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
