Way of Saints dedication held Oct. 9

By KATIE LEFEBVRE, Globe staff reporter
October 13, 2005

A blessing and dedication was held on Oct. 9 for the Way of the Saints, the newest addition at Trinity Heights. A blessing of the new location of Our Lady of Sorrows' Shrine was part of the ceremony.

Father LeRoy Seuntjens, pastor at St. Mary Church in Hawarden, led the service.

The ceremony began at the Our Lady of Sorrows' Shrine. Those gathered sang Hail Holy Queen while processing to the shrine from the St. Joseph Center. Father Seuntjens blessed the shrine.

This shrine had been moved to a location east of the St. Joseph Center when the new Luminous mysteries were added to the area near the Mound of Mary.

From the shrine, attendees processed to the Way of the Saints while singing For all the Saints. They were led by a cross, candles and incense. Once arriving at the archway to the Way of the Saints, an opening prayer and introduction was given by Father Seuntjens.

"When we look at the representation of those that have followed Christ faithfully, we will be motivated to seek the city that is to come," said Father Seuntjens.

Deacon Jerry Reicks was on hand to read the Gospel before the group processed around the Way of the Saints. Kevin Keane led the group in the Litany of the Saints as they processed.

The Way of the Saints contains six clusters to help inform people about the different types of saints. Within each of the groupings, there is a list of five saints associated with the particular category. The groupings also contain information as to the type of work they did.

The attendees stopped at each grouping and acknowledged the saints in the particular cluster through the litany. Each cluster contains two saint groupings.

The first cluster contains evangelists and the doctors of the church. The second cluster contains martyrs and missionary saints. The third cluster lists devotional saints and young saints. The fourth cluster has saints of healing and educators. The fifth cluster highlights saints of charity and heroic lay people. The sixth cluster contains defenders of the faith and outstanding popes.

After stopping at each of the six clusters, the group was led to the gazebo in the middle of the Way of the Saints for a homily given by Father Seuntjens.

"What a beautiful day and what a beautiful time to dedicate this Way of the Saints," said Father Seuntjens.

He noted that October is a good month to dedicate the Way of the Saints because during October there are several saints whose feast days fall during the month. These saints include St. Therese the Little Flower, feast of the Guardian Angels, St. Francis of Assisi, Our Lady of the Rosary, the North American Martyrs and All Hallows.

"Who are the saints? What is a saint?" said Father Seuntjens. "We are the saints because we belong to the communion of saints. Through baptism we have been made holy. We have been given the Holy Spirit. By living the faith, we are a holy people."

Father Seuntjens continued that there is a difference "between our holiness and the saints we have just honored. They are the saints with the big 's.'"

"A saint might be defined as one who is officially recognized by the Catholic Church as having obtained an outstanding degree of holiness in this life and the blessed vision of the trinity in heaven," said Father Seuntjens. "It is their sanctity, their holiness and their way of modeling their lives after Jesus and not their miraculous works that are of greatest significance and importance to us today. The church presents the saints to the faithful not for the adoration of their miracles but that we might imitate their holiness."

Following the homily, intercessions were read with the response, "through the intercession of the saints, save us, O Lord."

Father Seuntjens then took holy water and blessed the four statues included in the Way of the Saints while the attendees sang Blest are They. The statues include Mother Teresa, Padre Pio, St. Peregrine, who is the patron saint of cancer patients, and St. Therese the Little Flower.

During the homily, Father Seuntjens had talked about each saint that is honored by a statue in the Way of the Saints. He recounted a story about Padre Pio because he was able to be in his presence while the saint was alive.

"I shook hands with the man who had the wounds of Christ in his hands," said Father Seuntjens.

A reception at the Marian Center followed the service. Those who attended were also invited to stay for the 4 p.m. rosary.

"I think this Way of the Saints is a wonderful way to spread devotion to the saints," said Father Seuntjens.