06/18/2026
Father Christopher's bulletin article from last week:
Reflecting upon God’s work in us
Lately I have been receiving much consolation and a clear spirit of gratitude in reflecting upon how the Holy Spirit is working in our parishes. A year ago, there was a lot of uncertainty and unrest. To name a few issues, we were still getting used to a shared pastor between two parishes, a condensed Mass schedule, staff turnover, and dealing with a culture of gossip.
Fast forward to now and we are about to embark on a summer in which our two parishes will be united further as one family by worshiping together in one building. Yes, it’s only temporary, but so much unity can be gained as we combine traditions and feel a greater sense of closeness. I believe this is something that has already, and will continue to, unite all four Northeast parishes in a familial way.
In terms of having three Masses (as opposed to five or six), all of us have experienced a richer sense of community simply by having a more full church. Hearing the voices fill the church in worship is an amazing gift and helps us feel even more like a family. The emptiness has been replaced by a robustness that brings new life and energy to our worship. This spills over into our ability to carry out our mission from our worship.
I am grateful for the hard work and growth of the staff, which is becoming more and more of a team. Through this, we can offer greater support to our parishioners in going from maintenance to mission. If we want to truly fulfill our vision of “offering every person in our community transformational encounters with Jesus,” we must continue to evaluate and leverage our resources and strategies.
In a series of past bulletin articles (and from time to time), I have focused on how essential it is for us to see ourselves as family (not merely a “community”). As we have been working towards this, many toxic behaviors, including the culture of gossip that exists at so many parishes, is slowly eroding. Satan will continue to attack our unity. We must remain alert, especially when it comes to the division he wants to create between parishioners, between leadership, and between leadership and parishioners.
Many people reading this are new to the parish and have never experienced these past issues. Praise God for that! And praise God that we are welcoming new members to our family who can help continue God’s work and build a life-giving culture. We must be open to the Holy Spirit and trust in his plans for us. Recalling what I suggested almost a year ago, here are some of ways in which we are operating as a family:
- An open door: there is a feeling that I can “come over” anytime and belong.
Warm and inviting: radical hospitality with inviting spaces for worship, prayer, faith-based learning, with a constant dedication to inviting new people.
- Culture of prayer: Prayer is at the center. This spirit of prayer breathes into our parish home and the movements of the Holy Spirit are palpable.
- Forgiveness and mercy is practiced: we love people in the midst of failure and welcome them into moments of redemption.
- Great conversations: Often in small groups and in various social situations, we engage in the deeper meaning of things, the ways in which we are affected by faith and the workings in our daily lives.
- Gossip and detraction is avoided: We love and honor one another, accepting imperfections and upholding respect even in disagreements.
