Every time we gather to celebrate the Most Holy Eucharist, one of the first prayers is called “The Collect,” ideally a summary of the hopes and fears, cares and concerns of the people coming together to contemplate the mystery of Christ crucified out of love for us, to give us a new beginning.

Since every liturgical act is a template for the way we are supposed to live every moment of our lives, it seems both fitting, and necessary, to summarize my reflections, as Pastor, of our “Town Hall Style” Parish Council Meetings to date, starting with the meeting attended by thirty parishioners on March 12^th, and also including the inaugural meeting, attended by twelve parishioners, and the responses of many to two informal surveys circulated primarily among those who attended the two in person meetings.

First, there is cause for great rejoicing that “even now,” after all we have been through individually and as a parish, and as part of this city and this nation in our world, troubled as it is, that so many are willing to give of themselves for the life of the parish.  It gives us all great hope!
Second, the form of this “Collect” style reflection is to hear, and echo back to us all, the word of God discerned in the heart felt sharings at the meetings and through the informal surveys.  The reflection is thus also a reflection on Scripture.
The first Scripture that comes to mind is Acts 2:42: “These (the baptized) remained faithful to the teaching of the apostles, to the brotherhood, to the breaking of the bread, and to the prayers.”  The other bookend, to keep this reflection brief, is Hebrews 10:23-25: “Let us keep firm in the hope we profess, because the one who made the promise is trustworthy.  Let us be concerned for each other, to stir a response in love and good works.  Do not absent yourselves from your own assemblies, as some do, but encourage each other; the more so as you see the Day drawing near.”

Our first reflection on Saturday the 12^th was on who had accepted the invitation to give that afternoon as a gift, as the ground of the first discussion question: “What’s a Parish? What’s unique about our Parish?  What can it be, what should it be? How can it become more true to its calling?”  There in plain sight were 30 men and women “from every nation and race and people and tongue” just like the first Pentecost, waiting for the Holy Spirit to descend.  So different in the eyes of the world, by their presence they bore witness to their essential oneness.

In their reflections on what “Parish” meant, the common theme was a community called together by God to “restore all things in Christ” in and through the sacraments, for the Parish is the only body in the universal church organized around the celebration of the Eucharist, and the sacraments of initiation are reserved to the parish alone.  A striking insight shared was that the parish exists to manifesting a “glimpse of heaven” to all. 

The second reflection built on the first, asking for reflection on our biggest challenges and opportunities, which necessarily was also a reflection on what a parish is by nature.  Here there was a very strong consensus that consolidating the work God has already done in our midst, and reaching out to others, both those who need to be invited back to in person participation.  A strength of the parish is seen to be its “doors open to hospitality” including its graduate student priests, its numerous prayer groups and communities, and its tradition of always trying to say “yes” to wedding and funerals within our means.  The corresponding challenge in one word is communication, with the aim of helping everyone to both believe and belong in the way God is calling them to help “Build Bethlehem here” to borrow a phrase.  This we already do through multiple Masses and opportunities for Eucharistic Adoration and confessions, but the consensus suggestion was that we must improve both electronic and personal communication, sponsor inter-group events, and parish wide celebrations beyond Mass, including quarterly parish picnics. 

On a practical level the consensus suggestion was to make this the “Best Lent Ever” by focusing on Holy Week and Easter – how we celebrate the foot washing on Holy Thursday, for example; bringing back the “7 Church Pilgrimage” and our “Walking Stations” on Good Friday, and extending our celebration of Easter to include a reception after the Easter Vigil Mass, and an Easter Egg hunt after the 10:00 AM Mass.

Fresh from the meeting Allison Clausen and Karen Moore stepped forward to bring some of the ideas mentioned to life, Allison to try to restart coffee and donuts after the 10 AM Mass and Karen to compile simple descriptions of our existing groups to facilitate people joining a small group of interest to them.  At the same time, a healthy group of parishioners, under the leadership of Deacon John Feeley, gathered to discuss forming a Social Concerns Committee to address ongoing concerns of that nature in the parish.  Their practical steps were building on the success of our emergency food pantry and establishing connections with others involved in the corporal works of mercy.

As one parishioner pointed out, we are not only the “Parish in the heart of Brookland,”  but we are called to “BE” the heart of Brookland, or “Little Rome.”  This is what our patron Saint Anthony of Padua, charges us to do, to: “bring the Day of Pentecost to fulfillment”!
To be continued!
Peace,

Fr. Fred