The Love Shines Through - en espanol!

Over the past few weeks, I’ve tried to provide an overview of the many different ministries that make up this vibrant parish community. One of my primary reasons for living and working at St. Anne’s has been to live and to be part of the Spanish community that is so alive here.

Since my first night here in June, I have never failed to feel welcomed and accepted by the entire parish, in general, and specifically the Spanish community. From my first attempts at speaking Spanish at Mass (O Dios mio!) to welcoming me as part of the assembly at Mass, to speaking slowly so I could understand to taking the time to explain different practices, expressions and experiences, this community has shown me nothing but acceptance, love, understanding and compassion – and inspire me to do the same.

St. Anne’s is an active multicultural parish. The English, Spanish and Haitian communities both work to support their individual communities and work for the good of the whole parish. Padre Gonzalo oversees many of the works and ministries of the Spanish community at St. Anne’s. There are so many dedicated ministers and volunteers who lead different aspects of the community. Masses are celebrated in Spanish on Saturdays at 7:30 and Sundays at 9:30 A.M. and during the week on Thursdays at 7:30 P.M. I have tried to attend as many of these liturgies as possible. It is not only a matter of language acquisition but joining in spirit-filled and energizing experiences of prayer and worship.

In addition, there are many services and ministries for the community. There is a huge youth group that meets every Friday night. The young people are true witnesses – serving in the community and gathering for time away to support and challenge one another. There are numerous prayer groups for the Spanish community and tremendous outreach is made to invite many to receive the sacraments.

In addition to all of this, there is great effort made to serve those who come to the parish from different parts of the world. They come with a tremendous humility and work ethic, a desire to contribute and to never feel as if they are a burden. Working at St. Anne’s has made me even more empathetic towards the plight of the immigrant. Many in the Spanish community at St. Anne’s have immigrated to the United States in recent years. They have come in a variety of ways and for a variety of reasons. Most times, there movement to the United States is a desire for safety, a need to support family who remain in their home country or a hope for something greater in America. Our Church has an incredible support for the immigrant – the documented and those without documents. You can read more about the Church’s efforts here and here. (Our own diocese has a Spanish newspaper that can be accessed onlne here.)

I have learned so much about ministry, service and life living here at St. Anne’s. Having the chance to be even a small part of the Spanish community has made a great difference. I’m surely a better person because of it.

Reaching Out in Love with Outreach

As we continue in the month of August, I have tried to reflect about my opportunity to be involved in a number of ministries at St. Anne’s. Like many parishes, St. Anne’s has a vital and powerful Parish Outreach that serves the local community of Brentwood – and what a service it is!

Outreach is a ministry that is unique to each parish, particularly on Long Island. Each community, like each family, has different needs and therefore requires different methods and ways to serve the community. As I’ve written before, the community of St. Anne’s is a generous and life-giving one. At the same time, there is great need here among a diversity of peoples.

Outreach here is presently coordinated by a strong, core group of volunteers. They operate every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday to assist those who come to the door. Many times clients will come for the basic of needs – food for themselves and their family. Yet, that is only the beginning and often serves as “opening” to find out about additional needs and to learn about the ways the parish can help and assist them. No one comes and is simply pushed along to the food pantry. Rather, they are invited in, met with a sense of welcome and compassion and invited to share whatever concerns and needs they may have. This can range from assistance with immigration paperwork, a need for support in confronting situations of injustice or violence or helping those without shelter to find a place to stay for a night or two.

The volunteers here work so hard to respect the dignity of those who seek help and support. They have learned new languages to better communicate, discovered and provided connections to community resources and built up the spirit of each client. That’s important for in many cases it is so hard for someone to come forward and seek that support. How hard it is for any one of us to admit our vulnerability and need.

Serving those who come to St. Anne’s is only the beginning for these volunteers. They are also committed to advocating for those in the community. They attend many workshops and conferences to learn about ways they can better support their clients. They have joined local community organizations to make Brentwood a better place to live (here’s one example). And, perhaps most importantly, they invite, educate and form the entire parish community about the responsibility of each and every one of us to reach out to and assist the most vulnerable among us.

Historical Perspectives

Last week, I spoke with Maureen Doolan-Boyle. I know Maureen initially because her wonderful children went to SJB! However, I learned over those year that she has a great connection to St. Anne's and is one of the founding members of the Hospitality Too Soup Kitchen. I snuck over to post this (we have a little down time this morning) to share with you her e-mail to me:

"I am so very happy that you are in St. Anne's! What a wonderful experience with such good, hard working people. The challenges we saw in that community were so very different from what we had seen in any other parish we ever belonged to. The generosity of spirit and the mingling of cultures in this community were some of the best gifts we ever could have given our children as they were growing up. We were active members of St. Anne's for about 20 yrs. The people of St. Anne's were there for us when we needed them and even when we thought we were giving back they were still teaching us and sharing the spirit.

