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CANFIELD -- The response of the Catholic Church and the Vatican to the Holocaust and what many Catholics did and did not do during that dark period of history was discussed by a local Holocaust education specialist.
Jesse McClain, a retired Boardman Local School District teacher and a deacon at St. Patrick Parish in Youngstown, spoke Thursday on "The Church in the Holocaust" at the First Friday Club of Greater Youngstown's speaker series at Avion on the Water Banquet Center in Canfield. The talk was postponed from Feb. 3 because of a major winter storm.
He said a national study of Holocaust knowledge and awareness done in 2018 showed that 11 percent of U.S. adults and 22 percent of millennials said they haven't heard of, or are not sure if they have heard of, the Holocaust. He said today in France, nearly 20 percent of young adults between 18 and 34 said they have never heard of the Holocaust.
"This is amazing to me. Heaven help us. For many people the Holocaust has not taught us too much," McClain said.
McClain said those at the event are considered "the movers and shakers" of their churches, and he enjoys sharing the information on the Holocaust and the Catholic Church with them.
He said he has done extensive research and study on the Holocaust and has often been asked why a non-Jew is so interested in it.
"There are some who are very curious why a non-Jew would be so interested in the Holocaust, It is a dark subject that can take a toll on you. I try to focus on the survivors' lives, which proves to the Nazis that they did not accomplish what they wanted to do to all Jews," McClain said.
At the event, McClain had display panel boards and videos sharing the lives of local Holocaust survivors Henry Kinast and Bill Vegh, who both have since died.
He said these two men were like ordinary people in life who overcame obstacles and did extraordinary things.
McClain said during the Holocaust people had four different roles: victims, bystanders or today known as upstanders, perpetrators and rescuers.
"That was the way it was with the Holocaust and any genocide," he said.
McClain said all religions "dropped the ball" during the Holocaust, but Catholics took the brunt of criticism because Catholicism is very visible, which makes Catholics an easy target.
McClain said during the time of Pope Pius XII, reports stated he was more afraid of Communism than Nazism because Communists were totally anti-religion.
He said while there was criticism of some Catholic leaders during the Holocaust, there were many "Catholic heroes" who helped save lives.
"Individually, there were many people who were rescuers. There are many who believe it was all the Germans and Nazis that participated in the Holocaust. This could not have all occurred without the cooperation of people from other countries. The Nazis had many people who were willing to pretend the Holocaust did not exist or because it didn't affect them they weren't concerned," McClain said.
He said Catholic beliefs and Jewish beliefs are very similar as both believe in one God, with people made in his image and that sins must be atoned for, but Jews believe Jesus was just a prophet and are still waiting for the Messiah to arrive.
"Jesus was Jewish. Many of my students were always surprised by that," he said.
He said the actions and nonactions and responses of the Vatican and the Catholic Church during the Holocaust even today remain "a hotly debated and highly controversial topic.''
"What remains the subject of public controversy are allegations of public silence and inaction about the fate of the Jews. There have been books written about this. The church's definite rejection of anti-Semitism finally came not during Pope Pius XII's reign but immediately after."
Anne Kravitz, who sponsored McClain's talk and introduced him, said she has known McClain over the years and continues to be truly amazed at his many accomplishments. She was a science teacher in Boardman, is vice chair of the Newman Center at YSU and is a parishioner at St. Charles in Boardman.
She said McClain, a New Castle, Pa., native, had a true love and passion for teaching both at Boardman schools and Youngstown State University.
"He became committed to teaching about the Holocaust and keeping the message alive. Though he is retired now, he remains very involved in presenting programs on the Holocaust and sharing his journey," Kravitz said.
McClain was ordained as a deacon in 2019 and serves at his home parish of St. Patrick in Youngstown.