June
8, 2008
What
Happened on Sunday?
Convent
Rental
We’re still working on a possible tenant for our Convent Building
who’ll establish an academy for children with autism. The beauty
of this program is that it will be local -- right now parents from Long
Island have to travel to Connecticut for such a school. Any family who
is dealing with a child with autism already has many burdens. But it
seems not everyone thinks local is better. A person passed out unsigned
fliers with misinformation to our school parents. An upset person wrote
me: “Another example of a coward who, instead of making an appointment
to sit down with you to air her concerns, decided to upset our school
parents. Where is the civility, respect and courtesy in our culture?”
Well I don’t think calling someone a “coward” is a
good idea. I’m guessing this person didn’t know she could
talk to me. Well she can. Whoever you are, call and we’ll talk!
e-mail Father Ralph:
Past
Columns:
June 1: Where
do you belong?
May
25: We are the Body of Christ
May 18: Trinity,
It's About Unity
May 11: We are
One in the Spirit
May 4: Who's in
Your Top Twelve?
April 27: Now
that he's gone...
April 20: Yay
Deacons!
April 13: Here
comes the Pope
April 6: Fresh Oil
March 30: What are you doing
for Easter?
March 23: Can Easter come
too early?
March 16: Which crowd is
yours?
March 9: We believe, yet...
March 2: Oil or Mud
February
24: What are you thirsting for?
February 17: Who are You
Wearing?
February 10: Just Say No
February
3: The January
20: Being Safer
January 13: Conversations
in 2008
January 6: Matthew's Magi
December 30:
What's
Next?
Christmas
2007 Homily
Columns
from 2005
Columns
from 2004
Columns
from 2003
Columns from 2002
I was
only a little nervous. The weather last Sunday afternoon was beautiful.
There were graduations going on. It had rained Saturday so people had
put off their gardening or golfing to Sunday afternoon. We hadn’t
asked anyone to RSVP. And besides, the parish gathering we had planned
was something that we hadn’t done before. So, was anyone going to
actually show up to something that was untried and competing with a beautiful
day? But still, I had a good feeling about the day.
And it turned out great! Over 200
people showed up and in the course of the afternoon met others they hadn’t
ever met before. (We had tried to keep things uncomplicated so that people
with similar languages could speak to each other one-to-one in a language
they’d understand. But the one-to-one pairings turned out to be
a little more serendipitous in some cases and people did a great job of
trying to get to know others.)
Then there were discussions at
tables. Here were the two questions:
(A) We hope you will be part of St. Brigid's Parish for a long, long time.
But honestly, one way or another, someday this will no longer be your
parish. We will pass this parish on to a new generation, just as it has
been passed on to us.
If you could change one thing about our parish or the neighborhood you
live in, to make this parish an even better community for the next generation,
what would that change be?
(B) What are some things we can do in the next three to five years, as
members of the parish, to accomplish some of these changes?
So over 200 people got busy about
these questions and the Pastoral Council and Parish Staff will use some
time in the upcoming weeks to read all that was recorded. We’ll
post what was said online and in the bulletin. But the best part of the
afternoon? Most everyone said that it was getting to know one another
better. And that was the goal. We’re growing as a relational parish.
More to come!
