St.
Colman Catholic Church will hold a special Mass on Sunday to celebrate its rebirth, following the reversal of Bishop Richard Lennon’s decision to close the 129-year-old parish. Lennon, in his plan to shrink the Cleveland Catholic Diocese by 52 parishes, declared in March that St. Colman’s on West 65th Street would close and merge with St. Stephen’s on West 54th Street. The order spawned a grassroots uprising and a flurry of appeal letters to the bishop, arguing that the parish’s social-service programs were lifelines for the urban poor and that the parish was financially solvent. The church’s pastor, the Rev. Bob Begin, met twice with Lennon to plead St. Colman’s case. Earlier this month, Lennon reversed his decision. “I have now come to believe that the needs of the church and our Catholic community may better be served with both St. Colman and St. Stephen continuing as parishes,” the bishop wrote. Sunday’s “Celebration of Gratitude and Hope” begins with Mass at 11 a.m., followed by a reception in the parish hall. Long-range plans to keep the parish alive will be announced.
“This will be a critical first step in meeting the challenge to fulfill Bishop Lennon’s faith in our abilities and our commitment to serve the people of our community,” Friends of St. Colman Parish Committee said in a statement.