The Pastor's Pen

April 24, 2022, Second Sunday of Easter 

The Week of Weeks:  Easter is not just a day but a Season of  50 days; 7 weeks of 7 days which will conclude with Pentecost Sunday. The good news of Christ’s resurrection cannot be  fully comprehended or celebrated in one day alone;  we need to take our time to deepen our understanding of  the implications of his resurrection for our own lives  and express our joy as we renew our appreciation of the enduring  truth that because Christ is risen and promises the same to believers that  in the end all will be well! 

The Synodal Process:   Janet Trask and Don Frederico who are serving as the  liaisons  between our parish and  the Synodal Committee in the Diocese of Fall River have sifted through the responses to the questions posed to all of us for our contemplation , and the responses which were heard and  discussed at the various listening sessions in the parish. While it was not an easy task to sift through so much material, they have seen some common themes emerge and it is these that will be  included in a report that will now be forwarded to the Diocese of Fall River and ultimately to Rome .  Among the issues that surfaced were people’s concern that we as a parish be more mindful and inclusive of the marginalized in our community;  that we redouble our efforts to reach out to young families and increase opportunities for fellowship and further formation for adults; that better communication about ministries and activities already happening be provided to welcome and encourage greater participation. Indeed, the Holy Spirit is usually most evident where consensus is found and so our community has through participating in the synodal process come to see the Holy Spirit working among us and speaking within our  synodal  gatherings. Beyond these common  themes that have surfaced, the genius of  Pope Francis is that he got us to not only talk about  a synod but to actually practice being a more synodal church by gathering in groups to listen to one another. From our experience here at Christ the King Parish we see that it would be beneficial to add another element of consultation in our community  by having the Parish Council conduct an annual listening  session  after Labor Day each year. This annual session would be much like the synodal listening sessions  in which parishioners would be welcome to speak freely in order that the Council members, whose duty it is to inform and advise the pastor about the needs of the parish, would have the chance to hear the suggestions and concerns of a wider group of parishioners. It is hoped that the participation of many will make that a worthwhile  annual effort and a valuable outcome of our recent experience. Again, gratitude to Janet and Don and all who assisted them, and especially to all who helped lead or participated in the listening sessions. 

Housing Assistance Corporation:   A wonderful agency on Cape Cod which works to  develop and obtain decent affordable housing   for people who are often just a paycheck or major expense  away from homelessness , will be conducting an annual walk as a much needed fundraiser. HAC Walk for Hope will be held on Sunday, May 22nd at 1PM with  walk routes in Falmouth, Hyannis, and Orleans. It is also possible to “walk” virtually! Those who would be interested in more information to either walk or support this worthwhile fundraising effort are encouraged to visit  the HAC Website. Those who want to  register as an individual or a team for the actual walk are asked to go  to hacwalkforhope.org! Let us support this valuable community organization that is attempting to address an often unseen but  very serious  problem on Cape Cod!