A few weeks ago, on Pentecost Sunday, I shared a quote from the ancient Greek philosopher Herclitus, “The only constant in life is change.” That is so true, isn’t it? Even though there are times where we might like to avoid change, we cannot.The seasons change, we change, if there’s one thing that none of us can avoid in life, it’s change. Change can be hard, change can be difficult, change can be a challenge, but change can also be a sign of growth and of life. Change can bring with it its share of fears, worries, anxieties, and questions.

  As we prepare to face the realities of upcoming change in the life of both of our parish families, I would bet that it’s safe to say that many of you are facing some of those worries, fears, anxieties, and questions. What will those changes mean for our parish? What time will our Masses be? Why do weneed to change? Why are these changes being made? They’re good questions and I’ve tried to answer a few of them, as I’ve thought of them, in these columns. But, I know that there are questions that haven’t been asked, fears that haven’t been answered, anxieties that continue to exist and that just writing about them in a weekly column cannot provide a sufficient answer.

So, I would like to invite you to attend a joint Town Hall meeting on July 29th, 2024 at 6:30 pm in St.Vincent de Paul church where we can discuss many of the upcoming changes, some other thoughts that I have had, and answer any questions that you might have. The question might arise, “Why a joint meeting? Aren’t we 2 separate parishes?” Yes, we are and will continue to be 2 individual parish communities, but these changes will affect both communities and many of us may have the same or similar questions and with one meeting I will be able to answer the questions for everyone at the same time. We’ll talk about the Mass schedule and also about some of the ways that, while each of us maintains our individuality, we also might be able to work together to continue the mission of the Kingdom of God that has been entrusted to us. We are 2 parishes, united in 1 faith.