Funny Thing Happened

The pastor here at CTR seems more like a happy smiling school principal as religious education gets off to a fresh start at this time of year. The hallways of the parish left behind the quiet emptiness of the summer months. New life, more movement, excitement, and young faces brought dynamism to the parish center. Along with RE directors Harvesta Williams and Jay Cuasay, the pastor welcomed the children, the parents, the catechists, and other volunteers to plunge into the experience of religious education.

Fortunately, the pastor’s job is simpler than the principal of a school. My task was just to give a word of welcome and encouragement to this part of the mission of the parish. After weeks of student registration and months of recruitment of catechists and volunteers, there was a sense of new learning and vibrancy as classrooms began to buzz with the sounds of education.

As the catechists and children began arriving and their teaching and learning interaction gathered energy, a funny thing happened on the way to religious education. A similar thing had happened last year as I greeted the parishioners bringing their children for instruction in the faith. The people who I frequently see at the many masses at CTR became more real as we had the chance to exchange greetings and conversation.

Church Alive
The hallway outside the Pastoral Center offered the second best place for my experience of what Church is really about. There I learned all kinds of things about what makes the people and the parish tick. My normal and first place for learning about the comings, goings, thoughts, and concerns of the parish is at the reception desk in the parish office. The reaction of the parishioners to my presence in each place was the same: what’s the pastor doing here? It was a good place to meet and greet people. Even better, it was good for them to have the chance just to exchange their thoughts and values about all manner of things churchy and otherwise with the pastor.

Just like every good manager, the pastor learned once again how important it is to get out of the office, not to mention out of your pulpit, to communicate and chat with the folks who are the community at CTR. Unlike our usual public discourse via the newspapers and other media, there were no wild outbursts or confrontational moments. We were all just believers in pursuit

of the faith: parents bringing their children to the faith, catechists sharing what we believe with our young people, and volunteers showing they cared in various ways about young people in our community. And, not least of all, was the pastor in his role encouraging, brokering, and affirming some grace-filled action in the community. This was Church being Church, nothing too complicated.

What were the kinds of things we talked about and I learned from the good folks in the hallway?

It takes all of us to raise our children in the faith. Parents, catechists, and priests. It’s a cooperative effort and we all learn from each other.

The kids are fun, challenging, and questioning about the things of faith. The challenge is to engage them, field their questions, and affirm their faith journey.

There’s a concern among adults about their own prayer life and spirituality. Their faith life is deeper than meets our normal vision.

Prayer life and faith begin at home. The domestic Church is where the Church happens around family tables, in discussion, and in praying together.

The worship life of the parish is supportive to the discovery of God’s Presence in the lives of the children. Classroom learning needs prayerful celebration of the Church’s rituals on Sundays and during the liturgical year.

Our cultural values and challenges have a profound effect on our religious believing and living.

Technology affects not only the speed, but the quality of our interpersonal relationships. Our children’s world of learning even in faith is different than our past or present experience.

After years of theological study and teaching others, a funny thing happened on the way to religious education this week. I learned that the process of religious exploration is still vibrant and more fascinating than I had imagined. An ever-faithful God invites us to find him in new ways, with new faces, with new words, and with more challenges. I learned that we as Church are up to the challenge. The discovery was refreshing. Thanks to those I met in the hallway this week.

CDH