Contacts & Publisher

Subscription Form

St. Sabina celebrates 50 years of spreading faith

Joe Kohn of The Michigan Catholic
Published June 29, 2007

Joe Kohn | The Michigan Catholic Cardinal Adam Maida offers a sign of peace to Fr. Joseph Romano during the parish's 50th anniversary celebration.Pastor of St. Sabina Parish for 16 years, Fr. Romano attains   St. Sabina Parish Location: Dearborn Heights Established: 1957 Families: 600 School: St. Sabina School (K-8), established in 1960 by the Felician Sisters. Current pastor: Fr. Joseph Romano, who attains senior priest status July 1 Next pastor: Fr. Raymond Bucon, who takes over July 1 Phone: (313) 561-1977

Dearborn Heights — This month, parishioners at St. Sabina Parish wasted no time rolling up their sleeves to adorn their church's landscape with 1,400 marigolds, to double the size of the choir, and to prepare a reception for hundreds of guests.

And according to those celebrating the parish's 50th anniversary at Mass on June 24 — for which all the preparation was being done — that kind of hard work and cooperation has defined the parish over the years.

"Fr. (Joe) Howard, our founding pastor, always said, 'Nothing but the best for St. Sabina,'" recalled Virginia Favor, a founding parishioner and chairwoman of the parish's 50th anniversary committee. "And we always repeat that."

Cardinal Adam Maida joined the 600-family parish for the celebration on the feast of St. John the Baptist. The Mass also marked one of the final Masses Fr. Joseph Romano would celebrate as St. Sabina's pastor. Its pastor for 16 years, he attains senior priest status in July.

In his homily, Cardinal Maida reflected on both the mission of St. John the Baptist, and the tradition of the parish family.

"The whole life and witness of John the Baptist was to prepare the way for Christ the Lord," the cardinal said. "You might conclude that it is our right and our challenge to follow that example and prepare ourselves and prepare others for the second coming of the Lord."

The cardinal thanked the parish for its dedication to the Blessed Sacrament — for which a perpetual devotion had been established. He called St. Sabina a "jewel" in the neighborhood and commended the parish for its 47 years of Catholic education through St. Sabina School. The Felician sisters, who Cardinal Maida referred to as the "spark plug" of the school, were on hand for the Mass, as well.

Before the Mass, Fr. Romano spoke about the warmth and openness of the community, which he said was apparent from the day he took over as its pastor on Feb. 15, 1991.

"It was the coldest day of the year," Fr. Romano said. "But it became a very warm place to be."

He described St. Sabina's parishioners as "very friendly, very welcoming people," as evidenced in their active St. Vincent de Paul society — one of the most active among surrounding parishes — and strong spirit of volunteerism.

Joe Kohn | The Michigan Catholic St. Sabina School eighth graders (from left) Paul Corsi, Ryan Wheeler, Britney Bruce and Brian Nguyen take up the offertory gifts during Mass.

It was a spirit that started, he said, in prayer.

"They started off with a strong sense of community, with little prayer groups in people's homes," Fr. Romano said.

The tradition of worship only grew from there. Parishioners at St. Sabina still say the rosary before each weekday Mass, and have celebrated the parish jubilee also with a parish mission and a devotion to the Divine Mercy.

Many who were celebrating the milestone last Sunday were there from the parish's beginnings.

"It's a great experience," said parishioner Mary Ann Abraham, who with her husband Michael raised three children in the parish and school. "We don't always get to have 50 years, either in marriage or in celebrating something else for 50 years — it's come so quickly."

Like many, she remembers her own wedding at the parish, two years after it was established in 1957, and her children's baptisms, first Communions, confirmations and funerals.

"It's like home," Abraham said. "Everyone there is like family."

Joe Kohn | The Michigan Catholic Several Felician sisters were on hand for St. Sabina Parish's 50th anniversary Mass. Cardinal Maida thanked the sisters for establishing and maintaining the 47-year-old St. Sabina School.

Younger parishioners, too, such as Anthony Perry, a 38-year-old who was raised in the parish, reflected on the willingness of dedicated parishioners to maintain the parish.

"The people in the parish are not afraid to roll up their sleeves," Perry said. "You know that those people are going to be there if you needed them. They're the same people who go and deliver Eucharist to sick people, and ask about people if they're not there — they care about people."

As for the future of the parish and school, there's work and prayer to do to make sure the same spirit of cooperation is carried on to future generations, said Bob Krason, a founding parishioner and also a member of the anniversary commission.

"We encourage the young people — especially through the men's club and through the parish festival — to participate," Krason said. "Once the children are involved, they will be involved when they grow up later on."

It's worked for 50 years so far. And the parish is hoping it continues when its new pastor, Fr. Raymond Bucon, takes over next month.

In the meantime, the people of St. Sabina had 50 years worth of blessings for which to thank the Lord.

"For 50 years we have worshipped, studied and worked to make God's Kingdom present in our world," wrote Fr. Romano in the parish bulletin's 50th anniversary edition. "It is only by the Grace of God that we have been able to become what we are today. Grace gave this community in the beginning the courage and the unity and the wisdom to choose what is God's plan for us."