Growing and Changing NOT Closing

"Change is inevitable; growth is optional."

- St. Charles Seminary's Vocation Director

     While on my way to the turnpike or to the mall or to Target (or chipotle) in the past two weeks I have passed the same Church sign over and over and over. I've always been a sucker for cheesy church signs and sometimes the one out front at Our Lady of Fatima in Bensalem takes the cake. They always have something clever written out front for each and every Holy Day or Church Season. However, it's simply Ordinary Time so what could be so fantastic about it this time? Well you see, the sign read: "We are NOT CLOSING. Just Growing and Changing. Worship here daily." When I read that, I thought, wow, how refreshing to finally see some positivity.

     For many of us in the Lower Bucks County area, we've been experiencing the Archdiocesan Year-Long Study. Basically, there had been a series of interviews, observations and studies at each Parish in Bensalem, Croydon and Bristol for the past year. Things such as structure, facilities, parish activities, Mass attendance and more were taken into consideration. Even though I was at school for most of the year, I was still feeling the strains of the study. It felt as if at any moment everything was going to be ripped away from me. I didn't want my Parish to close. I didn't want to have to go to a different church. I didn't want to change. In the beginning, I was outraged that we were going through this "survival of the fittest" study and I kept saying that I wanted to sing "Give Me Back My Hometown" by Eric Church to anyone in the Archdiocese who would listen. I was upset because I felt like we were on the chopping block. I felt the same as everyone else in all the surrounding parishes. But then I had a change of heart.

     I was sitting in Sister Peggy's Catholic Belief and Practice class (or as we liked to call it, Catechism) when it hit me. We were studying the words of the Creed, "One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic CHURCH." Let me repeat, ONE. HOLY. CATHOLIC. APOSTOLIC. CHURCH. When we were first discussing this concept, I shared a story about attending Mass in foreign countries. No matter what country I was in, the Mass was the same. The language might have been different, but the Mass was the same and I knew I was in good company. Although I may not have understood the words, I understood that we were one, holy, catholic, apostolic church. Studying the depth behind those words, I became to advocate not against the Archdiocese but rather, with them. 

      For years, since I could drive, really, I've been considered a church hopper. You know, someone who just church hops and doesn't always go to her home Parish for Mass. My reasons stemmed from needing to go to an earlier Mass to having a church date with a close friend. But more often than not, when I was home, I was at my Parish for Mass. Even if I wasn't seen at Sunday Mass there (the best dates take place on Sundays), I was usually at daily Mass. Of course, this busy girl sometimes needed to get to an earlier Mass, so even then I would travel to a closeby church for an earlier Mass. Last Summer, our Pastor presented the idea of an earlier Mass at our Parish to the daily Mass goers. While everyone was deliberating in the pews, I listened. Some wanted, some didn't. Finally, being the youngest in attendance, I raised my hand. The congregation quieted and let me speak. I mentioned that "while an earlier Mass would be ideal for me, I'm not tied to going to the 9:00 AM Mass because I can drive. I don't walk to Mass, I don't carpool, I don't need the later start in the day. When I need an earlier Mass for something, I go to a different Parish. We have a cluster for a reason: to depend on one another." My end resolve was to say that the 9:00 AM Mass works for St. Thomas, it always has. We are all one church and our loyalties aren't to the Parish, but rather to the faith. So, if need be, the other churches provide a means for me to practice to my faith. My biggest emphasis was not the matter of times for Mass, but rather that we are ONE. HOLY. CATHOLIC. APOSTOLIC. CHURCH. 

       This morning, as I was driving to the new 6:30 AM mass at my Parish (I must admit, I'm extremely in favor of this addition!), I was thinking once again of our ONE. HOLY. CATHOLIC. APOSTOLIC. CHURCH. Today, July 1st, 2014, marks the beginning of the mergers. I know full well that people are still upset. St. Thomas Aquinas merged with St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and I know that it might be a hard adjustment for many. For the people of St. E's, I say this, my parish is not your parish and your parish is not my parish. Rather, this is OUR parish now; we are ONE. For the people of St. Thomas, I say this, remember that according to our creed, we are HOLY; be HOLY. To our priests and pastors, remember this, we are CATHOLIC. Our loyalties should be to none other than the faith. And to all of us, including myself, we must be APOSTOLIC to one another's needs during this time of change. We are the CHURCH. 

      This merge will be difficult for everyone if we do not remember that we are one, holy, Catholic, apostolic church regardless of where we go. Change is something even the apostles experienced. Remember how Jesus said, "leave behind everything and follow me." So go where Jesus goes, my friends. Change is inevitable in every aspect of life. We have the choice to grow. I suggest we look at this concept of merging with a positive outlook. It is not one Parish being taken away, and one remaining. It is not that one survived the chopping block and the other did not. It is not and will never be the survival of the fittest. We are ONE. We are (should be) HOLY. We are CATHOLIC. We are APOSTOLIC. We are the CHURCH. No single Parish is closing. But rather, just as the church sign out front of Our Lady of Fatima says, we are growing and changing. My challenge to all of us, including myself, is to embrace that which we profess every Sunday. We must be the ONE, HOLY, CATHOLIC, APOSTOLIC CHURCH. And hey, since mi casa es su casa, there's always room in my pew. Happy Birthday to our new St. Thomas Aquinas Parish. Welcome Home.