FM's Message | Sunday, July 28, 2024

It is hard to believe that I am finishing my seventh year here at the parish. Looking back, I remember being overwhelmed when I recognized the challenge of what the Cardinal had asked me to do. There were (are) three things to address: rebuild the community, restore the buildings, and retire the debts. 

Taking these one by one, of course, the most important task is the community. The church, in one definition, is the people of God. So to rebuild people’s faith, to call to others to come and follow Jesus, and to help those who are here to deepen, strengthen, heal, and share their faith is the first and lifelong task of every pastor. The vision I have shared is that we are a community of disciples centered in the Eucharist who are sent out to call others to be welcomed, be healed, and belong. Using the principles we have found in the church renewal program called Divine Renovation, we have been striving to keep evangelization and healing at the front of all efforts. That effort, coupled with trying to call the best of leadership forward from everyone and relying on the guidance and help from the Holy Spirit, we are where we are and continue to move forward.  Our mission is focused on the people of Salem who do not know or have wandered away from their relationship with Jesus. Many have left the Church, the principal instrument that God has given us for the salvation of souls. I mentioned in a recent homily that we can see ourselves as a church with a mission or a mission with a church. I believe that we are a mission with a church partly because we could lose the buildings (and some have lost them) and continue with what we believe and the ability to share it with others. In those first days of the church after Pentecost, I am sure the early disciples were not looking for a church building but were looking to expand and form a community of believers centered in Jesus Christ. This will always be the model. Though, we may fight about which buildings need to be used, and how Jesus, the most important presence, will always be present in us and the buildings. 

The repair of buildings has been slowly addressed and I believe that we are on a good trajectory to accomplishing all we have to do to ensure that the buildings and grounds are well cared for and repairs and updates are consistently planned for and executed. 
The debts, which were substantial when I arrived, have been greatly reduced, in part by using windfall money (bequests, extra parking income) to pay them off in large chunks when possible and then to consistently pay off the agreed-upon sum every month. I am grateful to the parish finance committee for their prudent wisdom. The amount was close to a million dollars when I started, and we are under four hundred and fifty thousand now. We are well on our way, and I am hopeful there will be opportunities in the future to further reduce the debt. I am not a gambler by nature, but every now and then buy a lottery ticket. Mostly, I trust God and generous people who share their treasure in quiet and profound ways. 

As I start my eighth year, I hope you will pray for me that God gives me all the wisdom and courage I need to fulfill the role of pastor here. 
 
Peace, 
Father Murray 

I am grateful to Angela Gil-Cepeda for the work of presenting the Protecting God’s Children program first for our parishioners and then for anyone who needs it across the archdiocese. A reminder that any adult, regardless of age or previous training, is required to take this. This is a direct requirement from Cardinal O’Malley whom you may recall was sent here to address the crisis that had emerged because of abuse to children. We can say that we are ahead of the requirements, because eventually everyone who volunteers in the church will need to have the course before beginning ministry or continuing. Everyone also needs to be CORI’d every year. This is an Archdiocesan-wide policy, and I am proud of the fact that we have a parishioner who has stepped forward to help us fulfill the obligation.  This week I attended the clergy renewal, which included dialogue with a number of survivors, including a survivor from one of the parishes in Salem. It was very moving and is an encouragement that we need to keep healing and stay alert. 

Building news: This week we dealt with the people who care for the lawn sprinkler system. As a result of miscommunications, we have had some dry grass. We hope to have it resolved this week. We also hope to have the new commandments and beatitudes plaques installed. The next step is to move the lighting so they can be seen at dusk and at night. Recently we have seen some of our parking signs in other lots. Someone is either upset or playing with us. If you see our property and logo signs off the property, please let us know.