Children and adults happily carry toys to the altar at St. Nicholas Church in Wilkes-Barre on Wednesday, the Feast of St. Nicholas. The toys will be distributed to the less fortunate this holiday season.
Mark Guydish | Times Leader
Parishioners of St. Nicholas - St. Mary honor one of their patron saints
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Who is this fellow with the long, curly beard? Sixteen-month-old Hailey Burns of Mountain Top tentatively approaches St. Nicholas, portrayed by Chris Kohl, following the Feast of St. Nicholas Mass on Wednesday evening.
Mark Guydish | Times Leader
St. Nicholas and his helper, Ruprecht, portrayed by Chris Kohl and his grandson, Adam Martino, enter St. Nicholas Church in Wilkes-Barre, where the congregation is eager to greet them.
Mark Guydish | Times Leader
St. Nicholas, portrayed by Chris Kohl, gets a hug from Sister Anna Nguyen, after he gave her a bag of ‘gold coins’ because she embodies the giving spirit of the original St. Nicholas, a forerunner of Santa Claus.
Mark Guydish | Times Leader
Many children, like these two young girls, posed for photos with St. Nicholas following the Mass on his feast day. The original St. Nicholas was a real person, who gave gifts, often secretly, to the poor.
Mark Guydish | Times Leader
Molly Kalish of Hanover Township is 8, and suspects other 8-year-olds would enjoy a Nerf indoor basketball and hoop as much as she does.
Fionna Buckley of Wilkes-Barre is 7, and suspects lots of kids would like a National Geographic kit that lets you build your own volcano.
As for 12-year-old Sophia Kurlandski of Mountain Top, she feels she’s past the age of playing with Barbies, but thinks girls ages 1 through 9 would have fun playing with one.
Molly, Fionna and Sophia were just a few of the dozens of people of all ages who attended a special Mass at the Parish of St. Nicholas – St. Mary on Wednesday evening, the Feast Day of St. Nicholas.
In honor of this saint — who was a real person, legendary for his kindness to the poor — those three girls and their families contributed to a mountain of toys that grew and surrounded the altar in St. Nicholas Church Wednesday night.
The toys are destined for children whose holiday season might not otherwise be brightened by gifts — and because kids helped pick many of them out, they’re bound to be a hit.
“It’s so nice to see the generosity,” said Sophia’s mom, Angie Kurlandski, who accompanied her daughter and husband, Mark. “It really resonates with me.”
“It’s awesome,” said Amanda Kalish of Hanover Township, who came with her husband, Brian, and three children, all of whom attend St. Nicholas – St. Mary Elementary School.
While the school has been around for decades, St. Nicholas – St. Mary Parish was formed earlier this year, and as pastor the Rev. Joseph Verespy pointed out, “our other patron saint” will have a feast day on Friday, as Catholics honor St. Mary on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.
“I want to go to all the feast days,” 7-year-old Fionna Buckley said after the Mass, as she and her grandparents Theresa and Stan Buckley enjoyed goodies at a reception.
The Mass had some bilingual elements, in Deacon Mike Golubiewski’s welcome and also in the music — a nod to the parish’s growing population of Spanish speakers as well as the German heritage of St. Nicholas Church.
For many participants, the highlight of Wednesday evening was the arrival of “the real St. Nicholas,” portrayed by parishioner Chris Kohl, who wore the robes of an old-time bishop, and a long white beard. He was accompanied by his sidekick, Ruprecht, portrayed by Kohl’s 12-year-old grandson, Adam Martino.
While St. Nicholas, a forerunner of Santa Claus, is famous for rewarding good children, Ruprecht traditionally has “a reward” for the more mischievous. In keeping with that custom, Adam carried bags of real coal, which “St. Nicholas” distributed to such people as Christopher Tigue and Sister Ellen Fischer, who are both school principals, and Bob Hines, one of the church’s consummate volunteers.
“I don’t know what Sister Madeleine did,” St. Nicholas said, but someone had recommended to him that he present her with a bag of coal. Putting effort into his pitching arm, he tossed it from the main body of the church up into the choir loft, where Sister Madeleine caught it — and the congregation burst into thunderous applause.
