In the midst of the current situation, the St. Monica Parish Staff and I have been trying to keep you all informed about what is happening in the parish. We’ve been communicating primarily by our email system, Flocknote. We have been placing relevant information on the parish website. In certain time critical situations, we have personally sent email or made phone calls. Initial feedback from parishioners indicates that we seem to be striking the right balance in terms of when we communicate, what topics we are covering, the specificity of the information, and the amount of information provided in each communique.
I’ve communicated what we are doing. In today’s letter, I’d like to talk a little about who is doing it.
I want to commend the ”Extended St. Monica Parish Staff.” I have kept in touch remotely with the Parish Staff, key parishioners, parish leadership and ministry leaders ever since we were told to begin closing some of the parish facilities. These groups have monitored the events of the past few weeks with keen interest and concern. What they have done with that information, for the benefit of the parish over the past few weeks, has been admirable and remarkable.
The team has included Jason Carter and Meghan Nulty. They handle Evangelization, Formation and Discipleship, which includes Religious Education. They also had to handle everything leading up to the recent celebration of Confirmation. Cathy Levine (wo)manned the front desk. She oversaw the scheduling of buildings and helped coordinate CYO sports. Vince Gutierrez handled facilities, maintenance and security. He also kept a keen eye on supplies - a critical and challenging task at the moment. Most recently, he was the man behind the camera for our Sunday video Mass. Deb Rojas handled Confirmation, liturgy, music, assisted in RCIA and continues to do some preliminary planning for Holy Week. She and her daughter Elly provided the musical accompaniment to Sunday's liturgy.
Adjunct members include Bridget Tomasicchio on parish communications. Liz Tenaglio, Bob Schubert and Joann Pata have been covering the various backroom bookkeeping functions. Liz also teamed up with Deb and Vince to make the church Lenten decor inviting and tasteful. Elaine and Jim Sholder, together with our dedicated Sunday counting team, made sure collections continue to be handled. Tom McGurk and Tobias Hoppe have acted as my Leadership Advisors. Mike Vadner, Mike Kicak and the Finance Council have been keeping an eye on parish finances. Michelle Manning, Bridget Cowell and Sandie Concannon are matching parishioners who might need assistance or even some friendly contact with those able to provide it.
During the past weeks, nothing has been normal. Every function listed above has changed on an almost daily - and sometimes even hourly - basis. This has required rapid communication, wise counsel, prayerful discernment, decisive decision making, and coordination of resources. Over the years, I have been a member of various groups and organizations. I’ve rarely worked with such a tremendous team. The people listed above have been amazing! They have come together to ensure that every one of the functions mentioned above has been covered. They have done so with professionalism, wisdom, experience - and lots, and lots, of humor. There have been staff meetings, ad-hoc meetings, one-on-one phone calls, conference calls, Skype/Zoom on-line meetings.
The team is quite diverse. We have men and women, grandparents, married couples with multiple children (young and not so young), empty-nesters, widows, and one single, celebate, male. The mix has been a tremendous advantage. Issues have come up. Impact and approaches have been discussed from various points of view. Communication bulletins were vetted. Communiques were written and transmitted quickly among various media channels. This has all been done while the landscape has changed dramatically, and often quickly. It’s been tremendous to be part of such a wonderful effort.
This team will continue to work to ensure that the Parish of St. Monica continues to fulfill the mission of our Lord. We will make sure that changes are communicated to you quickly. We will also make mistakes. We may make decisions or use an approach about which you might not approve. I ask that you all be patient with us. Things are changing rapidly. There are a lot of moving parts that have to be considered. Domino effects often occur and Murphy’s Law (along with the lasting effects of Original Sin) is still alive and well on the Main Line.
Keep praying for us, for the country and the wider “Body of Christ.” We are on the verge of Easter - The Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the darkness of death. We are Resurrection people. Challenging times like these can bring out tremendous good from difficulty. Let’s continue to do that.
Ora pro invicem.
Fr. Zlock
P.S. We just added a brand new, weekly Bible study to the website. Authored by the founder of Walking with Purpose, Lisa Brenninkmeyer, this will help your family prepare to make your spiritual communion on Sunday.
Just a reminder -
Church is open, 8:30am-3:30pm daily and the Blessed Sacrament is exposed. Come rest with Jesus.
