Altar Server Award recipients called ‘superheroes’ in ceremonial Mass

More than 60 boys and girls from parishes throughout the Diocese of Buffalo were presented with medals at the annual Bishop’s Altar Server Awards Mass, held Saturday, April 27 at St. Joseph Cathedral in downtown Buffalo.

While Bishop Michael W. Fisher was the lead celebrant of the Mass, it was Father David Baker, director of vocations for the diocese, who delivered the homily. And as the congregants sat down following the Gospel, Father Baker began his remarks with an unexpected twist. 

“I hope that no one will be upset if I point out that there is an error in the program today, because it says that the homily will be delivered by Father David Baker, and my name is Peter Parker,” Father Baker said. “I was bitten by a radioactive spider and, for the last 15 years, I’ve been the one and only Spider-Man.”

His remarks drew mild laughter from the congregation, but the superhero motif provided an ideal analogy for Father Baker’s tribute to the altar servers being honored. He continued referring to Spider-Man and the recent Spider-Verse movies, in which Peter Parker discovers he is just one of many individuals who serve as Spider Men and Spider Women in a wider multiverse, all working to save and protect their people. It was from there where he got to his point about altar service and Catholic faith.

“Likewise, our world takes an entire army of superheroes to protect from evil. And we’re looking at them,” Father Baker said. ”Young men and women, do you realize that when you put that alb on in the sacristy before Mass each Sunday morning, you are putting on a superhero’s cape? You

are living a heroic life. Paul and Barnabas said in the first reading today (Acts 13:44-52), it was necessary that the Gospel be preached. That’s what you do. By your service, your devotion to the sacraments of the altar, by the choices you make in your daily life, you preach the Gospel by your life.”

The Bishop’s Altar Server Awards Mass was first held 54 years ago, and the medals presented were previously known as the Knights of the Altar award. The special Mass is well attended, not only by the awardees and their families and friends, but also by concelebrating priests. More than two dozen priests joined the bishop behind the altar. 

“They being here shows how important your ministry is to all of us, and the important ministry that you provide in each of your parishes around the diocese,” Bishop Fisher said.

As the director of vocations for the diocese, Father Baker expressed hope that the honorees would continue serving their faith in one way or another. 

“They put out a survey every year of all the priests ordained in the United States. They ask them, what kind of school did you go to? What do you like to do? What made you realize you were called to be a priest? This year, 2024, 73 percent of them said ‘I was an altar server,’” he said. “You could wear the mask. You could be a part of this for the rest of your life. And if you haven’t thought about that before, I hope you will now.”

He also leaned on the superhero theme while addressing thoughts of loneliness in faith, noting that superhero characters, in their unique role, often feel alone in the world.

“You ever feel alone in your faith, young men and women? Did you ever look around at Mass and say, ‘How come there’s nobody my age here?’  Look around you now, and in the times you feel alone, remember all these servers who get it,” Father Baker told the honorees. “We get asked this all the time – don’t we brother priests, and sisters? ‘How do you bear the loneliness of a celibate life? ‘Oh, the bleak, unending loneliness!” I don’t know, actually. I rarely feel like I’m ever alone, to be honest with you. But in the moments that I do, I remember all my friends who get it.”

Following Mass, a reception was held at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center. Before parting from the cathedral, Bishop Fisher again expressed his gratitude to the honorees, and to those attending and participating in the Mass.

“Peter Parker, I mean Spider-Man, if you see Father Baker can you tell him what a nice homily he gave?”

