Sadness at Our Lady Star of the Sea

by Peter Finney Jr.

By Peter Finney Jr.
Clarion Herald

It was a difficult closing Mass celebrated Sunday by Franciscan Father Francis Kamau for Our Lady Star of the Sea Parish in the St. Roch neighborhood.

Our Lady Star of the Sea is merging July 1 with St. Mary of the Angels in the 9th Ward to form a new parish, St. Josephine Bakhita, with parishioners worshiping at St. Mary of the Angels Church, located a little more than a mile away.

Acclaimed Our Lady Star of the Sea choir director Richard Cheri manifested the pain felt by the congregation when he led the choir in “Trouble Don’t Last Always,” by Rev. Timothy Wright, which reflects on the mystery of suffering and God’s timetable for making things right.

“I’m so glad troubles don’t last always,” the song goes. “May not come when you want him, but he’s on time; in times of trouble, found him to be a friend of mine; in time, storm clouds rise; he’ll be there. All your burdens, I know the Lord will help you to bear; I’m so glad trouble don’t last always.”

“To be honest with you, it was sad,” Cheri said. “There was anger, there was ‘I don’t understand,’ a lot of emotions. I like to say that there’s hope; I don’t know. Maybe with some folks there is encouragement to try to give it a chance, because this is not the first time that some in the community have gone through this deal.”

Cheri mentioned particularly the feelings of former St. Philip parishioners, whose church was closed and merged into Our Lady Star of the Sea.

“So, this is another time they have to go through a merger,” Cheri said. “It’s a plethora of emotions, but, unfortunately, they’re negative, most of them.”

Cheri said most Our Lady Star of the Sea parishioners he has spoken to are “keeping their options open” about where they ultimately will choose to worship.

“Our parishioners are not from the geographical area of Our Lady Star of the Sea,” said Cheri, who lives in Montz. “They come from all over. Now, you break up that community and tell them it’s time for you to go to this community in the lower 9th. You can say that, but it’s not going to just happen. It’s a hard pill to swallow.”

Anthony Carter of the Knights of Peter Claver, head of the parish’s building and grounds committee, expressed hope for the formation of a new faith community – “a blended family where maybe – with open hearts – we can become one. God closes one door and another one opens.”

At the end of Mass, parishioners received a gift from parishioners of Corpus Christ-Epiphany Parish: a cross with a prayer asking for God's consolation and the gifts of “wisdom, peace and strength, especially during this difficult time of transition, and enable us to move forward in spirit and in truth as people of faith.”

Each family also received an Our Lady Star of the Sea mug and Christmas ornament.

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