I knew about Dorothy Day before St. Anne's but I "met" her in the old school basement on a cold November morning when discussion of the peanut butter and jelly gang first came together. I learned about dignity within poverty in a way I had never known from this experience. I also learned that not all those who are in need are gracious and thankful but it is just as important to give to and serve them with a happy heart as it is to those who seem more grateful. I saw conversion for the first time through the Little Rock Scripture Studies right before my eyes. Where grown men, only there to just get out of the house (or so they said) found their faith and then lived it. I saw people on Sundays coming to Mass who were very, very flawed (just like myself) but you could just tell that they honestly were doing the best that they could. In other communities I think that many people just had the means to hide their flaws (inside and out) but here they were accepted and in this way honest- I am who I am. What you saw is what you got and as strange as that may seem- it was refreshing.

I saw young families coming to Mass with children dressed in their Sunday best and every Sunday they were wearing the exact same dress or suit because it was the ONLY dress or suit they had and it was saved for Mass and special occasions. Sure there were flip flops and inappropriate t-shirts but the women wearing skirts and the fathers in collared shirts stood out and impressed me and reminded me how important it was make the effort. I had never before seen ushers who were responsible for stopping people after Communion from taking the Eucharist home. This never would have occurred to me but it has stayed with me. There was a reverence in this parish that was felt because it was challenged and the sacredness of the Mass became more important I think because of this.

Being an RC was not the only game in town- how many churches are there in Brentwood? TONS right? There are plenty of options for those who are interested and amazingly St. Anne's and the Roman Catholic church was where these people chose to be on any given Sunday. Over and over again simple things within the Mass and within the American RC culture needed to be explained (during Mass) for those who were "checking it out" or new to the community/culture and as someone who was born and raised an RC this old time education was really surprisingly helpful and a wonderful reminder of why Catholics do the things that they do.

I hope that you not only enjoy your experience at St. Annes and that meet as many wonderful people as we did while living there."

My experiences here at St. Anne's are not new - this community has been changing lives for many years!

The Love Shines Through in Baptism

I have been living and working at St. Anne’s for a month as of today – and what a month it has been. I have learned much about parish ministry, working with different cultural communities and the “ins and outs” of priestly living and work. Needless to say, there is much more for me to learn but these have been good days and hopefully will continue to be in the months ahead.

One of the many “new” areas I have worked at St. Anne’s is the Baptism Ministry. One to two nights a week, I help the staff here interview parents who come to the Church seeking baptism for their child. I must tell you, at first, I did not think this would be that engaging. Yet it has been a wonderful opportunity to understand the power of the sacraments of the Church and the real desire of so many to be more involved in the life of the Church. It has been a real source of hope for me!

First, I have come to see and better understand the “requirements” for Baptism for the Church. This can sometimes be a challenge for those unfamiliar with the Church in general, or the Church in America, particularly for those new to the country. It is an opportunity for learning and formation and has actually, in my limited experience, encouraged some families to approach the sacrament differently. For example, they might reconsider why they originally considered a certain person to be a godfather or godmother. It has brought about some good dialogue, even between the two parents at the interview itself.

Second, and most exciting for me, it is wonderful to see the enthusiasm that young families bring with them to this meeting. They’re excited and want this beautiful sacrament for their child. It’s also good, for one who does not understand parenthood firsthand, to see this excitement and enthusiasm as well as the challenges that come with this vital vocation in the life of the Church. How affirming and wonderful it is to see the person you met on Wednesday search you out at Mass on Sunday to say hello and to see them “parenting in action”.

Third, it’s a reminder to build on that enthusiasm. It can sometimes be easy to get caught in the cynicism. Baptisms are celebrated every Saturday at St. Anne’s and they are filled through October. It would be dishonest to say that all who come to the interview are actively engaged in the life of the parish. Yet, what a tremendous opportunity for the evangelizing and welcoming spirit – the love - of the Church to shine through. Gently inviting these families to become involved in the life of St. Anne’s receives a range of reactions – some positive, some not so much. Yet, I hope and pray, that the gentle spirit of welcome and hospitality offered in these moments might serve as an inspiration and reminder of the Church that is always calling people to come home.

What a great experience this continues to be!

The Love Shines Through Grief

As I live and learn here at St. Anne’s, I continually recognize the power and importance of so many of the ministries present in this parish community. This past week, I have been involved with the Ministry of Consolation. It’s an amazing ministry – one present in many parishes – that brings the power of community and Church to those who mourning the loss of a loved one.

The ministry started here about two years ago under the guidance of another seminarian – now Fr. David Regan. In many ways, this ministry provides the comfort and direction a family in grief needs so they don’t need to think or worry about the many details linked to the loss of a loved one. This allows those who are suffering to fully appreciate and enter into the wake service, funeral liturgy and burial of their loved one.

For those who might not be familiar, here’s how the ministry works (I’m sure it’s similar in other parishes, too.) When the parish is notified about the death of a parishioner, a minister of consolation is called and she (or he) gathers a team of fellow ministers to work with and assist a grieving family. Members of the team invite the family to St. Anne’s, visit them at the funeral home or in their own home (whatever is best for them). Here, they walk the family through the entire process – explaining the process, working with a family to plan out the funeral mass, including selecting appropriate readings and hymns, and seeking to include as many members of the family as possible in the vigil service and funeral mass. All of this information is shared with the team and the Celebrant of the liturgy so he, too, is part of the planning of the liturgy.

