Pastor: Church stands as a beacon of unity in a world often divided
By Shelby Siegfried
for the Register
Parishioners and neighbors alike gathered to witness the bittersweet moment when St. Leo Church in Palmyra met its end Sept. 5, leaving many to wonder about the fate of the community and its mission parish St. Martin in Douglas.
But amid the changes, there is a sense of optimism as the two parishes work to officially merge, creating a stronger and more unified Catholic community.
Father Sean Kilcawley, pastor of St. Leo and St. Martin Parish, shared his heartfelt sentiments of the demolition of the church.
“I told my parishioners: it’s proper to grieve a loss as we experience it, and at the same time, we’re really making space for the future, and that is the role of grief. Grief is there to make space for new relationships.”
Longtime parishioner Ken Malone, who observed the demolition from across the street, reminisced about the deep connection his family has had with the church from its very inception.
“The midnight Masses, serving on the altar, singing in the choir loft up above – it was all about family. The Church is always family. It was the family and community that was inside those walls.” His words resonate with the deep ties that bind this parish together, even as they look toward a promising future.
The intertwined history of St. Leo and St. Martin parishes dates back to 1866, when Father Emmanuel Hartig celebrated the first Masses in both Palmyra and Douglas. This historical thread deepened over time, with priests residing in Palmyra and both parishes sharing the same pastor throughout their existence. St. Leo and St. Martin have always been together.
“It was always striking to me that their patronal feast days are Nov. 10 and Nov. 11, which means that when transferred to Sunday they fall on the same day,” Father Kilcawley said.
However, over the years, structural issues had plagued the Palmyra church, prompting concerns about its safety.
“The mortar in the brickwork had broken down, and there was noticeable movement in the walls and foundation,” Father Kilcawley explained, “We had hoped to have more time to build up the community and construct a new church. But last summer’s drought worsened the situation, leading to a new structural evaluation and the need to find an alternate worship space.”
St. Leo Parish Masses have been celebrated in the parish hall since Thanksgiving of last year.
“My prayer since arriving (as pastor) has been, ‘Jesus, if you want there to be a parish here, you need to send me people,’” Father Kilcawley shared. “He has been sending people. When I arrived in 2021, there were about 25 children registered for CCD. This year we have 82.”
The growth of the parishes signaled a positive change, but it also necessitated more streamlined parish administration.
Steady growth and the need to deconstruct the church building at Palmyra presented a decision point for the parish councils.
“Pragmatically, the question had to be examined as to whether it would be worth investing in building a new church and keeping St. Leo’s going,” Father Kilcawley said. “If St. Leo’s ceased to exist what would happen to St. Martin’s? Do we want to risk losing the relationship we have had with one another for the past 134 years?”
Father Kilcawley said when the decisions had to be made, he was grateful to the people of both parishes for their unselfish resiliancy.
“There was a particular parish council meeting where one of the trustees from St. Martin’s who has deep ties to the history of that parish raised his hand and said, ‘Father, I think we need to merge.’ That was the moment I knew that the Lord was the one moving hearts. He is the one who is really in charge of everything.”
The decision to merge was multifaceted. Father Kilcawley said it is “simply more complicated to administrate two corporations rather than one. Merging juridically eliminates this confusion but requires trust in one another to honor our history and safeguard our future.” Merging the parishes is not about closing buildings but about working together for a common goal.
Uniting parishes is more than simply a matter of combining church buildings, however.
Father Caleb La Rue, chancellor for the Catholic Diocese of Lincoln, clarified, a parish “is legally defined as ‘a certain community of the Christian faithful stably constituted in a particular church, whose pastoral care is entrusted to a pastor under the authority of the diocesan bishop.’ Nowhere in the definition does it mention a church building.”
“So, when we talk about merging parishes, we mean merging the juridic entity that is the parish with another parish,” he said. “It does not mean closing churches.”
In essence, the heart and soul of these parishes remain intact. The parishioners, who are the lifeblood of these communities, have been remarkably supportive throughout this process, according to their pastor.
“We are not closing buildings or changing how we have been operating,” Father Kilcawley emphasized. “We are all in this together.”
The communities remain vibrant, and plans to build a new church in Palmyra reflect a promising future.
“The last time a parishioner was married for the first time in one of our churches was in the 1980s, due to their small size,” Father Kilcawley shared, hinting at the positive developments on the horizon.
As for the name of the newly merged parish, it will be known as St. Leo and St. Martin Parish. This name honors their shared history and demonstrates a commitment to unity. Kilcawley expressed his hope that this union would serve as a testament to the unity found in Christ.
“I am grateful that we are making visible what has been invisible,” he said. “It isn’t a natural thing to be a pastor of two parishes. For me, the most painful thing can be the experience of having a divided heart. In other words, a Father cannot be the father of two families.”
The sentiment, rooted in his own life experiences, speaks volumes about the challenges and joys of shepherding two communities. Father Kilcawley’s hope is to create a space where love and unity can flourish without the burden of division, jealousy, or rivalry, fostering an environment where the Church stands as a beacon of unity in a world often divided.
“Christ came to make all things new,” he added. “Both of our parishes have been suppressed, and a new parish has been erected, which honors our histories and looks to the future. St. Leo and St. Martin Parish is our new name, and as long as we continue to focus on the One who unites, our future is indeed bright.”
SNR photos | Dennis Kellogg
Watch video of the demolition of St. Leo Church in Palmyra and an interview with Father Sean Kilcawley on the Catholic Diocese of Lincoln YouTube channel.
