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The Story Of A Parish; An everyday story about parish folk
Topic Started: Thursday, 1. February 2007, 22:56 (4,323 Views)
Rose of York
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When the time came for announcements, Father Cardew made the long awaited announcement about the neighbouring parish:

"It saddens me to tell you that our friends at Corpus Christi parish are losing their Church. The bishop does not have enough priests, so unpopular decisions are unavoidable. Next Sunday's Mass will be the last at their church and from 18th February the two parishes will become one.

I urge you, my dear people, to open your hearts to the people of Corpus Christi when they start attending Mass here. We must do all we can to make them feel welcome.

My first step will be to dissolve the Parish Consultative Council and Parish Finance Committee. That is a requirement of Canon Law. I also feel it would be wise for the new Council and Committee to have equal representation from our long standing parishioners, and our new people, who must be made to know that they belong here, and are full members of St Isidore's Catholic Community.

All Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion will be decomissioned. Oh dear, that makes them sound like ships. Not all the current ones from both communities will be needed. I must make difficult decisions. Please be patient with me."

George, the longest serving member of the Parish Consultative Committee, nearly had apoplexy. After Mass, he went around the car park trying to drum up support. Like a Luddite, he was not standing for any change whatsoever, unless it had his full approval.
Keep the Faith!

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Emee
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Meanwhile the altar server Megan was walking around in a state of complete bewilderment.

For the first time ever since she had started serving, she had been relegated to sitting in a pew...

"Was it something I did??" she thought...
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Rose of York
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Immediately after Mass Father Cardew went into the parish hall, where he addressed his parishioners. His workload was about to increase, he intended to continue with monthly visits to parishioners who were not well enough to get to Mass, and he would give the same pastoral care to his new parishioners from Corpus Christi. There would be more people attending Mass at St Isodore's and the church would be packed to the door, at 9.30 and 11 am Mass, as well as the vigil. It would be difficult to accommodate more than a handful of visitors, so the bishop had decided to switch the only Latin Mass in the district, from St Isidores to Our Lady's in the town centre.

George piped up "Father you are going to be so busy it would be best for laity to take over all administrative work in the parish, with immediate effect. I will marshal the rest of the ppc. Rest assured, Father, you need never concern yourself with office work. The Special Ministers will deal with the sick. Don't you worry, Father, I'll deal with everything."

Father Cardew said, coolly, "As of Friday next the parish consultative council will cease to exist. My first priority in that respect, will be to acquaint myself with my new parishioners, as I must ensure they are not left out when I make a fresh start, with a new council, hopefully in about three months time. Fortunately the parish is in a sound financial position, with considerable investments from legacies. The interest will provide a salary for a part time temporary secretary, whom I will appoint to help me do all the administrative work necessary when the two communities are combined. George, what exactly is a Special Minister? I am not familiar with the expression."

George protested. "Father there is no need to pay a secretary. Volunteers can take turns at coming into the office.

Father Cardew replied "The bishop has agreed with me, that a salaried employee can be held to account, and as much of the work is personal and confidential, we need to appoint a person with a good track record, preferably not a parishioner, to avoid embarassment to persons who see me on confidential matters. I have lists of persons who are sick or in hospital, job references to type, and, fortunately only occasionally, annulment cases to forward to Diocese."

George stormed away, seething. He was being pushed off his pedestal.

Father Cardew meandered around the parish hall, going from table to table, ensuring no parishioner went home without the opportunity for a brief chat with their parish priest. After all, that was an important task. It helped him build up a good relationship with his flock, most of whom loved him dearly.
Keep the Faith!

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Emee
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Sister Monica chatted kindly to the bewildered Megan: "We now know it was a one-off Megan. Everything'll be back to normal again next week, you'll see."

Megan managed a smile: "I wonder what the boys thought when they realised they had to wear those lacy smocks? I'd have loved to have seen their faces!"

Meanwhile Moira seethed to George over coffee: "Tony can't keep messing everyone around. As I was the only one who remembered what would be happening this morning I've just bought a mantilla. It cost me a packet too as it's made entirely of lace and is "cathedral length" with pearls attached. Now I shall have to make the occasional visit down to Our Lady's to get some wear out of it."

"I vote we mutiny," George whispered in a clandestine manner.

"You and who's army?" Therese overheard as she was walking past them to return her teacup.

"Therese dear you must agree that Father Cardew is stuck in some sort of time warp," George twitched - he hated being crossed - and especially by a young woman, "And as a result he tends to make all these autocratic decisions - like disbanding the PCC, like the introduction of the Tridentine Mass. Did he actually ASK the congregation what THEY wanted? Does he ever?? That is why it is so important to do things by Committee, and that is why we have to fight back, so we don't lose... er... the people's voice."

