By Stephen Santilli for WV News
CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WV News) — In the 46 years that the West Virginia Italian Heritage Festival has held an outdoor Catholic Mass on Main Street there have only been two priests who celebrated Mass with over a thousand people.
The first was Father Larry Cann, who said the Mass for decades, and now, for the past decade or so, Father Patsy Iaquinta in the celebrant for the Mass.
After two readings from the Bible and then the Gospel reading, Father Iaquinta started his homily.
“There are so many people who are proud of their humility,” said Iaquinta, to knowing nods a light chuckles. He continued, “Remember that we are dust and that everything that we receive, like the earth itself, everything comes from God. Our focus should be on God and what God has given us and what God has not given us. Not necessarily what we receive, but what God has given us. Because once we see what we have received from the Lord, we can react accordingly.