A New Step
Today marks the start of BufBloPoFo08. It was started by a friend of mine from college who blogs over at Royal Toybox . I am straying from the suggested first topic because I've talked about why I started blogging before.
Today Peter and I did something I secretly hoped we'd never have to do. We registered with a new parish. I had been a member of my old parish, St. Rose of Lima, for my entire life, but things changed. First the Oblates of Mary Immaculate left and we became part of the Diocese of Buffalo again. Then they sent a new priest who was, less than stellar. He has alienated quite a few of the members including my parents and many of the old guard. After telling the school board that the school wouldn't be considered for closure for at least a year, they closed the school. That was the final straw for me.
We wandered like nomads from parish to parish. The first we found to be cold and unfeeling. It was like attending mass with The Borg . No emotion, nothing to indicate that anyone had any spiritual involvement with the Mass. At another, there was more emotion, but very few people under 50 years old. We even toyed with going to the Jesuits just to be out of the Diocese.
About six months ago we went to a mass at St Joseph's University Church . We loved it. I had ties to the church, it was my father's parish growing up and his parents attended Mass there until they died. But we still weren't going to Mass on a regular basis. It think I was still holding on to a great deal of resentment towards the diocese. I couldn't (and still can't) be shaken from the belief that all of the closings of churches/schools could have been handled in a much better fashion. Two weeks ago, we finally went to the Parish Office to get the paperwork to register with the parish. We turned that in at Mass today.
It felt weird to go to mass at a new church. There is still part of me that feels guilty, like I abandoned St. Rose. I know its stupid, but I still feel that way. It felt better to see another St. Rose refugee there. I know that my being pregnant really forced us to decide what to do. We didn't want to change faiths, so we had to pick a church. I'm glad with our choice, I just need some time to adjust.
Today Peter and I did something I secretly hoped we'd never have to do. We registered with a new parish. I had been a member of my old parish, St. Rose of Lima, for my entire life, but things changed. First the Oblates of Mary Immaculate left and we became part of the Diocese of Buffalo again. Then they sent a new priest who was, less than stellar. He has alienated quite a few of the members including my parents and many of the old guard. After telling the school board that the school wouldn't be considered for closure for at least a year, they closed the school. That was the final straw for me.
We wandered like nomads from parish to parish. The first we found to be cold and unfeeling. It was like attending mass with The Borg . No emotion, nothing to indicate that anyone had any spiritual involvement with the Mass. At another, there was more emotion, but very few people under 50 years old. We even toyed with going to the Jesuits just to be out of the Diocese.
About six months ago we went to a mass at St Joseph's University Church . We loved it. I had ties to the church, it was my father's parish growing up and his parents attended Mass there until they died. But we still weren't going to Mass on a regular basis. It think I was still holding on to a great deal of resentment towards the diocese. I couldn't (and still can't) be shaken from the belief that all of the closings of churches/schools could have been handled in a much better fashion. Two weeks ago, we finally went to the Parish Office to get the paperwork to register with the parish. We turned that in at Mass today.
It felt weird to go to mass at a new church. There is still part of me that feels guilty, like I abandoned St. Rose. I know its stupid, but I still feel that way. It felt better to see another St. Rose refugee there. I know that my being pregnant really forced us to decide what to do. We didn't want to change faiths, so we had to pick a church. I'm glad with our choice, I just need some time to adjust.
Labels: BufBloPoFo08, church, Diocese of Buffalo
posted by dr. nic | 9:20 PM
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