Dear friends,
As of this writing (and I’m writing on Sunday, 6/28, because the bulletin had to go in early because of the 4th holiday), I have still not received the letter, but it gives me a reason to look forward to the mail.
Even without the letter, I wanted to share a few thoughts with you about the life of this community before everyone heads to the four corners of the world for vacation.
I can remember one of our staff meetings very early on in my time here. Each of us was to share a vision about the parish, what we thought of it to be. I shared my belief that the parish might be like a large tent, under which all sorts of people could be found. Of course it applies to the most obvious, people of different races, cultures, ethnic lineage, language. But is also applied to spiritual and theological backgrounds as well, peoples whose spiritual life would be fed, of course, by the Eucharist, but also by the Rosary, or by prayer groups, or by Bible study, or faith-sharing groups, or by Eucharistic Adoration, or Opus Dei or the NeoCatechumenal Way or by any of the other approved pathways and movements to a deeper union with Jesus Christ – for this is one of the ultimate aims of a parish – to help people encounter Jesus Christ in their lives. There is no one way to be church or to live the Catholic life, as the history of the Church shows us, the most obvious being the various religious orders (Franciscans, Dominicans, Salesians, Missionaries of Charity, etc.) which have dotted that history. So too today, there is not just one pathway, so long as every pathway points to Jesus and helps those who follow it find Him. I hope that is who and what we are and what we are doing.
As I write, I’ve been thinking about the up-coming parade and trying (sometimes it doesn’t work out too well) to get to march twice, once with the Knights of Columbus, as their chaplain, and once with the Fire Department, as their chaplain. The event reminds me of something else that’s important in the life of our parish, and that is, to be a community, even more, to be a family. With all our differences, I see this to be a reality in our life together, to be a family that cares about one another, laughs together, cries together, celebrates together. Even despite our size, because we are so big, it seems to me that we really live that kind of family life. Of course, like most family living, our closeness is most evident when needs arise, and it was most evident in the horrific events of 9/11. But at other times too, in an injury, in a sickness, in a crisis situation, I see the kind of concern and caring that spreads across the whole community. I see it and hear it because different people ask me, people tell me, people share with me their prayers and hopes and fears, people beyond the immediate sphere of friends or acquaintances, people no one would imagine would be concerned – but they are. We are truly a family and I hope those bonds will only grow more deeply in our years together that lie ahead.
Next week, I want to share a few more thoughts about our community, as we both look back at these last twelve years and look ahead at the next six. Until then, I hope you’ve been having a pleasant 4th with great celebrations and family time.
God Bless,
Fr. Ron
