BELMONT — Bishop Michael Martin celebrated a Christmas Nativity and Mass Tuesday with his newfound friends, the Holy Angels, joining their annual tradition that is a holiday highlight.
Holy Angels, a sponsored ministry of the Sisters of Mercy, provides care for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Bishop Martin gathered with many of the 81 residents for the holiday celebration at nearby Queen of the Apostles Church.
“His warmth, kindness and genuine presence light up the room and bring so much joy to everyone here at Holy Angels,” said Holy Angels’ CEO Kerri Massey, who was delighted the bishop visited. “Our residents respond with smiles, laughter and a sense of comfort that speaks to his ability to make each person feel seen, valued and loved.”
While the bishop brought joy, the residents gave gifts of music, theater and dance. The Holy Angels Handbell Choir started off the celebration. Gentlemen in gold vests with bow ties and ladies in gold sparkly blazers used their bells as their voices to sing their rendition of “The First Noel” and “What Child is This?”
The whole congregation – Bishop Martin included – belted out classic Christmas carols like “O Little Town of Bethlehem” and “O Come, All Ye Faithful.”
The Holy Angels, each with a custom-made costume, played a part in recreating the Nativity scene. There was a tax collector with carefully knitted bags of money on his lap, an innkeeper with a lantern in her hand, and even two little holy angels in white, a halo of garland over their heads and gold wings hanging from the back of their wheelchairs. One of those angels was Emberley the youngest resident at 18 months. Five months ago, Bishop Martin held her in his arms during his first visit to Holy Angels.
The bishop’s homily was carefully curated to inspire his audience, with a message of dignity for all people.
“Each of us has a role to play, each of us has a particular purpose in our lives to remind the people around us that God loves us so much, that not only did He send His Son, He sent all of you,” Bishop Martin said.
The bishop then addressed the staff, “When we were doing the first reading (Isaiah 9:1-7) about God wanting to bring the light into the darkness, that is what the folks who serve from the administration all the way through all the different departments, that’s what you do.”
Bishop Martin then told family members: “Every human life is a gift and that is the message the Christ Child brings and helps us to appreciate. It isn’t always in the glorious lives that the world brings us, the fancy lives of the rich and famous, it is about the small child in a part of the world no one wants to be, born in a time of difficulty and challenge … who is thought worthless, and it’s that human life that saves us...”
Holy Angels exemplifies God’s love for all His children, “these wonderful human beings who make our lives different, make our lives more rich, because they’re a part of our friends, a part of our family.”
“May you continue to celebrate that Christmas every single day,” he concluded.
The bishop’s second trip to Holy Angels was a hit.
“Bishop Martin has a special heart for our residents,” said Dennis Kuhn, Holy Angels chaplain and board of directors member, who remembered the bishop’s visit in April on his first day as bishop-elect. “This makes the day so much more special.”
During the celebration, Bishop Martin said Holy Angels lights up the darkness of the world. The Dance Troupe performed at the end of the special Mass, each member dancing and swaying a candle in the air to a song called “A Light of the World.”
For an encore, Holy Angels adult resident Lorraine sang her favorite song, “The Little Drummer Boy,” and, by that time, everybody couldn’t help but join her.
— Lisa Geraci. Photos provided by Shawn Flynn of Holy Angels.
