Chicago Bound

PLYMOUTH, MA - I've been and will continue to write a little less frequently over the next couple of weeks, not just because we're in what is the usual vacation-retreat time of year for most priests.  I have been given a new assignment that began on August 1, though I won't be actually moving in until the eighth (I'm squeezing in some time with my family between assignments).  I am no longer the pastor of St. Anthony's in Elizabeth, New Jersey and now hold the same position (in absentia) at St. John Bosco Parish on Chicago's North West Side.  It came as a surprise, especially since I had been green lighted for another term in Jersey, but things happen, as they say, and so I pack up and go in faith.

People are constantly asking how I feel about moving, and in truth I feel very much conflicted about it.  I spent five very happy years at St. John Bosco as parochial vicar before going on to be Coordinator of Youth Ministry (CYM) at Salesian High, New Rochelle.  I would be lying if I said I wasn't excited about going back.  But I was the  pastor at St. Anthony's, and the experience of leaving has not been the same as leaving other places that I've been.  A pastor is more than an administrator, he is called to be the spiritual father of the people in his care.  Don Bosco once said that he would never accept the position because of the grave responsibility that a shepherd of souls has for every person who lives within his parish boundaries. 

Some times we Salesians (and I'm guessing it's the same with most religious) view our assignments as jobs.  We do get attached, and many of us find moving difficult, especially as we get older and more settled in our ways.  But being a pastor is different from the other positions we hold because of its paternal nature.  A director, who is the superior of the religious community, also has this paternal quality.  But he is use to Salesians being transferred in and out, or students or club members graduating or aging out of the program.  A parish community is far more stable and we get to be a part of the lives of the families under our care and share in all the joys and sorrows of their lives.  If we are fulfilling our duties faithfully (or even not as well as we should, as I have observed) the people do become attached to us.  This filial or paternal relationship is real and parting becomes hard for "both sides," even, as in my case, the pastor has fond feelings for the place he's going. 

There is no easy answer.  The dwindling number of priests makes filling positions difficult and movement almost constant.  Staying too long in a place can bring complacency, stagnation and worse; a sense of entitlement and privilege on the part of the priest.  But constant change is unsettling for the people and makes establishing a consistent program, not to mention trusting relationships, almost impossible.

This last point, the importance of relationships, is what I believe the Holy Father is trying to stress to us.  Programs and strategic planning are important, but only if they facilitate a personal encounter with Christ.  Priests and religious, in a special way, are called to be the face, voice and hands of the Lord in the world now.  Do they have this role exclusively in the Church?  No, but they do have it in a unique way, and it's power can be undermined by the constant shifting of personnel.  The people will be respectful, but they will be slow to truly bond with their pastors and the pastor's associates if they have grown accustomed to them not being around for long. 

These are observations, not complaints.  I am looking forward to going back to St. John Bosco.  While leaving St. Anthony's is hard, I understand it and accept it in the spirit of obedience and bowing before the mystery that is God's will.  Pray for me as I begin this next phase as I pray for you all who read The Ax, and for all your loved ones.