New Britain - On the walls in the vestibule of St. Mary Church hung photos and newspaper articles - remembrances of the parish's first 150 years. Parishioners flocked to celebrate its anniversary Oct. 4.     

       Before the Mass, churchgoers - many of whom identified their own youthful sepia-toned faces looking back at them from the photographs - reminisced about the old days.

        Longtime parishioner Alice Stawski laughed when she saw a familiar photo in the display.

        "I was married here - there's my picture - 1946," she said. "It's a long aisle when you walk down to get married, I'll tell you. It feels like forever getting to the alter." 

       Carmen Jusino of Hinesville, Ga. is a former parishioner who was in town visiting family. "I'm enjoying all the old pictures [and memories]," she said.

        Richard Herrera Sr., who attended St. Mary School since third grade, showed his wife Millie his ninth-grade graduation picture. "I'm right here," he said, "We were the last class to graduate."

        Former parishioners Raymond and Margaret Greene came back for the Mass. Raymond found his 1939 St. Mary School graduation picture among those on the wall. "They still have reunions about every five years," said Margaret.

        Young parishioners took pride in reviewing their parish's long history in pictures and news clippings. "I think it's really great," said 16-year-old Angelica Perez. "I'm glad it's lasted this long."

       Archbishop Daniel A. Cronin was principal celebrant at the Mass. He said the sacraments nourish and strengthen parishioners' faith. "A parish is the faith community that's brought together around the altar," he said. "That, after all, is the purpose of the faith community." He congratulated the priests and people on the anniversary and later addressed them in Spanish.  

       Mayor Lucian Pawlak spoke of St. Mary's as the mother church of the city. "I was thinking about all the other churches that sprang up [from this one," he said. "St. Mary's was [the] ultimate starter church for all other churches in New Britain." Pawlak reflected on his family's ties to the parish, recalling his own children's baptisms here. "It reminded me how beautiful and warm [the parish is]," he said. "It's a great day in New Britain."

        After Mass, 140 parishioners gathered for a celebration dinner at the Hawthorne Inn in Berlin.