My dear friends in Christ:

God has promised so much to us and if there is one thing I have learned in nearly twenty-five years of priestly ministry it is that God always fulfills his promises.  I am reminded of this with every baptism I perform and every funeral liturgy I celebrate but especially at every Mass I pray with the people of Our Lady of Sorrows.

The older members of our parish have memories of a flourishing community that prospered and seemed secure in a middle-class existence.  When the employers closed up the factories the bottom seemed to fall out from under the entire neighborhood, causing many to leave and find security in other communities and leaving a faithful remnant behind to continue the task of preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the Catholic tradition.

It has not always been easy, but it has always been done with great joy because the people of Our Lady of Sorrows know that God keeps his promises.  So, we continue to reach out to the poor regardless of their faith or family background, we still minister to the needs of the infirmed both physically and spiritually, and we still struggle to educate the next generation of church and civic leaders in our parish school.  Why?  Because we have been baptized into the very ministry of Jesus and, as St. Ignatius of Loyola reminds us, we recognize that we are his hands and feet and heart and voice in the world, especially to those most in need of Christ’s healing compassion.

Today, there is a change taking place.  While the traditional complexion of the parish gathers more wrinkles revealing facial roadmaps of where we have been, a new generation with a decidedly Hispanic complexion indicates where our neighborhood and we as a parish are heading as communities.  This means that new approaches of preaching the Gospel must be employed so that every member of our parish family is nourished with a lively proclamation of the Word of God and invigorating celebrations of the Eucharist.

The challenge is two-fold.  The English-speaking members with little or no knowledge of Spanish, me among them, cannot forget the Christian hallmark of hospitality and accommodation even if that means making some concessions to make room for our newest members in our schedules and on our campus.  On the other hand, the Spanish-speaking members of the parish must learn the importance of blending into the larger community without the necessity of giving up of their own traditions.  We are, after all, on body in Christ, neither Greek nor Jew, neither slave nor free, but ONE!

As pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows, I am happy to take on this new form of missionary work.  Learning bits and pieces of Spanish and exposure to Mexican family dinners on most Saturday nights gives me a new appreciation for what previous waves of immigrants experienced when they first came to America with dreams of better lives.  And as the grandson of immigrants, albeit English-speaking much to their chagrin, I believe I am able to be a bridge between both groups of parishioners that will help to ease the suspicion each group has of the other so that we can fulfill our prophetic place in the Frayser neighborhood as a beacon of divine light that invites and celebrates all peoples who hunger for eternal life.

The future of our parish is filled with promise.  Why don’t you come and be a part of the fulfillment of all that God holds in store for us?  I can make my own promise to you:  You will be welcomed with open arms!

Your servant in Christ,

Fr. Bryan P. Timby