While we still have a ways to go in addressing the multiple crises in the Church, we have come a long way in recent years, and our parishes have strong plans going forward. As I have tried to say at each Mass over the past couple of weeks,
I need your help in guiding how we as collaborative Parishes deal with the crises of abuse, cover-up, and improving leadership in the Church. You know I refuse to be part of the problem of silence on these issues, but
I need you to tell me if I/we are talking too much or too little about these issues. In addition, hurt and anger beyond words that many of us feel about the way people have been treated, I also mourn the fact that you, the laity, have to be dragged again through the muck of a problem not of your making.
Please speak with me personally after Masses or send me an email with feedback to help us find the right balance in addressing the issues.
Here are just two of the ways I hope will help us strike this balance.
First, I will try to do most of my communication on these issues in writing (in this column, our website, email or social media). As appropriate, we will keep these concerns in our prayers at Masses, and when needed touch on them in homilies but not every week. Each of us is in a different place with these issues, so when you see these writings you can decide whether to read or not. This also helps us to be sensitive to families and avoid discussion of sensitive issues in front of younger listeners.
Second, we will try to put an emphasis on hope and uplifting news in our parishes and the wider Church. This is not an attempt to hide from or sugar-coat serious problems, but to remind us that our faith always gives us hope. As Cardinal Seán said in his letter to you a couple weeks ago, “As the Church we have the responsibility to help people not to lose hope, that was Jesus’ message to all those he ministered to, especially in times of great trial. There is too much good in the Church and in our faith to lose hope. Often it is survivors who courageously teach us we cannot lose hope.”
So in the next couple of weeks we have several exciting things happening in our Plainville-Wrentham Collaborative. This Wednesday is the next event in our
“Faith Matters” series for adults, and many people are very interested in the presentation Dr. Lavoie will make about the Shroud of Turin (see bulletin cover). Next Sunday (Sep. 16) we have our annual
Mass of Annointing (see article for more info). That same day we celebrate
Catechetical Sunday, kicking off our Faith Formation year, especially for our children and youth. Catechists (teachers and sharers of the faith) from both parishes will be blessed at the 9:30 and 5pm Masses. Soon after, the second module in our
ChristLife series (“Following Christ”) for those from the first program (“Discovering Christ”) who want to continue this opportunity learning and faith sharing. We will repeat the first module again early next year. So please keep in touch – reading and talking with your pastor and one another – as we support survivors and one another through prayer and action.