Message for the Week of July 30th, 2017
I’m finally settling in!
It’s been a whirlwind few weeks on my end as I’ve unpacked, met, and met again many parishioners at St. John’s. I am excited for the road that lies ahead and the tasks before us to complete. I know Fr. German has also settled in very well and has been appreciative of the warm welcome you have extended to him. He is making great strides in learning English with local tutors and has celebrated several English Masses (with the grateful assistance of our deacons). I’d like to use this new weekly column (also found in the bulletin) as a means of communicating on a regular basis to the folks of the parish.
Something New: I promised on my first weekend here that I would make an effort to be available and present. One simple, but I hope effective means of availability, is the creation of a work email. In addition to our office phone number (508-222-1206), I can also be reached by email (pastor@sje-church.org). Please feel free to send along ideas, questions, or request meetings through email.
Additionally: Although in three weeks I haven’t taken advantage of it, I do intend to take a day off each week. I think it is important to have a day to rest and catch my breath to prepare for the work in the parish. In the interest of full transparency, that day going forward will be Friday. Feel free to leave a voicemail or email on a Friday if you’d like, and I’ll return it over the weekend.
On a Serious Note: Some of you may know the secretary at St. Vincent Parish, Mrs. Roberta Hebert. Roberta has decided to relocate to North Carolina and will be leaving in September. She will be greatly missed. Therefore, I have approached, and received approval from the finance councils of both St. John’s and St. Vincent’s, with the plan to bring the office operations from St. Vincent’s here to St. John’s. A new schedule is being worked out with our secretaries and we hope to have the operation up and running by September 1. Let me just note, this is not a merger or a closure of a parish, simply a sharing of resources in a way to cut expenses to both parishes, and cutting our expenses definitely needs to happen. Additionally, with one office, I can be more available and present as my day won’t be spent driving back and forth between offices. Please direct any questions or concerns about this move to a member of the finance council or to me directly.
I look forward to our journey onward!
With God’s Love, Fr. Chris
