Parish Suffers Separation Anxiety

By Mary Donovan

Fr. Paul is leaving and so is Fr. Dennis. We wish them well and we step forward to greet the incoming team, but we grit our teeth against the reality. We thought we were a grown up people but the truth is, we’re like little children. Not for nothing are they called "father."

You know as well as I that it won’t be long before the new pastor and the new associate are as much a part of St. Mary's as the altar and the pews. There won’t be any gaping holes, even though right now it feels as if an integral part of the church is being ripped away.

It's been a strange couple of months since the rumors were confirmed and became the hard news. Where are you going? Who's coming in? These questions were unanswered. The transition was kept as secret as the Papal Conclave. The hierarchical hand writ large in invisible ink.

But it's all part of building up the Kingdom of God. Every one is responsible for a piece of the action. Here's to Fr. Paul who has carried his St. Mary's piece with class and distinction. He has brought together and inspired a parishful of participating people. From his homilies to his after-Mass handshake he has beamed with affection, making each one feel a special connection. He has brought lay people to the operation of the parish and let them operate.

He has shepherded young men in the priesthood to the point where they can take on pastorships of their own. He has helped lay people act on the strength of their beliefs. He has soothed the sick and comforted the bereaved. He has had fun along the way and has shared that fun with his people. He is a father.

And here's to Fr. Dennis. He came to St. Mary's five years ago with a background in other areas but a desire to embrace parish life. And embrace it he did. He seemed able to be everywhere and to do everything. He'd had little experience with pastoral work and now it seems he invented the genre.

Best wishes.