On Wednesday, I was able to spend the morning at Lairmont Manor with the parish staff from all the county parishes and the afternoon with the Assumption staff specifically. A few reflections on that:
The Importance of Retreats
I try to schedule two parish staff retreats each year – one spiritual and one practical/visioning – so that the staff have time to reconnect their work to the bigger picture or their relationship with Jesus Christ and their service to our community. It is so easy to get lost in the daily tasks and to forget that we serve a greater mission. The Code of Canon Law actually requires priests to take a 5-day retreat every year, for exactly this reason. I find every time I go on retreat, or even vacation, my perspective shifts and I come back convicted about some new direction the Lord wishes to take me and/or our community.
Retreats are important for lay people, too! Some of our parishioners will take pilgrimages to Europe or the Holy Land, which are always worthwhile, but you might consider a long weekend stay with the Benedictines (website) or the Dominicans (website) north of the border. There is also limited support for private retreats at St. Martin’s in Olympia (website).
Please remember we are also holding our parish retreat (“The Upper Room”) this week, 6:30 pm on Tuesday (English) and 7:00 pm on Wednesday (Spanish).
Getting the Staff Together
I am not pastor of anywhere except Assumption until July 01, so I have to be very careful not to start leading the other staffs until that time. Still, I knew there would be a lot of questions from the non-Assumption staff members, and I thought they needed time to put their minds at ease now, so that they can continue strong through the end of June. I am so blessed that the other pastors agreed and allowed these staff to join us in the morning. We discussed a lot of things – and I consulted them on a few of the moves that need to be made before July 01 – but my overall take away was (1) that we have very talented and dedicated people at all of our county churches and (2) I am very excited to start working with them in July.
For the rest of our time, the Assumption staff alone discussed what we needed to prepare internally over the next two months to make sure we are good coworkers when the Family process starts.
Lairmont Manor
It was deeply meaningful to have this meeting at Lairmont Manor. From 1941 – 1966, Lairmont Manor served as the novitiate for the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace (who founded and ran St. Joseph Hospital and also, starting in the 1960s, staffed our school). We are doing something historical with the Family process, and it was symbolically profound to have our first all-staff meeting at a place so important to the history of Catholicism in Whatcom County.
The Lairmont director, recognizing this same historical connection, was incredibly generous and allowed us to use the ballroom at the manor for free that day. If you are looking for a venue, please recognize their generosity and consider them.
Fr. Moore 