Dear Archbishop O’Malley,
Sacred Heart is so special to our hearts, something that is
worth
preserving. For example, I have heard this morning Sacred Heart is a
"warm" church
because of its architecture and its small size. In
churches use smaller, internal chapels to project intimacy with God for
occasions of limited attendance. Light plays, as skillfully practised
as
Sacred Heart during the liturgy, can also be easily accommodated elsewhere.
Myself, I have been attracted by the unmistakably intellectual atmosphere of
the community. Father OD's preaching and
the years have, for example, taught us quite a bit about matters of our
faith . Again a practice which can
be promoted elsewhere.
Being musically inclined, my family have of course
enjoyed the effort put
into the different music programs accompanying the Sacred Liturgy.
This barely begins to scratch the richness of our community. In fact I have
always been struck by the way Sacred Heart has been run as a virtual parish
since I joined it 14 years ago: - close to half a dozen priests come to say
Mass here, including the ones who appear for the Holy Days of Obligation
somewhat in the manner of a minor miracle, bringing with them a pentecostal range of styles I have not
observed anywhere else- precise geographic boundaries
are a bit blurred as the parish extends to
My professional bent is to draw lists and criteria. You understand this
approach. As long as we were living, we did not need to put it in writing.
Now that we are faced with an uncertain transition, we should.
How else another parish can deal constructively with this sudden influx of
strangers? We heard this morning that Sunday classes for children will be
created at St Brigid's. This welcoming response is made easier by the
obviousness of the fact. Let the other facts about Sacred Heart be brought
to light.
Once we are done, we may well find that a community like Sacred Heart puts
a heavy executive burden on its pastor, which it does. At the very least,
this can then be a genuine tribute to Father Colletti's
skills, patience and
strength in what started, in his own words, as a "shot-gun marriage"
with us.
This may not be the letter you wanted. However it is sincere and, as such,
can be quoted in whole or in part as you see fit.