It's Official!

You could smell the sweet fragrance of Chrism in the Church all week. It was a reminder of Bishop Da Cunha's visit to consecrate our new altar and bless the renovated Holy Redeemer. Now, it is all official: the job is almost complete. We still have a few details to wrap up, and the construction crew worked on them this week. We'll probably be chasing some of them down all summer. Now, I'm left wondering what to do with my time. Not really. There is always much to do, carrying out the constant need for spiritual renewal and renovation in the parish. 

There is still some celebrating to do. We are planning Open Houses on August 4 and September 8, from 2 – 4 p.m. Parishioners and all Chatham community members are invited to look closely at the renovations. A Catholic Church has so many signs and symbols that express our faith. Everything from stained glass windows to the Stations of the Cross to the Tabernacle has significance to our worship; even lifelong Catholics might not fully understand it. Come and take this opportunity to understand our faith more clearly. Invite your non-Catholic friends, neighbors, and especially fallen-away Catholics. It is a non-threatening opportunity to try to help them rekindle their faith. We'll have invitations available next week that you can use to invite your guests. 

We'll need some docents or guides to explain the features of church architecture, furnishings, and other aspects of the church building. We'll have training sessions later this month. You'll learn a great deal about the church by instructing others. If you want to help, please call the rectory (508)-945-0677. 

Finally, we are planning a Parish Fun Day at the end of summer on Sunday, August 25. It will be an old-style parish picnic. There will be hamburgers, hot dogs, and all your favorite picnic foods, games for the young, and a time to renew friendships and make new ones. We'll have a big tent again, so mark your calendars and plan to be part of the fun.

Death of Fr. James Buckley

Sadly, Fr. James Buckley, a former pastor of Holy Redeemer, died last Sunday morning just as we were preparing to celebrate our church rededication. He was 96. Fr. Buckley was the first diocesan priest to serve as a pastor, coming here after the Sacred Heart priests withdrew from the parish. He served as pastor from June 1988 to February 2001. Fr Buckley is remembered fondly by many long-term parishioners. In retirement, he lived in Yarmouthport in St. Pius X Parish, and his funeral Mass was celebrated there on Saturday at 11 a.m. Sadly, I wasn't able to attend because of a funeral here at the same time. Eternal rest grant on to him, O Lord, and may perpetual light shine on him.  

Parking Lot Etiquette

If we have money left over in our renovation fund, our first project is to work on our parking lot. We want to make a curb cut on Old Harbor Road so parishioners won't have to turn onto Highland Avenue and make a quick turn into the parking lot. We'll also paint parking stalls rather than the present lanes. In the meantime, please be kind to your fellow parishioners by not parking at the far end of the lot and blocking others' access to spaces close to the church. 

Our dream is to develop a "parking lot ministry," a group of parishioners who warmly greet churchgoers and help them find parking spaces. So, if poor parking lot etiquette really irritates you, why not volunteer to be a parking lot minister? It's not the most glamorous job, but one that would be very helpful. Give us a call at the parish office (508) 945-0677.