“I leave and heave a sigh and say goodbye! Goodbye!” Friedrich from The Sound of Music
I have always loved The Sound of Music. Not only because of the time of the world in which it took place but also because of the relationship with a governess who wanted to become a nun, a widower who had lost control over his children and who was stepping into a wrong relationship with another woman, and the children who so desperately needed continuity. They needed parents who cared for them, shaped them, supported them, and loved them.
Isn’t it that way with all of us?
I view my life these past forty-three years as a priest very much like a person who has tried to provide for so many people in so many circumstances. Sometimes, the past has dragged me down. Sometimes, I didn’t have what was needed. Sometimes, I was the one in need.
Life is difficult. Even the best intentioned can fall flat on their faces.
I came here twenty-three years ago, never thinking that I would be here this long. By the time I arrived here as the new pastor, I had already “cut my teeth” on other pastorates that challenged me. From pastoring an inner city parish with a school that was failing, to a maximum security prison community, to a parish that had never had a pastor except their founding pastor, and to a parish where they had a pastor for twenty-seven years, those challenges prepared me to come here.
There were challenges that I encountered when I came to St. Thomas More. We were close to being financially insolvent upon my arrival and building up our bank account and reserves was a first priority. I realized that building up trust between pastor and parishioner was going to be essential as well since that trust had eroded with the former pastor.
Yes, we went through some difficult times and we went through some disappointing times. But we got through them and we grew closer together because of them. We did it. It took time but we made St. Thomas More ROCK!
Thank you to all who accepted me and my ministry. Your support meant so much to me and I hope that I was able to provide what you needed. I will never forget you. And now, like Friedrich in the Sound of Music, “I leave and heave a sigh and say goodbye.”
FAITH ACTION: Embrace the new pastor and give him the time to develop his own style. You will all work well together, that I firmly believe.