March 22, 2021

Chicopee parishioners, community members surprise pastor with parade

REGIONAL
Story and photos by David Martin

CHICOPEE — The St. Stanislaus Bishop and Martyr Basilica Parish community in Chicopee, along with members of the Chicopee Fire and Police departments, participated in a surprise drive-by car parade in celebration of Conventional Franciscan Father Joseph Bayne to honor his devoted service as pastor and Fire Department chaplain.

The parade, which passed by the parish office building on Cyman Drive on March 21 at 1:30 p.m., was also to honor Father Bayne’s March 15 birthday, the feast day of St. Joseph on March 19, and a belated 35^th ordination anniversary, which the parish was unable to celebrate on May 25 last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Father Bayne said the parade was a nice surprise.

“I am very serious, I had no clue. I am grateful to everybody that had a part. This is all about people. I am one, but if we can pull people together there is strength. Thanks, everyone for being here. I feel old but I act young. I get embarrassed easy but I am honored,” said Father Bayne.

The parade was led with a pair of fire trucks, blaring their sirens for the whole neighborhood to hear. They were followed by parishioners who decorated their cars with signs; some passengers were holding signs wishing him a happy birthday and congratulations for 35th anniversary of ordination through their sunroofs. Some cars offered Father Bayne balloons and one vehicle had a passenger blowing bubbles in the air.  

The event began with Chicopee Mayor John Vieau reading a proclamation detailing Father Bayne’s history, first joining the Franciscan order in 1975 then opening a Buffalo, New York, youth center in 1989. There he continued to help at-risk teenagers in the community transform their lives through goal-setting.

The proclamation went on to declare that Father Bayne left the service of his city of Buffalo to continue to serve God by helping others in the city of Chicopee in 2019 as pastor of St. Stanislaus Basilica Parish. It also acknowledged his work as chaplain of the city fire department and emergency services, where he continues to help men, women and children in crisis situations through outreach and counseling.

Then Mayor Vieau, who is a parishioner at St. Stanislaus Basilica, officially declared March 21, 2021 Father Joseph Bayne Day in the city of Chicopee. Mayor Vieau said the event originated when a fellow parishioner reached out to his office to ask if the city could participate, knowing Father Bayne’s role at the parish and as Fire Department chaplain.

“Father Joe and I have gotten pretty close over the past few years,” said Mayor Vieau. “He has helped me with my faith and he has helped my family through some crises that we have had to personally overcome. Having that relationship with Father Joe, and helping me through those times of uncertainty, we have been very blessed to have him in our lives.”

Father Bayne said he comes from a long line of fire fighters; his father, uncle, and brothers were fire fighters. His father, Joseph Bayne Sr. died on the job in 1977 while fighting a high rise fire in Baltimore, Maryland. Father Bayne said his work as chaplain is just to be out there with them when it is needed, to let them know he cares.

Franciscan Sister of St. Joseph, Andrea Ciszewski, religious education coordinator at St. Stanislaus Basilica, said she has known Father Bayne for many years and he has made it his mission as a chaplain to offer spiritual guidance in times of need to those who serve as fire fighters in the community.

Sister Ciszewski, the retired superintendent of Catholic schools for the Springfield Diocese, said as a fellow Franciscan she is “thrilled to celebrate Father Bayne’s Franciscan devotion, the great gift of his priesthood, his self-giving to others, and for making the Eucharist as the center of the church available for those who worship.”

“So, in particular today, we say as parishioners, ‘Thank you Father Joe, for making Jesus present here, the adoration of Blessed Sacrament that goes on, and for all the traditionalism, especially in our faith, so important for our parishioners,” said Sister Ciszewski.

After the parade, those present gathered and sang the lyrics to a song about Father Bayne and then sang in Polish.

A video version of this story will be on an upcoming edition of “Real to Reel” which airs Saturday evenings at 7 p.m. on WWLP-22 NEWS.