JULIAN — The small church of St. Elizabeth of Hungary Parish was standing-room-only for its 10:30 a.m. Mass on Sunday, Nov. 16.
The parish, located in the mountains of Julian, was celebrating the feast day of its patron saint.
Before Mass, vases half-filled with water were set in front of the altar, symbolizing the empty places in our world that are waiting to be filled by acts of love and devotion. During the Mass, a procession composed of parishioners of all ages brought flowers to fill the vases.
Father Roldan “Dan” Nunez, pastor, delivered a homily on sainthood. He said that it is “achievable, possible and reachable” for each of us to become saints in Heaven.
Inspired by the life of St. Elizabeth of Hungary and her love for the poor, Father Nunez posed three questions for prayer and reflection:
- How can I better recognize and serve Christ in the “least of these” in my daily life?
- Am I willing to step outside of my comfort zone or disregard the opinions of the world to help those in need?
- How can I respond to suffering and personal tragedy with the same faith and reliance on God that St. Elizabeth demonstrated?
At the conclusion of his homily, Father Nunez invited those who had brought bread to come forward to have it blessed. According to tradition, St. Elizabeth would distribute bread to the poor, and there is a story of an occasion when the bread miraculously transformed into roses as a sign of God’s approval of her charitable endeavors.
Parishioners prayed a Litany to St. Elizabeth before dismissal from Mass and then gathered for a potluck meal.
A year earlier, during the parish’s 75th anniversary year, Bishop Michael Pham celebrated Mass for the Feast of St. Elizabeth of Hungary. During his visit, he blessed an icon of St. Elizabeth that was painted by the parish secretary, Ann Reilly Cole.
The icon, which was also present at this year’s anniversary Mass, is to be permanently installed in late November near the entrance of the church.
