Pauca Verba ( a few words ) Number 29 – June 13, 2010
Dear brothers and sisters – dear friends,
We started this little weekend bulletin in June of 2007. But this will be the last time, as my bishop has recalled me to my home diocese on Long Island. After spending fifteen years here I will be leaving The Family School. I saw my bishop this week and he told me that he is in desperate need of priests for the parishes on Long Island. It appears that I will be assigned to either Maria Regina in Seaford or Saint Rose of Lima in Massapequa.
I will be a priest for 31 years in October of this year. Almost half of those years have been spent here at The Family. They have been wonderful years. I feel only gratitude.
We blessed Yuri’s new crucifix last week. The crucifix tells us that love is often difficult. We must let God be God. On the day of his ordination to the priesthood, the new priest puts his folded hands between the hands of the bishop who asks: “Do you promise obedience to me and my successors?” Of course, the new priest answers: “I do,” little imagining that at some future time something could be required that would ask a depth of obedience that would be very painful. Long Island is very different from when I left to come up here years ago. I’m used to our little chapel and the intimacy and beauty of the retreat house where hundreds of retreats have taken place and many hundreds of us have come to pray and learn. Now I’ll be offering Mass and preaching on weekends where a thousand people might be gathering. Culture Shock is the word I keep hearing.
Whichever of the two parishes I go to, there will be a school, which pleases me. God led me wondrously to The Family School and my eleven years as pastor of St. Paul’s in Hancock. I believe that God continues to lead me and will not abandon me to loneliness and fears. It seems that right now, I am to start my new work September 1, 2010. That leaves me some weeks to finish up here what I have to do. Mike and Rita have agreed to allow me to continue offering Mass on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday mornings until then. I am grateful, as that will allow me time to say goodbye to people here.
Remember that I say often, the cynic is the one for whom everything presses down. I don’t want that in my life. I want to flourish. I want to be hopeful. I want to be strong, joyful and generous in what God is asking. Sometimes we come around and make full circles in our lives. Who knows, maybe I will complete some years as a priest on Long Island only to return here in some capacity in my senior years. Meanwhile – my thanks to Tony and Betty for welcoming me to The Family School fifteen years ago. My thanks to Mike and Rita for their support over the years and to all the staff – wherever there was love and trust. My thanks to all the young people who have taught me important lessons about how to be human and how to be (I hope) a better priest.
With a blessing and every good wish,
Fr. Stephen P. Morris
