Published: July 19, 2008 12:09 am         

Parish center named after deacon

Parishioners at St. John the Evangelist Church in Goshen gathered with members of the Bleau family to honor Deacon Art Bleau a year after his passing.

A memorial Mass, dinner and dedication ceremony were held July 12 for the deacon who served the parish for more than 20 years.

The parish center was dedicated and named The Deacon Art Bleau Parish Center in his honor — a fitting tribute to a man who along with his late wife, Vicky, enjoyed spending fellowship time with their parish family at the center.

During the homily, the Rev. Chris Smith said the Gospel reading (Matthew 13: 1-23) that spoke of seeds bearing fruit seemed “tailor picked for today. I couldn’t help but think of Deacon Art.” He asked the congregation to raise their hands if they were touched by Deacon Art's ministry and said those raised hands were the fruits of his ministry.

“It was never anything flashy, nothing fantastic, but in his own very simple way he taught so many of us what it means to be a Christian to each other,” Smith said. Smith came to the parish just a year before the deacon’s passing but said he’s heard countless stories of how Bleau would reach out and welcome strangers and he said parishioners could honor his memory by following his example and greeting one another and “truly becoming a family in God.”

“We had a living example among us of how to care for one another, to truly love strangers and love one another. We celebrate the gift he and his wife were to our parish,” Smith said. At the dinner held after the Mass several parishioners shared memories and thoughts of Deacon Art.

Monica Cherniak said that Deacon Art always told her to trust in the Holy Spirit and go where he leads.

“His biggest gift to us was to bring out our gifts — to give us encouragement,” Cherniak said. “What Art did for all of us was he would just know when you needed him and he’d come. He was somebody that lifted us up and if we could do one-tenth of that we’d be honoring him and honoring the Lord.”

Harold and Joan Wakefield, Elaine Robinson and Patricia Turco also shared stories about how the deacon touched their lives.

Bleau’s daughter, Geri Ann Eash, spoke to those gathered a t the center.

“On behalf of me, my brother and my whole family, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We are so pleased and proud of this honor you’re bestowing on Daddy.”

Geri Ann said that shortly before her father passed away she was planning a trip back East where the family is originally from. Her father expressed that he wished he could go, too. Geri Ann asked if he had ever wished the family moved back and his reply to her was, “The Lord brought us to Goshen and this is where all our dreams came true.” Geri Ann said her father wrestled as a young man whether to join the clergy or get married.

“He wound up trusting the Lord and he had it all, becoming a deacon was one of his greatest dreams. He always wanted to make sure if you were honoring him, you also honored the Lord. He always said it was not his doing but the Holy Spirit working through him. Everything he did for you he did out of love. This was his family. He loved you all and he loved this parish and this community dearly,” she said.

Geri Ann said she wanted to give a gift that was a bit of her father to the parish, so she had her uncle and a cousin, who are artists, create a picture of her father being ordained and included a prayer that her father wrote and had copy written.

Smith completed the evening with a blessing and a dedication of the parish center renaming it the Deacon Art Bleau Parish Center.