The Vigil service generally takes place at the funeral home on the afternoon or evening before the funeral Mass. The Church calls us to keep watch, to keep “vigil” before their loved one. We do this by greeting those who visit us, praying in community at a simple prayer service and preparing for the Funeral Mass the next day. A member or two from the team generally attends the wake service and is present in case the family has any last minute questions or concerns.

On the day of the funeral, the ministers are once again present. They greet the family as they arrive, assist them with whatever they need for the liturgy (even thinking of tissues if they’re upset!) and provide them with a worship aid so they can participate in the liturgy without flipping through missalettes, etc. They pray with the family and help them throughout the liturgy, especially if they are taking a part in the liturgy (reading, placing the pall on the casket, bringing up the gifts, etc.). More than anything they do, their presence bears incredible witness to those who are grieving and upset.

These past weeks, I have had the opportunity to serve at some funerals and lead a wake service. One of the things that has stuck with me is the mystery of the Church community. It’s the first time that I have had to lead a wake service or offer a reflection at the service of someone who I really did not know personally. At first, truthfully, it felt a little uncomfortable, even a little bit less than genuine. However, as I have thought and reflected on my experiences here, I’ve come to realize that it is not necessarily about any one of us and/or our personal relationship that is most important. It’s our openness to be witnesses to and ministers of the hope and consolation that comes with new life in Christ!

Hospitality Too - The Love Keeps Shining Through!

As I live and work here at St. Anne’s, I am beginning to understand the depth of commitment of both the parish and the local community to those most in need. There are many areas to reflect upon and we’ll do that in the weeks ahead.

One example of this depth is the parish’s commitment and support of the Hospitality Too Soup Kitchen which began in 1988 (?). The Hospitality Too Soup Kitchen is open every Saturday morning but the volunteer efforts require activity throughout the week (from wash up kits on Wednesdays, to food pick ups from local businesses throughout the week to numerous letters and requests for help and support that must be written. (In our local community, it’s often referred to as the “Peanut Butter and Jelly Gang”.) Admittedly, I don’t know as much about the “behind-the-scenes” work as I hope I will one day. The experience of Saturday mornings is one to emulate in our own communities.

The work begins usually around 7:30 A.M. as volunteers come to set up the space. The Parish of St. Anne’s provides the space for the work of the Soup Kitchen and has doneso for a number of years. Even when things in the parish have had to move, a place was always held for Hospitality Too. Presently, the soup kitchen operates out of the Church basement (where there is Air Conditioning!).

Around 8:00 A.M. , donations are sorted, bags prepared and the basement is set up to become a “sandwich factory” of sorts as peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are made for the homeless and organizations that work with them in the local communities. After the set up is complete, around 9:00 A.M., the day begins with prayer led by a member of the community. Then, the first part of the day begins as thousands (literally) of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are made, packaged, boxed and either stored, picked up by or dropped off to local homeless advocacy groups.

After sandwiches are completed, prayers of thanksgiving are offered and the work of the meal gets underway. An unbelievably dedicated crew of regular volunteers makes all of this work, yet they are welcoming of the many new people chipping in (like me!) and getting involved. Bags of bread are prepared, take home meals are organized for each guest, tables are set (with flowers on each one) and the doors opened for the many guests who will come.

Lunch begins promptly at 11 A.M. with a prayer of blessing. A long “soup line”, if you will, forms and nearly two hundred people (the number varies each week) join the community for lunch. Special assistance is given to the elderly, those with children and those who struggle to handle lunch on their in any way. It’s clear a sense of community forms between the guests themselves and those here to serve them each week. What an experience!

After lunch, and only after everyone has been served and is finished, clean up begins in earnest. Never the most exciting part of the meal, it’s done relatively quickly as everyone chips in to get things together.

I have had the privilege of volunteering here before and never fail to leave encouraged and inspired to keep going. The spirit of those who operate the Hospitality Too Soup Kitchen, the commitment of the volunteers, the gratitude of the guests and the presence of so much “faith in action” cannot help but inspire all of us to keep on going! There aren't too many experiences more formation than this one.

(To learn more about the work of the Hospitality Too Soup Kitchen, you can join their group entitled, “The Peanut Butter and Jelly Gang” on Facebook. The pictures here are from that site and they are scarce as great sensitivity to confidentiality of the guests who come here. )

Following Witnesses

Check out these two websites that detail the work of young people from St. John the Baptist Diocesan High School and Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in West Islip.

Our Lady of Lourdes Mission Awareness Trip 2010

St. John the Baptist Mission Outreach: Peru

They'll be updated daily throughout the weeks ahead...certainly a wonderful chance to see many putting their faith and beliefs into action (and probably enjoying a few light moments as the week progresses, too!)