July 27: Conclusions

Dear Parishioners of Our Lady of Divine Providence family of parishes,

I write this upon my safe return from pilgrimage: Thank you for your prayers and your support! While it was a spiritually renewing time, it was challenging to wrestle with important decisions. By the end of my pilgrimage, I came to certain conclusions. It became clear to me that it is necessary to proceed with deliberation and make sure that each step is accomplished as we move our Family of Parishes into the reality of the future. We need to move methodically, step by step, to make sure that we don’t get too overwhelmed. Before we can move forward, there is a lot of work that needs to be done to catch up to where we ought to be right now. Currently, our staff is stretched to the max, and I am aware that things are beginning to slip through the cracks. Before we make further changes, we need to ensure that doesn’t continue to happen. I am a big proponent of the idea that if we want to change things, we must start by cleaning our own room first. In the case of our family of parishes, this means we must begin with making the parish staff more effective and combine our resources to create the best team possible.

Thus, the first priority in the next several months will be for the staff to work together through a more efficient organizational structure, creating a team that is more effective and productive. Part of that involves combining resources and locations. All the staff will consolidate to two locations: St. Bartholomew Parish and St. Vivian Parish. Eventually, we will have all the staff in one office, but there is no workable location for that currently.

The change in the Mass schedule will have to wait until we are better prepared to implement the change. That will come once the staff is working together as a team. As of right now, I can’t predict for sure when that will be, but in the meantime, it gives us a chance to plan ahead and begin a strong process of transition. I have met with the parish and finance councils to begin outlining that process.

Let me conclude with a hopeful point. I met a young priest in France who spoke with conviction and enthusiasm about the future of the church in France, and I likewise shared with him similar trends that are happening in America. There is a resurgence of interest in the Faith in both France and America among young people. Adult baptisms in France are up 160%; last year, over 10,300 adults were baptized, most of them young adults. While the resurgence in America is not quite so strong, definite growth trends are becoming manifest. Curiously, this growth is most correlated with a return to tradition. Traditional practices are now drawing young people, who have not been raised in the Church, to investigate and enter the Church. Let us continue entrusting ourselves to Our Lady of Divine Providence, in confident prayer.

Yours in Christ,
Fr. Henry