Last weekend was a wonderful beginning! A big thank you to everyone who made it possible: our good God, the volunteers and staff of SSP, and our music and hospitality teams. This week I want to answer some hard questions people have asked.

The Archbishop chose to subsume IHM and SJB into SSP, making SSP church the parish church. Shouldn’t SSP church have the main Sunday morning Mass?   Let me answer this question in three ways. First, a word about churches. I acknowledge that the Archbishop’s decision made SSP church the parish church. He also made SSP parish one parish with three churches. All three churches are important sacred spaces, and the mission of SSP parish is even more important than any of our churches. To me, it makes sense to use our churches in whatever way best serves our mission. I think SSP having the 4 p.m. vigil Mass best serves our mission because with this plan, more people have Mass at their preferred time and church or at least at their preferred church.

Second, a word about our parish. When the Archbishop decided SSP parish would subsume SJB and IHM parishes, his decision made everyone who belonged to SSP or SJB or IHM equal members of SSP parish. So I don’t think it makes sense to privilege the preference of the part of the community which came from the former SSP parish. That idea, combined with our survey data and our historical Mass attendance data, led to our current Mass schedule.

Third, a word from God. “Humbly regard others as more important than yourselves, each looking out not for his own interests, but [also] everyone for those of others” (Phillipians 2:3-4). To become a growing parish of growing disciples, we need to think deeply about what is good for everyone. That word applies to me, too. So please pray for me!

SSP tried having two churches in one parish with Saints Mary & Joseph church. It only lasted a couple of years and we had to close it because of the cost for maintenance, heating, and cooling. Attendance was low. It is now for sale and it did not bring the parish together! Why would things be different with SJB and IHM?   Respectfully, I am not sure I would agree that the good efforts of many people to unite the Saints Mary & Joseph community with SSP were a failure. Right now I only know a little about the story of the SSMJ church. I’d love to learn more. The little I know suggests that the strategy of SSP parish when it subsumed SSMJ parish is not the strategy we follow today. Back then, did SSP make one united parish with multiple churches the parish’s long-term strategy? Or did SSP make SSP church the hub and SSMJ church the secondary site? I see the SJB and IHM churches as resources for evangelization which it will make sense to retain long-term. We will have to evaluate as time goes on whether I am right.

What is the plan for the IHM school building? What kind of shape is it in?   The IHM school building is in good shape, though it could use some sprucing up. In the short term, we’d love to have a good tenant rent the IHM school building. Long-term, I’d be interested in your thoughts on how we could use the IHM school building to serve the mission of our combined parish.

Will there be a role for a liturgy committee in the future? Perhaps inclusive of all three parishes?   Well, we are all one parish now, like it or lump it. Weekend liturgy is very important for our strategy, so a leadership group to improve weekend liturgy might make sense. If we had such a group, I can see why it should include people who love each of our churches.

God bless you! Please pray for our parish!