Hospitality and Warmth

In yesterday's Along The Way column at CatholicCourier.com Bishop Clark reports on a visit he made last Sunday with the parishioners of St. Mary of the Lake and the Epiphany and St. Rose Chapels.

These people, along with representatives of four other communities, have been heavily involved in the Pastoral Planning process, trying to determine how to configure their parishes and chapels to make the best use of the services of the three priests available to them.  By all reports, including the Bishop's, the work has been "challenging."

One issue these people have not had to contend with is the forced closing of a Catholic school in their area.  That is, I believe, the only reason the Bishop could write,

As is always the case when I visit parish communities, I noted the hospitality and warmth of the people.

If he were to visit the people of, say, Holy Trinity, Good Shepherd, Holy Cross, St. John of Rochester, etc., I believe he would have to rewrite that sentence, replacing "hospitality and warmth" with something like "confusion, anger and unanswered questions."

Therefore, "as is always the case" with Bishop Clark, I expect him to stay miles away from these parishes.