How are we doing with our linkage and consolidation?

That’s a question I hear often. People want to know: Is it working? These relationships between St. Lawrence, St. Boniface, and St. Ann Churches? What’s it like living through these significant transitions?

My answer: People are coming to Mass. People are coming to Mass on Sundays. They’re coming to Mass on weekdays. Masses that used to be half-empty are filling up. And we’re running into people from parishes beyond our three churches. We’ve had transitions all around us. People are making their way to the Mass that fits their lives.

I call that a win. Why? Because we’ve discovered the grace of putting the accent on the right word. Think about it this way: We refer to St Ann’s Church, St Lawrence Church, and St Boniface Church. Which word in those phrases is the most important? It’s “church,” it’s “Catholic Church”! Catholic is Catholic and Mass is Mass. We’ve always told people that one of the blessings of being Catholic is the ability to walk into any church, any place in the world, and know what’s going on. The language could well be Japanese or French or even Brooklynese, but we know that when everyone stands, it’s the Gospel. We know that when the priest extends his hands over the bread and wine, we know the Sacraments being consecrated. Sure, we love the churches where we’ve received sacraments, celebrated milestones, encountered Jesus in a special way. But, we seem to have grown in our appreciation that the encounter with Jesus happens in the church that doesn’t quite at first feel like “our church.” Let’s keep working at that unity around the Lord’s table, wherever we find it.

Let’s also take a step further. When there’s a picnic, show up! When there’s a rummage sale, buy something! When there’s a carnival, offer to help! When there’s an opportunity to serve, step forward! Let’s cross some more borders and deepen our common journey as Church, as Catholic Church.