March 23, 2007 - Easter Sunday

Dear friends in life and in ministry . . .

Holy Week is one of my favorite (albeit busiest) weeks of the year.

In addition to the glorious Palm Sunday liturgy, about 75 people from Bath area churches gathered Sunday afternoon for an ecumenical Seder Supper at which we celebrated with the traditional Jewish prayers and foods that retell the story of Passover.

On Tuesday evening, our three elect, Katelyn, Mark and Julia, office volunteer and friend Paula Gardner and I attended the Chrism Mass at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Rochester. "This Mass was really cool" Katelyn correctly remarked.

The Triduum services of Holy Thursday and Good Friday were powerful. We celebrate these services with our neighboring parish, St. Gabriel's of Hammondsport. Washing the feet of parishioners I have grown to love, is always an emotional experience for me. I use this brief time to tell them of my appreciation of their friendship as I tenderly wash each foot. Last to undo his laces was our parish deacon Ed Wight. After I washed Ed's foot, he washed mine and I thanked God for his service and the service of the other ordained and lay ministers (Fr. Peter Anglaaere, Fr. John Wydeven, our youth minister Mary Carol Wall and St. Gabriel's pastoral administrator Maureen O'Neill) who washed feet at this special Mass.

Tonight we will celebrate the holiest night of all at the Highest Mass of the year - the Easter Vigil. For the 26th time, I will sing the powerful words of the Easter Proclamation - the Exaultat. "Rejoice heavenly powers! Sing choirs of angels . . ."

Our daughter Monica arrived from Chicago on Thursday night. It is always a special treat when she is home. Chris and Annie live close-by and visit almost daily. Monica's visits, because of distance are reserved for special occasions and I cherish our daughter and dad updates and conversation. Family has become a special blessing to me. The blessing of family has always been there, but as I have aged (matured?) and allowed myself the to "let go" of paternal "control" issues, has become much more obvious. Steadfastly and loving holding our family together as I learned to stop "sweating the small stuff" is my exceptional spouse Pat who has now become an exceptional grandmother to Jack. Blessing upon blessing - all made possible by the gift of personal resurrection and unconditional love.

As promised, this week's column is in tribute to another who as blessed my life and the parish life of St. Mary's, Bath. Father Peter Anglaaere will leave us in late May for a trip home to Ghana before beginning his pastorate at Our Lady of the Valley Parish in Hornell. Writing this column helped my to process this loss and celebrate the blessings that I have experienced through the service of this wonderful priest and partner in ministry.

May God bless you this Easter and always. Christ is risen! Alleluia!

This week's Column: March 23, 2007 - Easter Sunday

The call came on Wednesday, March 12 in mid afternoon. Paula Gardner took the call and conveyed the message to me that Bishop Matthew Clark was calling for Fr. Peter. I assumed that the Bishop had heard of the death of Father’s great uncle (Cardinal Peter Dery) and was calling to express his sympathy. I was mistaken.

The Bishop was calling to ask Fr. Peter to take on a new ministry as pastor of Our Lady of the Valley Parish in Hornell.

I knew that the western Steuben pastorate was opening because my friend and Hornell pastor Fr. Patrick Van Durme had announce a month earlier that he would become a military chaplain. A few week’s ago, all priests and pastoral administrators had received a list of parish openings including the pastorate of the Hornell parish. The way the system works is that any priest or member of the pastoral administrator “pool” can express interest in serving an “open” parish. The diocesan Priest Personnel Committee headed by Fr. Michael Conboy reviews the names and resumes of those who have expressed interest and makes recommendations to the Bishop who is free to accept or reject the recommendation.

Father Peter Anglaaere

Often no one expresses interest in an open parish, or for some reason the Priest Personnel Committee decides that someone who has not expressed interest who be the best choice for a particular parish community. Fr. Conboy, on behalf of the Priest Personnel committee, then asks that priest (or pastoral administrator) to prayerfully discern the recommendation. Meanwhile, the Bishop also considers the PPC’s recommendations, makes his decisions and telephones those that he has chosen for each pastoral appointment. While, the Bishop asks the priest or pastoral administrator to accept an appointment and the chosen pastoral leader is technically free to decline an appointment, this rarely happens. Priests (and deacons) take very seriously the vow of obedience that they have pledged to their local bishop. Only in an exceptional hardship situation would one ask the bishop to reconsider a pastoral appointment.

Personally, my relationship with Fr. Peter was love at first laugh. It was just short of two years ago that Fr. Peter called to confirm what I already knew - that Bishop Clark had asked him to come to Bath and serve as our sacramental minister. Within seconds Father Peter’s infectious laugh had taken hold of my heart. God had sent us a priest with a warm and wonderful laugh. A week or so later when we met face to face, I knew that the laugh would be accompanied by a brilliant smile and flashing eyes.

Within seconds he had won over Barb Bailey and the entire staff. By his first weekend in Bath he had endeared himself to the entire parish.

But Fr. Peter’s joyful smile was not face deep. It emanated from deep within - the result of a lively faith nourished by daily prayer and a close personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Since last Wednesday, one scripture passage has played on my mind. “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God. Have faith also in me.”

The words spoken by Jesus to his friends and disciples on the night before he died, reassured them that they would not be abandoned. God does not abandon his beloved. Change happens. Priests we have grown to love are called to minister to others. Ithaca’s loss became Bath’s blessing. Now St. Mary’s loss will bring incredible blessings to the people of Hornell.

But God’s blessings are not exhausted. Within a short time a new priest will be assigned to us and we will grow to love him as well.

In the coming week’s we’ll learn what the future holds and how God will next bless us. What appears to be death will bring new life and new blessings. Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith.

Happy Easter dear friends. You are loved.

Deacon Ray

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Bulletin: EASTER March 23rd, 2008