Freedom And Faith Ring Across Evansville From Annual Cluster Mass

Faithful Americans, not all of them Catholic, filled Nativity Church July 4 for the annual Independence Day Mass celebrated by the four-parish cluster of Christ the King, Holy Rosary, Holy Spirit and Nativity.

The celebration of our nation’s independence has drawn hundreds for each of the past 15 years.

“The Fourth of July is not a holy day of obligation,” Nativity Pastor Father Henry Kuykendall said as he and the other celebrants greeted attendees before Mass on a cool-ish, overcast morning. “Everybody is here because they want to be here. It’s always a joyous celebration.”

Celebrants included newly ordained Father Christopher Droste, associate pastor of Christ the King and Holy Spirit; Father Bernie Etienne, pastor of Holy Rosary and vicar general for the diocese; Msgr. Ken Knapp, retired, former pastor of Christ the King; Father Kuykendall; primary celebrant Father Jeff Read, associate pastor of Holy Rosary; and Father Alex Zenthoefer, pastor of Christ the King and Holy Spirit, and diocesan director of Vocations.

Deacons Christian Borowiecke of Holy Rosary, John McMullen of Christ the King and Holy Spirit, and Ed Wilkerson of Nativity assisted.

A group of sisters from the Daughters of Charity attended the Mass. Nativity Pastoral Assistant Sister Sharon Haskins is a Daughters of Charity.

After thanking Father Kuykendall for asking him to deliver the homily at this year’s Mass, Father Droste made a clear, concise point about the connection of America’s Independence Day with our Catholic Faith.

“When you have faith,” he said, “you have freedom.” You can read Father Droste’s entire homily on page 16 of the Message.

Volunteers served refreshments after Mass, and dozens of folks lingered to visit with each other, the priests and the deacons.

The parishes will come together again for a Thanksgiving cluster Mass at Holy Rosary. Like the Fourth of July celebration, the Thanksgiving Mass will continue a long-standing tradition in Evansville.