Hope, Heroes, and Heritage: Emmanuel Through the Years
Sunday, November 9, at 6:30 pm.
Emmanuel Catholic Church
Come join us on Sunday, November 9, as we celebrate two special events: the Jubilee Year of Hope, with our designation as a pilgrimage site; and Emmanuel’s 188th anniversary, which coincides with St. Martin’s Day and Veterans’ Day.
The program starts at 6:30 with an interactive musical journey through the history of the Mother Church of Dayton. Next, we will join in a lanternlight procession led by the children to a live reenactment of the St. Martin story—and some very special surprise guests! The evening will end with refreshments and social time.
The story of Emmanuel is a story rooted in an unshakeable hope in God; it is a story filled with “ordinary heroes” who worked and sacrificed that Emmanuel might become a reality; it is a story of the heritage of the deep Catholic faith German and Irish immigrants brought with them to America as they sought to escape religious, political, and economic hardships in Europe. Maria Fay, a principal contributor to the book commemorating the 150th anniversary of Emmanuel, perhaps said it best when she wrote:
“In many ways, the history of Emmanuel Church resembles the history of a family… Like the best of families, Emmanuel has seen good times and bad. Like the strongest of families, Emmanuel has survived both. … Emmanuel is from the Hebrew word for ‘God is with us.’ May this continue to be our prayer.”
