New Mass Schedule is on the Horizon
11-03-2019Weekly ReflectionFr. Emmanuel IhemeduDear Brothers and Sisters:
I write to inform you that beginning January 4, 2020, there will be a revised Weekend Mass schedule at Saint John Paul the Great Parish. Through much prayer, feedback, careful examination of weekend Mass attendance data, consideration, consultation with parish council and staff, and discussions with all who attended the town hall meeting held on Tuesday October 22, I have decided to change the weekend Mass schedule to: One Vigil Mass @ 4:30 PM at St. Peter; Sunday: 7:00 AM at St. Francis; 8:30 AM at St. Peter; 10:00 AM at St. Francis; 11:30 AM (Spanish) at St. Peter; 5:00PM (life-teen Mass) at St. Francis. We are eliminating the Saturday 5:30PM Vigil at St. Francis and the Sunday 11:30 AM English at St. Peter. The Sunday 1:00 PM Spanish Mass will now be held at 11:30 AM.
Why the revised schedule? Several years ago, Torrington had four parishes, with at least three priests assigned to each parish. Because of the pastoral planning of the Archdiocese, the four parishes were forced to face a painful challenge of linking and ultimately merging into one parish Saint John Paul the Great, with two worshiping sites. Some of the reasons for these drastic measures included: lack of vocations to service the parishes; low mass attendance; dwindling number of those who identify as Catholics; lack of resources for the upkeep and maintenance of the grounds, and physical plants of these churches.
From the time the churches were linked to their final merger, the parish has seen a reduction in priest assignment. Our manpower has severely dwindled from four priests, down to not three but all the way to an all-time low of only two priests. This is quite concerning since our area was previously served by four parishes, each staffed by 3-4 priests in the not too distant past! But we have not seen a reduction in number of Masses offered. Currently we have eight Masses on the weekend and we have had it for years even with the change in number of priests. I worry that if the current history of steady decline in the number of serving priests and men seeking ordination is any indication, we might be down to one priest in the nearest future. We are retiring on average of eight to ten priests a year while ordaining one or two. The revised weekend mass will lighten the strain, a little, on our clergy. While we are grateful to some of our local retired clergy and the Monforte priests for assisting us with confessions and Masses when they can, we cannot always count on their availability.
Since our current worship sites – St. Peter's church building and St. Francis church building – can accommodate over 400 persons respectively, we are confident that there will be room for everyone at each Mass. The Mass attendance data collected since last year tell us that not only are the two Masses we are eliminating the least attended Masses, but also that the attendance at those Masses can be absolved by other Masses. We are hoping that the revised Mass schedule shall additionally ensure a fuller church at all our Masses which would significantly enhance our worship, improve optimal use of our facilities and resources, and to better honor the Lord's Day.
I am not unmindful that this change in Mass schedule will certainly impact our regular weekend and family patterns. Change is hard and it is more so for those of us who enjoy set schedules and routine traditions. People say that "variety is the spice of life.' But the truth is that I have no problem eating fufu (Nigerian food) every day for the rest of my life. The variety part might be the chicken or beef in the accompanying soup. I deeply understand that there may be other people who feel the same way as I do. For example, if the 5:30PM Saturday vigil Mass or the 11:30AM Sunday Mass is the hinge for your weekend liturgy, once that hinge is moved, it moves other things with it. Understanding these circumstances drives me to render a heartfelt appeal for your support.
This new schedule is not etched in stone. I will keep an open mind. Let us all keep an open mind as we evaluate the change. Some concerns were raised about potential parking issues and overcrowding and while I believe that our parish can handle this transition, I would like to be proven wrong in this particular case because it would mean that our turnouts are higher than expectation.
Please be understanding and charitable through this process. I hope that you will see beyond the changes and embrace the opportunity to reach out to those who are not engaged in a life of faith. Please pray for our parish in the coming weeks and months as we adjust to this new Mass schedule.
Sincerely,
Fr. Emmanuel Ihemedu
Pastor