Adoption Mass brings back many memories, people to Father Baker’s

A tradition lost to the Covid pandemic found new life as a special Mass celebrating adoption took place at OLV National Shrine & Basilica on April 6. The Mass honored adoptees, adoptive parents and the parents that allowed their children to be adopted.

“Today, I am also very honored to welcome all of you who have been touched by adoption in one way or another,” said Msgr. David LiPuma, pastor/rector of the basilica, in his homily. “We must thank God for all of those mothers and fathers who chose life for their infant in the womb and when, for whatever reason, knew they would not be able to properly raise that child, they chose to allow that child to be adopted.”

Msgr. LiPuma called adoption a “loving and life-giving decision.” 

“We feel that the precious gift of life, to bring a child to term and entrust that baby to another family is the most selfless decision a birth mother can give. So, it is not about giving up a baby, but truly giving life a chance, a chance to live a good life, the best life possible. And on the part of those who choose to adopt, it involves a leap of faith and trust to welcome children into your home. What a beautiful gift to give a child, to know that they were chosen, wanted and accepted with unconditional love.”

Pope Francis has said, “The choice of adoption and foster care make people aware that children, whether natural, adopted or taken into foster care, are persons in their own right who need to be accepted, loved and cared for and not just brought into this world.”  

The Adoption Mass was coordinated with help from the diocesan Respect Life Office. Judy Gorman initiated the Adoption Mass years ago while serving as director of the Respect Life Office.

“We often hear that the Catholic Church talks the talk but doesn’t walk the walk, and that couldn’t be further from the truth,” said Cheryl Zielen-Ersing, current Respect Life director. “Of course, we want to support mothers and families and pregnancies. Honestly, the pregnancy isn’t the problem. It’s the support for the pregnancy around these families. We have the ministries of St. Gianna Outreach and with our Mother Teresa Home, and we always work to encourage life. Adoption is obviously a very beautiful option. So we want to promote that to families as well to let them know there is support in those decisions. It is a brave and difficult decision to choose adoption, but it’s a beautiful gift.”

During Mass, guest speaker Staci Kasprzyk, one of four program advocates for the Catholic Parenting Initiative, spoke on the new program coming to the Diocese of Buffalo.

“We’re looking to give parents some resources and strengthen the community by helping to bring more families together in church and having that ability to raise their children in the Church more easily,” she explained. “With all the stress today it’s hard to do and juggle everything at once, so we’re hoping to give them some tools and do things that will make it easier for them.”

Kasprzyk came to the Mass with her mother, Sandi Ranaldo,

who was adopted from OLV in 1959 at the age of six months. While touring the Father Baker Museum, Randaldo saw a crib that she sat in as an infant.

“I guess my natural mother was at the infant home. That’s where I was from. I think it is amazing. I really do. I had the greatest parents in the whole wide world,” she said.

Her parents would bring her back every Saturday morning to see where she came from. “I knew this was a special place for me.”

Following Mass, guests toured the former Our Lady of Victory Infant Home. Right across the street from OLV Basilica, the building was founded by Msgr. Nelson Baker to keep unwed mothers safe from being socially stigmatized, provide a place to give birth, and offer care for those babies without being until they were adopted.

The visit brought back some powerful memories for Mary Vallee, who gave birth there in 1970.

“As a birth mother, going back into the building was very, very difficult,” she said, holding back tears. “I almost turned around and went back to my car, but then I remembered my mother saying, ‘Offer it up.’  And I’m glad I did.”

Although the building has undergone many renovations through the years, Vallee found some places very familiar, including the room she stayed in during her time there. “There were things I remembered that I had completely forgotten about. It was good. It was cathartic.”