As I write this, the weather report calls for a wintry mix tonight! Winter in April??  I am reassured, though, that there will be Spring as I witness the crocuses in the yard already in bloom  The blooms remind me that we just have to hold on a few more days or, maybe, week through this transition to Spring.  Sister Jolene’s words in the last bulletin were a bit jarring (like a wintry mix in April) as she reminded us that she is looking forward to retiring.  I know it’s very hard to think of Fr. Singer and Sr. Jolene not being the leaders of Nativity.  They have been like the parents, the grandparents, the aunt and uncle, brother and sister, friend and spiritual leader to all those who have walked through the doors of Nativity.  In many ways they have been the heart of this parish and I see how deeply they are loved.  It’s amazing to see how everyone jumps up to help if Sr. Jolene asks for anything.  It’s truly a sign of the special relationship that has grown over all these years.  So do we try to keep Sr. Jolene on as long as possible because we’re afraid of what the transition might mean?  That really doesn’t seem fair to one we have loved.  Or do we step up as adults, strengthened by our faith and inspired by their lives, and do something beautiful for God in this moment of Nativity’s history.  I would like to be part of the group that opts for the latter.

My thought is to come together (all of us) and spend a retreat day together.  I’d like it to be a time when we can pray and grieve for what has been and find reason for hope and excitement of what could be.  Whether we like it or not, life is changing at Nativity.  We can either enter this new chapter with hope and faith or we can go through the motions as if nothing has changed.  If we just go through the motions, we will become like a small family, meeting each weekend, and wondering who will be the last one to turn out the lights and lock the doors of Nativity.  I suspect I should have done this much earlier but I, too, was overwhelmed by this responsibility and depended a lot on Sr. Jolene.  So will you give up one Saturday to be with you parish family?  Transitions are not easy but when done as a family, they can be tremendous moments of grace.

Please let me know that you are willing to give up a Saturday to do this.  I have to find someone to lead this and a place to come together but I need to know you are in this with me.  Let’s do this!!
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P.S. As I’m writing this, my fear is that someone might think I have a hidden agenda (like merging the parishes or just closing Nativity).  Please know I will always be honest with you and I have NO intention of merging or closing anything (nor have I received any word from the Archdiocese about anything).  My dream is that we have TWO vibrant parishes on the east side of Detroit.

As we move from Holy Week and Easter, we realize that Resurrection has just begun. I just finished reading the article in the Free Press yesterday about Msgr. Russ Kohler’s death. Msgr. Kohler was the pastor of Most Holy Trinity since 1991,or for 25 years, and St. Anne’s since 2012. All of us can identify with the parishioners of these two parishes as they suffer the loss of their pastor. But after more than a year since Father Singer began his new life, we are able to focus more on resurrection than loss.

Resurrection means new life and new life means change. Having just come through the beautiful celebrations of Holy Week we are aware there were changes but the changes were rich with meaning and new life. Without change, life can become dull and meaningless. But often we resist change. We do not give it a chance. We prefer to focus on our loss of the past and so lose out on the joy and richness of the new. Hopefully as we celebrate the Easter Season, we can keep this in mind. It is the season of new life. Look for it and enjoy it. It is God’s gift to us and if we fail to look for it we will miss much joy.

As I think about the past week, I came to realize something special. With Anne still in Florida, it left many things for me to take care of. Twenty or thirty years ago that was no challenge but this year I definitely realized that I can no longer do what I did then. As we talk about plans for Nativity’s future, I know there is much we need to do to maintain and grow our parish. Joni has begun some new and exciting things with the children and the sacramental preparation programs. That kind of thing needs to be done with other needs for Nativity to flourish. We need more programs or activities for young families, for our young adults, for our seniors and to continue helping our children and all adults grow in their faith.

I am more and more aware that I do not have the energy to do what needs to be done nor to rally the forces to do it. I realize that it is time for me to retire. Originally I thought I would do this when I turned 75 in 2013, but we all know what has happened since, so it was put on the back burner. But now I believe the time has come. My memory is not what it used to be so I forget what I was going to do as I am on the way to do it. (That was happening for a long time but now it happens much too often.) I run out of energy by noon and mid afternoon when there is still much that needs to be done to complete the day’s work. Even when I do get a good creative thought, I quickly dismiss it because I say, “I can’t do that anymore.” I do not have the stamina need to see it through. Therefore it is my hope that by the end of June we can find a new pastoral minister for Nativity.
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My time line is flexible and I am willing to stay round and help the new person until they are comfortable with their job if they want that, but I am also comfortable with moving on immediately. I would like to remain a member of the Nativity parish family so I can continue to enjoy the love and faith we share together, but not to feel the responsibility of making sure everything is take care of all the time. I want to be one of you, doing what I can with gifts I still have, but no longer one in charge. Meantime let’s enjoy the Easter Season and new life that awaits us.