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Dear Friends in Christ,
My family commemorates two things in July, the first being the death of our father, Irv, on July 3, 2013. The more recent commemoration for us is the first anniversary of our mom Patty’s death on July 17th, 2024. As both are buried at Holyrood Cemetery, July affords us the opportunity to visit their graves and remember them as not only our parents, but as people.
They were both highly extroverted and loved to talk and converse with people. We do not remember that they were particularly good at listening to others. Part of that was their personality; the other part was having to raise seven children born within a 10-year span. The problem with listening also affected their marriage, which ended in 1971. Interestingly, years later, as they became older (and their hearing declined!), we found them better listeners as well as people who liked to share with others. We are all works in progress.
One of the touchstones in Christian spirituality is the great commandment quoted in the Gospel of Luke 10 with reference to Deuteronomy 6, which declares “Hear Israel…’’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.’’ The starting point in the spiritual life is to listen. Pope Francis and now Pope Leo call us as Catholics to be a synodal community that gathers to pray, listen, dialogue, and ultimately discern the call of the Spirit in our lives as individuals and the church.
One of the challenges and opportunities for us in the Partners in the Gospel strategic planning process is to listen prayerfully and carefully to each other as four parishes in the process of becoming one Catholic Faith Community. As your pastor, my challenge and opportunity are to discern with you what best serves our family of four parishes as a whole, without showing favoritism to one over the other. I know I don’t do that perfectly, and ask for your prayers as we continue this journey of growing in our love of God and love of neighbor as ourselves.
Continued summer blessings!
Fr. William Heric, Pastor