Feels Like Home 

When I was 25 I spent a year living in Spain. I was between jobs and unsure what my next move was going to be, so it seemed like a good (and fun) use of time as I contemplated my future. One of the most memorable parts of that year was the month I spent traveling around the country by myself. I didn’t have much money, so I was staying at cheap hostels and living off bread, cheese, and fruit purchased from grocery stores. It was a great experience, but lonely at times. In those moments, I found solace visiting Catholic churches. The red tabernacle light assured me that Our Lord was present there in the Eucharist, in the same way He was present in my parish church back home. 

When we think about our parish, we should think about it as home. The parish consists of more than the buildings on the church property. The parish is the geographical area in which we live. It is our neighborhood, which has at its heart the church building in which the Eucharist is reserved and to which we come together every Sunday to lift up our hearts to the Lord in praise and thanksgiving, uniting ourselves at Mass to the living sacrifice of Christ on the altar.  

This is the greatest and most important thing that happens in the parish. Outside of Mass we are supposed to work to build up the community so that we might experience more fully the reality of what we are as the Church in this part of Stamford.  We do this in part by making the effort to actually get to know each other.  There are many simple ways to do this.  The monthly donuts & coffee social that takes place the second Sunday of every month is one example. In addition, this month we’re also hosting two big social events – the Advent Family Fest (12/3) and the Rectory Open House (12/8). These are all excellent opportunities to finally put names to faces and make friends with other members of the parish. 

If you’re looking to get more involved as a volunteer, I’d say the Hospitality Ministry provides the biggest bang for your buck. All it requires is getting to Mass a few minutes early to hand out bulletins and then staying a few minutes after to put the pews back in good order – as well as being appropriately friendly to people when they walk through the doors. Even if you’re not naturally outgoing, you’d be amazed at how quickly you get to know your fellow parishioners in those brief encounters before Mass. If you’re interested in learning more about this ministry, feel free to reach out to me or just to ask one of the volunteers who does it already. 

Of course, if you prefer to keep a low profile, a quiet way of building up the community is to take notice of people in the pews, including strangers, and pray for them. We do not know what burdens weigh upon the hearts of those sitting around us. It is a great act of kindness to unite our prayers and perhaps offer our Eucharist for their secret personal intentions. It also strengthens the bonds of fraternal charity that exist among the members of our parish, making it feel more like the Eucharistic family and the spiritual home that it is. 

posted 12/2/23