Saying Goodbye?
I had a conversation with a parishioner this week who made a very solid point. She said that if I want people to let go of me (a reference to my homily announcing I will serve as Pastor of Whatcom County, here), I have to give them an opportunity to say goodbye to me. That struck me, but I didn’t know exactly what to do about it. I am not, strictly speaking, saying goodbye, but the point still stands: after June 09, I will only be at Assumption one weekend each month and one day each week. This is a stark change to our reality, and changes like that need to be recognized and honored.
There may end up being something after the Sunday Masses on June 09 (June 08 is Volunteer Appreciation), but I suppose this is an invitation to do whatever you need to do – write a card, catch me after Mass, wear a custom T-Shirt with my face on it (please don’t….) – to make peace with the change. I’ll admit, I have been too focused on the million tasks that need done before July 01 to actually grieve and process the change myself, which is probably why I’m not particularly helpful with ideas here. I trust the Lord will help us along the way nonetheless.
Whatcom Catholic Updates
If you have not been checking the Whatcom Catholic website (https://www.whatcomcatholic.org/updates), I have recently posted updates about how we are doing finances, where the priests are going to live, and how we are doing daily Masses and office hours. You can also provide an e-mail address to get these updates e-mailed to you when they are posted.
Pride Month
Most of the country celebrates June as Pride month, so there will be a lot of rainbow flags and discussion of LGBTQ issues over the next few weeks. I do not plan to preach on it this year, but I would refer you back to my homily from last year, which I still stand by. However, I do need to offer a caveat: after I preached that homily, a parishioner invited me into a very loving and respectful conversation where he offered a generational correction. For his generation, he told me, Pride represented a push against violence and silence, something we might see reflected in the Catechism’s enjoinment that “[homosexual persons] must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided.” Even though I think the Pride Movement has gone far beyond that original character today, I thought it was a helpful correction and one I wanted to mention here.
For any LGBTQ persons looking to live an authentic life in union with the Church, I strongly recommend Eden Invitation.
Fr. Moore 