MCADOO, Pa. – In the late 1890s, there was no Greek-Catholic church in the McAdoo area, so the faithful would hike to Shenandoah, Pa., in honor of their creator.
On Saturday, September 17, parishioners re-created this walk in honor of the 125th anniversary of the Patronage of the Mother of God (St. Mary’s) Ukrainian Catholic Church, located at 210 W. Blaine St. in McAdoo.
The Tribute Walk started with a purpose: to remember what happened 125 years ago when there wasn’t a church in McAdoo for our people to worship in.
Today, we drive from miles away, some of us an hour or more a few times a month – because it feels like home.
By 11 a.m., some of us were beginning to wonder how they made this trek every Sunday.
Questions arose: “After liturgy did they begin the walk back?” “Did they stay and have dinner with friends, then begin the walk back?”
Suddenly we realized we were not only walking, but we were putting ourselves in their shoes.
Sandy Minarchick-Duda
Msgr. Myron Grabowsky greets the McAdoo parishioners upon their arrival at St. Michael’s Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church in Shenandoah, Pa.
We were carrying the same cross they carried (not confirmed, as little history is written); we also carried a pair of shoes as they did so they were presenting themselves to God in their best.
Our church bell rang three times after our priest, Msgr. James T. Melnic, gave us his blessing, and then, as we passed the home where it was stored until the church was built, the single bell rang for a full minute.
Nick Postupack, the youngest marcher at 8, finished ringing the bell and ran for seven blocks to catch up with the rest of us.
Nick’s mother, Sherry, who walked all 16 miles, said, “We don’t have anything like this in our family, so I do find it interesting on what they did years ago. It’s something I can pass on to Nick.”
Walkers came from all over Schuylkill County, and not all were Ukrainian.
The Spotts family is from Frackville. They don’t have any direct relationship to an original founder or pioneer of St. Mary’s, but chose to walk with us as did two women from Mahanoy City. We thank them publicly for their belief and their faith in what this event meant.
The 16-mile walk was hard. It was beautiful. It was respected by those we saw along the way.
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Marchers make their way to the church in Shenandoah, Pa.
St. Michael’s Church bells rang with joy. They picked up where St. Mary’s quiet bell left off.
There was happiness once we reached the church. Our legs no longer ached, and blisters were ignored.
Msgr. Myron J. Grabowsky greeted us with a smile and a simple speech about what we had just accomplished and we placed a pair of shoes on the top step of St. Michael’s in memory of our pioneers and founders.
Connie Postupack was coordinator of the Tribute Walk.