June 24, 2022
Dear Friend’s,
I was recently reminded by the staff that I will have been tormenting you as Pastor of St. Matthew the Apostle for 4 years. While this is obviously a momentous occasion that deserves cake, cookies (and lots of Ice Coffee) to celebrate, it is not what this letter is about. The above is more or less typical Fr. Brian sarcastic humor.
When numbers like this come up, not that 4 years is really anything big, it does allow one to reflect on their ministry to a community. I was doing this a few weeks back as I celebrated my 12 years as a priest. In looking at the hopes I had for St. Matthew’s when I first started here there are both successes and failures. In my opinion, the list of failures is smaller than the list of successes. There are things I have missed over the years, and I hope to work on them.
While I can blame Covid for some of the loss of momentum we have had, there is also a complacency of sticking to what we know that I think many of us have fallen into over these past two years of trying to limit social gatherings. I am still a proponent of trying to be safe and limit exposure to all things Covid. I am also a realist when I look at the fact that to get St. Matthew’s flourishing again, and not just maintaining the status quo, we need to find balance with what we can do safely for all people and how to bring some of the more social things back into focus.
In February of this year, we had Fr. Larry Evans come and speak about parish ministry at St. Matthew’s and what WE, as a community, must do to be a successful parish. I think the biggest take away from what he preached about, is that this is YOUR parish. Anything that happens can and should flow from you. It is easy to look at the Pastor and parish staff almost as cruise ship social directors telling us why we should or should not be on the Lido deck. However, sometimes even we don’t know why you should be on the Lido deck. It is easy to think that the only ideas to shape aspects of our parish come from the social committee, staff, or myself. It is simply not true. While I may be the gatekeeper to some of the crazier ideas that have been suggested over the years (not just here), it does not mean that you shouldn’t be suggesting things.
Over the past week or so, I have had conversations with a few individuals about ideas regarding what we, as a church, can do to be more welcoming. In this conversation, a few ideas were circulated that would make sense - a small wine and cheese gathering after mass, maybe a simple coffee and… in the courtyard after mass, both great ideas. I even spoke briefly with Moira about revisiting the drive-in movie night, in the parking lot (I just need more time to figure this out and help in logistics). As cruise director I am all in for these ideas. The one issue that we are having is just like in the real world, we are experiencing staffing shortages. Well, in the case of the church, it is the mindset of the …. Family always helps out; they can do this. Why am I needed?
That comment is the trap and the one I think Fr. Larry was also trying to drive home those many months ago, when we asked people what their hobbies were, knitting, crocheting, cooking, etc. What can YOU bring to St. Matthew’s to make this your church and to help it move forward? It is still the question that is out there, I am sure we all remember the passive aggressive street signs that church’s and places of worship used to publish: CH_ _ RCH, what’s missing? UR. I always disliked those signs because they served no real purpose. The reality that does exist though, is that there are so many of us with ideas, talents, skills, and even just the presence to be present that are needed to help move St. Matthew’s forward over the coming days, weeks, and months. Consider what you can do to help YOUR church as we move forward. As stated, I have ideas, I just need the help to make them work.
God Bless,
Fr. Brian
P.S. I can’t just write a letter to celebrate being at St. Matthew’s without ending with some “classic” Fr. Brian humor. Which bear is the most condescending? A pan-duh!