Trees, Flowers, and Hope

A couple of times since I arrived ten months ago, a handful of people wondered, out loud, to me, how long I would be at our parishes.  Their reference was the fact that four of our parishes have had three or four pastors/administrators over the past three or four years.  Ultimately, I say only the Lord Jesus knows.  What is my hope?  By my track record of being pastor of Petersburg Parishes for sixteen years and my disappointment at leaving Incarnation after four years, my expectation is to be here for as long as I’m welcome.  If we suppose the potential twelve-year typical pastor assignment, I would be sixty-eight years old then, which is close to the priest retirement age of seventy.  Near retirement, with the recommendation of pastoral councils, priests are often allowed to remain in place until they retire.  However, there is another indicator of my hope.

Trees and Hope

Somewhere I read that those who plant trees have a lot of hope for the future.  After all, for even a fast-growing tree like a Tulip Poplar (one of which I grew from seed over the winter) or a Silver Maple (whose seedlings are easy to find), it takes at least five to ten years to produce a tree that has some height to offer even a spot of shade.
In the ten months I’ve been here, I’ve planted seven trees and two lilac bushes.  I have at least eight seedlings growing, the Tulip Poplar above, along with four each, Silver Maple and Buckeye.  Besides making Dave Bucker’s mowing job more challenging at St. Saviour, I’m thinking those trees represent the high hopes I have for our future.  And speaking of hope…there’s more…

Crescent Gardeners

I would like to ask a favor of Crescent Parishes’ Parishioners who also have hope.  As spring enters into its fits and starts, all of our parish plants could use gardeners.  Some of our parishes, such as St. Saviour, could even use a person to coordinate gardeners so that manageable plots of the parish garden can be assigned and cared for.   Even more, we have the Crescent Parish Garden at St. Saviour, whose produce will go to provide fresh vegetables in conjunction with the food pantry at the Church of the Resurrection. 
Thanks to those who offer themselves in the simple service and hope that is gardening! If you would like to volunteer to work in our gardens, please complete the sign-up slip below and put it into the offertory collection, or call a parish office to leave your name.

Tuesday Night Confessions

The Tuesday night confession time (6:30 at Nativity) has not caught on.  We are blessed to have one or two penitents on some nights.  However, most nights nobody attends.  In fact, I was expecting Tuesday of Holy Week to have at least half a dozen or more penitents.   Not one penitent appeared!  Therefore, Tuesday evening confessions will be canceled beginning in May.  See the current Confession schedule on the cover of the bulletin.
I will be talking with pastoral councils, Fr. Jerry and Fr. Dave asking them their thoughts about other days/times.  I have experienced good participation in Saturday morning confessions, especially after a Saturday morning Mass. Other suggestions are welcome.  Remember, confessions before Mass take away your priests’ valuable time to meet and get to know our parishioners, which is especially difficult with a three-week priest rotation.  Therefore, it is not likely we will re-institute confessions before Masses.  Otherwise, please pray that we discover a sweet spot of time to receive Divine Mercy in the sacrament of Confession!

Sincerely and with Love in Christ,

Fr. Pat