2024 Bishop’s Altar Server Award Winners

• Anthony Aguglia – St. John Vianney, Orchard Park 
• David Alaku – SS. Columba & Brigid, Buffalo
• Munachie Alaku – SS. Columba & Brigid, Buffalo
• Anthony Anelli – Holy Trinity, Medina 
• Mary Rose Archie – Holy Family of Jesus, Mary & Joseph, Niagara Falls 
• Stephen Blasz – St. Mary’s Oratory, East Eden 
• Ella Borzelleri – St. John the Baptist, Boston 
• Broderek Carlson – St. Mary’s High School, Lancaster
• Mia Charland – St. Mary, Swormville 
• Lillian Colwell – St. Francis of Assisi, Tonawanda 
• Samuel Comstock – St. Joseph, Gowanda 
• Elizabeth Corigliano – Our Lady of Peace, Clarence
• Isabella Danahy – St. Katharine Drexel, Buffalo 
• Patrick Diette – St. Mary, Canaseraga
• Jordan Doe-Bruce – St. Amelia, Tonawanda 
• Eleanor Duquin-Blum – St. Gregory the Great, Williamsville
• Makayla Durkin – St. Mary of the Assumption, Lancaster
• Justin Fera – Holy Spirit, North Collins 
• Damian Frazer – St. Mary, Holley
• Alexis Ganz – St. Jude the Apostle, North Tonawanda
• Abigail Gasiewicz – St. John Paul II, Lake View 
• Christopher Ginestre – St. Teresa of Avila, Akron
• Maximillian Glamuzina – St. Gregory the Great, Williamsville
• Josephine Graver – St. Casimir, Buffalo 
• Jack Gugino – St. Aloysius, Springville 
• Johnathan Haggerty – St. Mary, Arcade 
• Michael Harger – St. Jude, Sardinia
• Thomas Hayter – St. Joseph University, Buffalo 
• Matthew Jakubowski – St. Vincent de Paul, Niagara Falls
• Julian Jenosheck – St. Peter, Lewiston
• Tyler Kasprzak – St. Christopher, Tonawanda 
• Mark Kempster – St. Mary of the Lake, Hamburg 
• Jordan Faith Kirchberger – St. John the Baptist, Lockport 
• Lennox Kohorst – St. Maximilian Kolbe, Corfu 
• Carson Komasara – St. Philip the Apostle, Cheektowaga
• Patrick MacDiarmid – St. Mary, Swormville 
• Jack McDonell – St. Vincent de Paul, Niagara Falls
• Jolene Mesch – Epiphany of Our Lord, North Collins
• Leslie Mesch – Epiphany of Our Lord, North Collins
• Loraina Mesch – Epiphany of Our Lord, North Collins
• Richard Meyers – St. John the Baptist, Lockport
• Mark Molitor – Our Lady of Peace, Clarence 
• Emily Mruk – St. Teresa of Avila, Akron 
• Aaden Munn – Our Lady of the Lake, Barker 
• Candace Newman – St. Francis of Assisi, Hamburg
• Colby O’Neill – St. Mark, Kendall 
• JonLuke Pencille – St. John the Baptist, Lockport 
• Nathan Perl – St. Mary, East Arcade
• Jarett Phillips – St. Raphael, Niagara Falls
• Emily Pike – All Saints, Lockport
• Patrick Pinto – Most Precious Blood, Angola 
• Killian Rokitka – St. Gabriel, Elma 
• Alexander Rupp – St. John Neumann, Strykersville
• Emily Rupp – St. John Neumann, Strykersville 
• Payton Schlenker – St. John the Baptist, Boston
• Ryan Simpson – Queen of Heaven, West Seneca
• Leo Skuce – Our Lady of Czestochowa, North Tonawanda
• Simeon Smith – Immaculate Conception, Ransomville 
• Andrew Snyder – Nativity of Our Lord, Orchard Park 
• Seth Stewart – St. John the Baptist, Lockport 
• Claire Tartick – Epiphany of Our Lord, North Collins
• Eva Triplet – St. Philip the Apostle, Cheektowaga 
• Lillian Wheeler – All Saints, Lockport
• Aiden Wierzba – Immaculate Conception, Eden 
• Cohen Zaleski – St. John the Baptist, Alden 
• Mary Ziembiec – St. Brendan on the Lake, Newfane