Pastor’s Message

Dear Parishioners and Friends,

During my February trip to Poland, I had a chance to visit several churches and attended a Mass or two. Those of you who have been to Poland know that most churches over there are really old and very beautiful, rich in traditions and spectacular art. The churches I was visiting this time were no exception – they were historic in a true European sense (their age measured in centuries, not in decades) and full of breath-taking art pieces. However, I have one serious complaint to make this time: most of them were extremely cold inside! Of course, it did not help that the temperature outside was in the low twenties or teens, but it was even colder inside the church buildings. Due to the age and sheer size of those historic churches it is extremely difficult and very expensive to keep them warm in winter months. Now, being born and raised in Poland, I should have been accustomed to such conditions, but my ten years in heated and air conditioned buildings took its toll on me. Imagine sitting through a Mass when the temperature is in the twenties, without a hat on! All the movement of standing, sitting, kneeling and standing again appears to be a long expected occasion to move your freezing limbs and not an inconvenience, as it is often perceived in this country. One day I was visiting with my parents at the cathedral church in Frombork, where the remnants of Nicholaus Copernicus were unearthed in recent years. We happened to enter that beautiful cathedral just in time for the evening Mass. It was really cold inside. Not only in terms of freezing air well settled within the ancient walls, but also in a way the Mass was being offered and participated in. Luckily, the entire Mass lasted less than half hour, but I left with a sense of disappointment with how the Eucharist was presented. For some reason, that particular Mass was celebrated in way that was neither “traditional Latin” nor “post Vatican II”. There were three priests concelebrating that evening and they too, obviously wanted to get out of that cold church as soon as possible. I was truly amazed though when, for the Eucharistic Prayer, they all moved to the high altar and proceeded with their backs to the congregation, yet still praying rapidly in Polish and using the new rite promulgated after Vatican II by Pope Paul VI. I happen to appreciate the beauty of both pre- and post- reform liturgies, but that experiences of a strange ritual mish-mash left me with a bitter (and extremely cold) aftertaste. It was not a proper Tridentine Mass of Pius V and it certainly was not the familiar Mass of Vatican II. It was a strange demonstration by the local pastor that he favors the conservative changes taking place in the Roman Catholic Church, but at the same time it was a testimony to his lack of liturgical education and sense of sacrum that was painfully missing on that cold night.

There are many ways in which churches may seem cold, extremely low temperature is just one of them. Visiting a church for the first time is one of the most intimidating experiences most of us have. People usually visit a church for the first time during a period of stress in their lives, maybe they have recently moved into an area, are dissatisfied with their previous congregation or they are seeking a closer relationship with God. If what they encounter in that particular church is a cold welcome and distant liturgy, they may well give up their search for a spiritual home. A young man in his twenties visited a new congregation on a Sunday morning wearing what he always wore everywhere, blue jeans and a tee-shirt. Nervously, he made his way up the steps to the big brick building. He was met at the door by a man who mistook him for one of the young men in the youth group. The member's first words to him were, "Son, don't you think you ought to dress a little better than that on a Sunday morning?" In tears, the man left. It was fifteen years before he recovered enough to begin again. Unfortunately, similar things happen on a much smaller scale every Sunday in cold churches. Cold churches are intimidating. A cold, unwelcoming church, expects you to make your own acquaintances. Some may say they could not possibly be a cold church because people regularly stand around and visit before and after services. The foyer or parish hall is usually filled with laughter and conversation. Hugs, greetings and smiles flow freely. Can that kind of congregation still be a cold church? It can be the coldest kind. Fellowship is wonderful if you are included. However, seeing others enjoying fellowship and being left out is worse than an absence of fellowship. It hurts to be alone in a crowd. Cold churches often expect visitors to take the first step. Most church members are sweet and kind once they meet a visitor, but how many are good at seeking them out? When you visit other congregations, how big a difference does it make if you meet several friendly people before or after Sunday Mass? If after the worship service, you find someone who knows your Aunt Susan, who was once a choir member at St. You Know Who, how do you feel? A bond is created. Many congregations think they are warm and friendly. They think everyone is welcome and happy. In reality, they are cold churches from a visitor's perspective. I pray that you and I do all we can to be a church that is truly warm, temperature and otherwise.

Fr. Marek
Pastor