In a parish as big and active as Saint Rose, it is not surprising that we say both goodbye and hello with regularity. This month, we say both goodbye and hello to different members of our parish team. First the farewell. Isaac Johnson, our parish music director and organist, is moving forward in his career by pursuing a doctorate in musicology. Isaac and his wife Christen and their two children, Linus and Cecilia, will be moving to Colorado. Isaac has offered his considerable skills to enhance the worship of our parish in especially difficult times during the pandemic when choral music was particularly restricted. I know that we appreciate his resourcefulness! We thank him and wish him well as he develops his gifts.

Our Most Merciful Redeemer, after He had wrought salvation for mankind on the tree of the Cross and before He ascended from out this world to the Father, said to his Apostles and Disciples to console them in their anxiety, "Behold I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world." (Matt. xxviii, 20). These words, which are indeed most pleasing, are a cause of all hope and security, and they bring us ready succor whenever we look round from this watch-tower raised on high and see all human society laboring amid so many evils and miseries and the Church herself beset without ceasing by attacks and machinations.

I want to propose that we as a parish embrace, as many of you already do, a culture of discipleship in our communion of faith. Jesus Christ invites us to follow Him. This means that we participate in His mission as disciples. We are not consumers. Jesus and the Church are not offering a product. This will be a culture change for many of us — including me! There must be the expectation and opportunity for participation as disciples in everything we do in the parish. This is a great time to reimagine how our parish works.

I want to thank everyone who took the survey for our new schedule and protocols. I am very happy that we had almost 500 responses and that we have time to formulate our plans for a smooth implementation – I hope! I am not surprised that the responses to the survey express a very wide range of opinions and concerns. Of course, it is impossible to fulfill everyone’s expectations, and yet I think that we are making broad and generous provisions for many points of view. I am trying to be sensitive to the concerns that many of you still have while also reducing unnecessary burdens on everyone.  I am trying to be deliberate about making changes for the good of the whole parish and this restraint requires patience on the part of all of us. It takes a longer time to turn a bigger ship, and we are about the biggest one in the diocese. Many of the changes we made during the pandemic were out of necessity and for the moment. I want these new changes to be guiding us toward permanent practices for the parish. I am frankly grateful for the opportunity to reflect on our liturgical/devotional life. In hindsight, we can see many things more clearly than we did during the darker days of the pandemic, but we have no time to waste rehashing what has already happened. It is time to move forward!