God is giving you an opportunity to help fix a problem with Him. I would hope that you will help Him solve this problem.
Ouch. I feel I was led to that church and I wondered why. The priest has said more than once that he wonders why he ended up there. The church has a reputation as a hornet’s nest. One friend offered me money to leave. Another friend has steadfastly maintained that I was sent there for a reason. Can’t you see the bright yellow lettering on my forehead that says “COWARD”? Well, I will consider what you have said and proceed with extreme caution. Leaving town if this backfires is not an option.
I sympathize, I really do. I already told you in an earlier post about the difficulty of moving to our little Church. The priest who moved here at the same time is leaving now and we are getting a new priest who is already unpopular because he is Filipino and that is nothwhat the town was hoping for. They should be thanking their lucky stars they are getting a priest at all. Oh well. Our situation is more complicated. This is a town of only 3000 people, mostly the second generation of people who came from Italy. These people also have freeway overpasses and streets named after them. They went to school together, married each other. I hear about it all the time. We were brave enough or stupid enough, either way you want to look at it to buy a small business here- one that has been established for 100 years with the same family. That family wanted to move away. It’s been 16 months now in both the business and the Church and we are practically broke. He, he, we are broke, what am I saying? The reason? We are not the family that started the business. For some reason, the town feels it would be disloyal to the other family to buy from us since they were friends with them. The town is actually angry with us for buying the business in the first place. Not mad at the sellers for selling out and moving away-mad at us. Constantly we hear at both the Church and store, the so and sos never did it like this, etc. The old owners’ customers cancelled their accounts. All of the accounts we have left are ones from neighboring towns miles away. Except for the priest and a handful of people, the town won’t do business with us. Oh, well. Brave or stupid? we go to Mass every Sunday, we have joined their Church organizations even though very few people will speak to us, we patiently put the open sign in the window the rest of the week and go on about our business. We agonize through the parish potlucks, sitting at tables by ourselves. At the kids confirmation class, we had a contest- adults against kids in Catechism Trivia, it was called. Every time I gave the right answer, my team wouldn’t use it. Why? They did not trust me to know the catechism- I was a stranger. We lost to the kids. Questions like what is the holiest day of the week? Who is the Immaculate Conception? They couldn’t answer it, but did not trust me to give them the correct one. We have charitably donated to the town, our kids belong to several athletic groups etc. My son is popular because he is a really big kid and quite athletic. The town’s high school team was truly awful so they think my kid is just Mr. Football. At the last assembly they said- — look at the size of this kid! Here is our football future. Other than that, we are nothing, just nothing. And now our strongest supporter, the priest is leaving and we are getting one the town is talking against already and he isn’t even here yet! Smile, God loves you.
LOL. We all have a little yeller’ in us. Just request anonimity with the Bishop. Tell him that you would like him to keep your identity confidential and he will comply.
Oh, it’s a bakery.
Well, from all that you’ve related, that sounds like quite the compliment! If anyone says that again (I doubt they will, as softballs like that are usually only lobbed once), I’d beam and say, “Oh, you’re too kind”. Seriously, though, I’m sorry to hear this. The only thing I can suggest is to talk to that priest. Yes, he may be in the “in” crowd, but you should challenge him on that. Remind him of his vocattion: it’s not just a job, but a mission, and he has perhaps forgotten that.
Probably not.
No. Have no idea where they went. They just hightailed it out of town. In any case, I just think you must be patient, smile a lot, be friendly, and pray for them. Me too. We get to experience what it must be like for migrant workers or immigrants. You know? What you are going through and we are going through- it’s a gift from God. At least if we choose to accept it that way. Like Mission Impossible- your mission if you choose to accept it…
I’ll remember you and your parish in my rosary tonight. Don’t be a stranger. 
Sherlock:
Ah, don’t lower your standards now. Don’t disrespect the priest. Consider that you are in this position for a reason. There is some reason God allows you to suffer this. Don’t make it a curse- turn it to a blessing. Start with considering all the times in their lives Mary, Joseph and Jesus were out casts and outsiders. Consider the cross and MAKE THIS WORK FOR YOU not against. It’s hard but will be very fruitful.
Similar situation in a town 13 miles from here. In my other life (pre-divorce) I lived there and on a Sunday afternoon, you could lie down in the middle of Main St. and take a nap. No kidding! Frequent comments in the local paper about loyalty and shopping local. Ok, I tried. Drugstore: Do you have X? No. Will you be getting any more in? No. Can you order it for me? No. Walmart, here I come!! And the corruption runs deep and wide. Taxes are high. Where is the money going? My favorite scam: city hall charges a $200 deposit for electricity. They keep it for 10 years, no interest and it’s up to you to remember to claim it. I did. Many don’t, so the city is in the black. Every year, I marked the calendar and on the very day that marked 10 years, I called and said I want my money today .
wacky&wonderful:
How am I being disrespectful? They say jump and he says how high. That’s a fact, not just my opinion. No, I have been supportive and consistent in my behavior towards him and he knows that. Sadly, he cannot say the same for himself.Ah, don’t lower your standards now. Don’t disrespect the priest. Consider that you are in this position for a reason. There is some reason God allows you to suffer this. Don’t make it a curse- turn it to a blessing. Start with considering all the times in their lives Mary, Joseph and Jesus were out casts and outsiders. Consider the cross and MAKE THIS WORK FOR YOU not against. It’s hard but will be very fruitful.
Oh, I see now…your in one of those parishes. There was a two couples in our parish who use to be like this too. Private parties, concerts, fireworks etc., I spoke up once or twice and asked why so and so were not invited then we started being not invited. It hurts real bad so I can sympathize. As long as your pastor tolerates and endorses what these people do, there is nothing you can do. In your messages you do not state if there are other parishes in your area, if there are, go there!!
I really don’t know what goes on. They’re all related, so anything they do could be considered a family activity. Maybe they don’t get together all that often, I cannot say. They all live a stone’s throw from each other. I’ve been going to that church for 18 months now and the priest arrived about a year before that. The gossip informed me that he was always taking off and going somewhere and he didn’t socialize with them. Oh, she had a list of “concerns” and questioned me about my experiences with him. I can understand his dilemma and I do understand what makes him do most of what he does. I wish I could help. Yes, there are other parishes in my area and tomorrow morning I will be going to morning Mass somewhere else because I didn’t go today and I miss it! I cannot imagine going back to a place that has no place for me. It doesn’t make sense. I do wish them well and I just have to fight the urge to corner the priest and say TALK TO ME!!
I just had to write and give you an update. I just finished sending an email to the bishop’s assistant/secretary. I hadn’t planned to say anything to anyone about why I left. Afer all, who cares? Just me. Anyway, I was visitng a friend at her job and telling her about the new church that I found and that I really liked it. How different it was from the one I had just left (naming the names of the churches) and a woman who was sitting nearby joined in the conversation. She said that she had been planning to take her family, which included children, to the church that I had just left, but that a friend of hers had discouraged her. I told her that she needed to listen to her friend and to me and go somewhere else. We’ll see if I get blackballed in this town or if they come after me with a bucket of tar and some feathers. Oh well, the church that I go to now is 33 miles away. I’m only home to sleep.
