuns, and they really stuck with me. (The services) are very special to me. I just wanted to get the ‘bigshot’ (the Archbishop) up here one time. We were very
fortunate for him to be available.”
Paraniuk said that the Mass will be special for the churches as a whole and “we are thrilled because of the historic nature of the event. I believe
we are witnessing history and that this will be talked about for years to come. The Catholics in Highland County will remember where they were on June
12, 2010.”
“It’s an honor and a special event,” Blankenship said. “You don’t have the Archbishop come to your home every day. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. But I’ll ask him to come back next year!”
In a sanctuary “built by the hands of God,” the Catholic parish in Highland County will host an Archbishop during a farm service on June 12.
Archbishop Dennis Schnurr, of the Cincinnati Archdiocese, will celebrate an outdoor Mass on the property of Richard Blankenship, located on state Route 124 near Rocky Fork Lake.
“This is historical. This is the first time in the history of the Catholic Church in Highland County. Since 1845, the Archbishop has never come out for a farm Mass, for both St. Benignus and St. Mary (Catholic churches),” according to Father Mike Paraniuk, who is the pastor of both churches, located in Greenfield and Hillsboro, respectively.
How did the churches achieve such an honor after more than a century without a visit from an Archbishop?
“I asked,” Paraniuk said, and then laughed. “The parishes were together until 1899. Since it has been 110 years for both churches to be joined by one pastor, and because of the fact that the Archbishop is new, I thought it would be a wonderful thing for him to perform his first official Mass in Highland County by having a farm Mass and a party.”
Schnurr was named Archbishop of Cincinnati by Pope Benedict XVI in 2008.
Paraniuk, known as “Father Mike,” has been the pastor for both churches since Father Frank X. Klamet – the former pastor at St. Benignus – died in 2009.
Since taking on the responsibilities of both churches, “Father Mike” has been busy, doing double the work if he had just one congregation, but says “I’m enjoying what I’m doing.”
He performs seven Masses a week, including an Hispanic service. Father Mike said that Blankenship requested that the service be held at his farm, and that an outdoor service is something the churches usually have once a year. Blankenship has “a beautiful grotto to the Virgin Mary, which will present a beautiful backdrop. We will be surrounded by trees, and it just gives it a holy atmosphere.
“(During a farm service) instead of Mass being said in a church building, the Mass is said outside,” Paraniuk said. “It’s just a change in location, instead of being in a church built by the hands of man, we are in a church built by the hands of God.”
Approximately 300 people are expected to attend the service, which will include a potluck dinner afterward.
“The Archbishop has been very interested in reaching out to all corners of the archdiocese,” said Tony Stieritz, director of Catholic Rural Life at the Cincinnati archdiocese. “The coadjutor has made a very special effort to visit as many parishes as he can and be involved as much as he can with the Catholic communities.”
Typically, Stieritz said, the Archbishop would participate in approximately two farm Masses a year, organized by the Catholic Rural Life.
However, “This happens to be a very special one. This was really done on the initiative of the parish and the Blankenship family.”
Blankenship said that this year’s event will be the 14th farm Mass he has hosted, and that he built the grotto “in honor of my mother and the blessed Virgin Mary. It’s a very sacred and holy event to me. I think it comes from the fact that I was in a Catholic orphanage that was run by nuns, and they really stuck with me. (The services) are very special to me. I just wanted to get the ‘bigshot’ (the Archbishop) up here one time. We were very fortunate for him to be available.”
Paraniuk said that the Mass will be special for the churches as a whole and “we are thrilled because of the historic nature of the event. I believe we are witnessing history and that this will be talked about for years to come. The Catholics in Highland County will remember where they were on June 12, 2010.”
“It’s an honor and a special event,” Blankenship said. “You don’t have the Archbishop come to your home every day. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. But I’ll ask him to come back next year!”
[[In-content Ad]]