February
19 , 2006
Visiting
Heros
Oh!
Snow!
Masses were “intimate” last Sunday because of the blizzard.
I’m grateful to the musicians and other ministers who were able
fight the flakes and came to celebrate the Lord’s Day.
Priorities
Again
After a hiatus of several months, our parish Pastoral Council is meeting
again and reflecting on the hundred or so comments we received about
the Council’s description of eight priorities for St. Brigid’s
parish. (We published these in the bulletin several months ago.) I’m
mentioning this because the council would like to hear from a few more
people and if you have internet access you can read other people’s
comments and add your own at:
www.saintbrigid.net/
survey.html
The Council’s next step is to begin to recommend strategies to
develop the priorities for the future of our parish..
Census
Continues
Of the approximate 6,000 families we usually send mail to, we’ve
received completed Census booklets from over 2,000. So we’ve got
a ways to go.
Is your booklet in?
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Read Father
Ralph's Christmas Homily for 2005
Past Columns:
Feb 12: Passing Pastor
Feb 4: Annual Appeal
Jan 22: Abandoned Nets
Jan 15: Everlasting Life
Jan 8: I'm not going to
jail..
Jan 1: Happy New Year
Dec 25: Christ
Will Come Again
Dec 18: Angel
Approaching
More
Columns from 2005
Columns
from 2004
Columns from
2003
Columns from 2002
I’m
comfortable with the culture, food, pace of life, language, living conditions,
and the general situation of living on Long Island. So I take for granted
the priests who move here from other countries and cultures to minister
in our midst. I mention this because after Father Pastor’s return
to Columbia, the diocese has temporarily assigned not one, but two priests
to live with us. One is an “old friend” and the other is so
new that the first snow he’s ever seen was last weekend’s
blizzard!
Father Wismick, from Haiti, is
back in the states to study for a master’s degree and he’ll
be staying with us til June when he’ll receive a more long-term
assignment in another parish. Years ago Father Wismick was assigned here
for a short time and has been coming back every summer since then. Our
parish has been instrumental in helping to support and expand the school
he was principal of in Haiti through our “Penny Power” project.
Father Derlis Benítez has
just arrived from Paraguay. He too has been sent to study -- first English,
then he will be seeking a degree in communications. At the moment he will
be in residence and on weekends he will be celebrating Spanish masses
in Suffolk County where he’ll be covering for a priest who is recovering
from surgery. Soon we hope he’ll be able to celebrate the Spanish
masses here at St. Brigid’s.
Each time a priest from a foreign
land comes to us, I appreciate anew the challenges of leaving one culture
behind to enter into the new culture. Just because I find our culture
comfortable doesn’t mean the rest of the world does! I know that
it would be very difficult for me to live (and work) in a culture and
language that was different from mine. Short vacations are one thing....entering
fully into a different “world” is another. So I consider our
seminarian Gonzalo (from Guatemala) and priests like Father Cine (from
Haiti), Father Anthony (from Ghana), Father Wismick and Father Derlis
to be “heroes” in that they have given up the comfort of family
and friends to bring Christ to us. We welcome our newest priests and continue
to pray for all those who have come to us over the years to share their
lives and faith.
