SAN ANTONIO • Fifty years of faith, fellowship and passion for Christ were celebrated with joy at St. Gregory the Great Church during their 50th anniversary year.     Founded in 1955, St. Gregory the Great has prospered in faith under the devotion of its clergy, religious and parishioners. Now, in 2005, it is honoring its legacy and remembering the great moments in the history of the parish.
    On June 12, 1955, Archbishop Robert Lucey blessed the new parish of St. Gregory the Great that consisted of a temporary church, 12 classrooms and 635 families from St. Mary Magdalen Church.
    St. Gregory’s School opened on Sept. 6, 1955, under the direction of Mother Mary Magdalen, five other Presentation Sisters, all from Ireland, and four lay teachers. The enrollment was 464 children.
    The ministries of religious education, the Altar Society, Holy Name Society, adult choir and Parent Teacher Council were formed during that first year and continue today.
    Over the past 50 years there have been five pastors, 22 associate pastors, 30 priests, three deacons, 22 Presentation Sisters, nine principals, seven religious education directors and 37 additional ministers.

    Additions to the physical plant include the present church, dedicated in 1965, the Msgr. Michael J. Holden Parish Center in 1980, and the adoration chapel, which was added in 2004.
    Today, there are 2,100 families in the parish, 600 children in the school, and 400 children in the religious education program.
    To commemorate its 50th anniversary, a Mass of Thanksgiving was celebrated on June 12. A Knights of Columbus Fourth Degree Honor Guard presented arms at the entrance of the church, and ministers of hospitality included students from St. Gregory the Great School, members of the youth group and the teen ACTS team. A procession into the church was led by an archbishop, bishop, priests, charter members and parishioners representing the founding ministries.

    Archbishop Emeritus Patrick F. Flores was the celebrant, and Bishop Charles Grahmann of Dallas, a former pastor at St. Gregory from 1970 to 1980, was the homilist.
    Concelebrants included Auxiliary Bishop Thomas Flanagan; Msgr. Michael O’Gorman, pastor; Msgr. Stanley Petru, pastor from 1980 to 1992, who handed the leadership of the parish to Msgr. O’Gorman; and five former priests assigned to the church: Msgr. Terence Nolan, Father Juan Alfaro, Father Sean Garrett, Father Patrick O’Callaghan and Father Mike Horan.
    Readers at the liturgy were Betty Kwan and Laurie Packard, and gift bearers consisted of charter members, Presentation Sisters and youth of the parish.

    Bishop Grahmann began his homily by acknowledging the many faces in the community familiar to him from the time he was pastor there.
    “The founding parishioners, well, they are a litany of saints,” said the bishop to laughter from the congregation. “And the Presentation Sisters, they are a gift from heaven, I mean, Ireland.”
    That numerous ministries have surfaced over the past five decades is a beautiful tribute to the life of the parish community, Bishop Grahmann said, adding that this response to different needs is really what a parish community is all about.
    However, the bishop went on to articulate the real reason why the standing room only crowd was gathered that day.
    “This building stands as a monument to God, but there is no life in it unless people are there. It is a special sign of the pilgrim church on earth,” he explained. “The church is a reference point for believers which validates and affirms faith. These are not just rules to be obeyed, but a way of living that brings us to a deep personal relationship with Christ.”

    The Dallas prelate and former pastor discussed how many dimensions of faith reside in each individual, and that faith only grows when the individual receives it and accepts it.
    He said, “This parish church tells us reasons for self denial, reasons for self control. It is the patient mother who welcomes us back, nourishes us and guides us. We gather today to mark a point in history. Many people have found shelter and solace here.
    We know we must go on and take our rightful place in pilgrimage to God. We give thanks for so many blessings and keep going under the guidance of grace.”
    Bishop Grahmann concluded by urging listeners to sense a special unity and bond with all the parishes in the world.

    Prior to the end of the liturgy, the current pastor of St. Gregory the Great thanked parishioners for the “special treasure” of all his years at the church.
    “It is quite amazing how the plans of God unfold. Fifty years ago the Spirit of the Lord, working through the lives of good people, opened up an experience of faith, love and community,” said Msgr. O’Gorman. “From then until now, many wonderful things have happened and a generous God has blessed his work. Today we remember and give thanks.”
    To continue the celebration, a reception was held immediately after the Mass at the Norris Convention Center located inside Crossroads Mall. Mariachis and the Noel Henry Showband from Boston entertained during the reception, which included a catered meal and time for visiting. Historical church pictures and displays from the past 50 years were also on exhibit.