"You know what George, I'll leave you to it," Therese nodded and left them to it.
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Rose of York
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Trouble was brewing.

Word got around that instead of one SVP conference, one finance committee, one pcc, one catechetical team, one of this that and the other, at each church, there would be just one of each, to serve the new parish of Corpus Christi and St Isidore. That meant that half the people who chaired, led or took charge of groups, would have to step down.

Some folks were seething, and some were very happy, a few found it hilarious, that the "old guard" might have to make way for others.
Keep the Faith!

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Eve
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The parishioners were all discussing the reorganisation, when a little boy looked out of the window and called out 'Its snowing.'
Howdy Folks. Has anybody seen my husband lately?
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Rose of York
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George marshalled his committee types, and gave the command "Gather the elderly, we will take them home by car."

A gruff voice muttered "on yer bike, lad. How do yer think I'll get back to pick up me 4 x 4 if I'm forced into your little super mini. Get yer ands off me elbow, George."
Keep the Faith!

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Emee
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The good parish lady Frances, for her part, was oblivious to all the fracas. She had her own concerns. Lucy, her engaged daughter, had recently expressed a desire to be married in Church. However, Lucy herself did not go to Church regularly - despite Therese having been her best friend at school.

When Frances had pointed out that Father would certainly mention this fact Lucy announced: "Well Mum I could always... er... pretend..." she finished hesitantly, "I know of some people who attend Mass for about 3 months or so up until they get married."

Frances was in a real dilemna. She didn't want to dissaude Lucy from going to Church but she felt her daughter's idea of "pretending" just so's she could get married in Church was somehow deceitful. What was Frances to do? Was there any advice at all she could give? Or would she just have to go along with it?

She was so wrapped up in her own thoughts that she didn't see George putting Niamh's coat on Maeve and Maeve looking very like she was restraining hard from having to slap him one...
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Eve
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Niamh snapped at George "My sister and I are in our seventies, not hundred and seventies. We can put our own coats on thank you very much."
Howdy Folks. Has anybody seen my husband lately?
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James
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Meanwhile, back in the other parish, Corpus Christi, problems were beginning to emerge.
The parish hall was about to close and drama group rehearsals and presentation in six weeks time were all in jeoprady. Although everything was being done properly in the church, the new church hall was fully booked up and could not be cancelled.
Mrs Wilde, a distant relation of Oscar through marriage on his grandfather's side, always prided herself on her presentations. She said it "ran in the family" and there is no way she is going to abandon her work half way through. Although, secretly, she welcomed the move because Father Cardew always reminded her of Victor Meldrew and she had an ulterior motive of getting him into one of her more lighthearted productions as a "walk on" lookalike but that would have to be abandoned for now in the light of more immediate problems.
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Eve
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St Isidore's had a few people who feared losing their roles once the amalgamation got under way. Some were self seeking, but there were a lot who were were modest about their activities. They had lived their lives around the parish since they left the parish school. Now they felt lost and confused despite being happy they were not going to be closed down. Without their parish work they would be lonely. Soon they would have to share and many took it generously. They would welcome Corpus Christ parishioners.
Howdy Folks. Has anybody seen my husband lately?
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Emee
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George Williams was a depressed man.

It was now nearly a week since the news of the amalgamation of the parishes and he had so far failed miserably to muster any support for his revolt.

He had rather hoped Moira at least would support him but she had gone all Tridentine on him and was seriously thinking about joining Our Lady's congregation just to get some wear out of her beautiful new mantilla.

Frances seemed to be in a world of her own.

The older parishioners were either too busy on Ramblers walks (the Kaczmareks), swimming 30 lengths at a time of the local pool (Maeve and Niamh) or marathon running (Brendan, the owner of the 4 by 4) to pay any attention to him.

The Poles were more confused than ever. Some had taken the news to mean a merger with the evangelical Church of Christ 100 metres away and were debating whether it would be better to go to the Ukrainian Church 5 miles away. Some said they may even try the Greek Orthodox at the nearby town of Westbury Deane. There had been a reasonable sized Cypriot community there since the 1970's, (which was really made up of a few large families) since the entrepreneur Demetrios Apostolides had taken (at that time not a small) gamble of opening a large Greek restaurant there.

No so far George's only support had come from Bern the Parish Treasurer (and very protective of the parish finances); a rather rotund, florid little man from Pontefract who Paul and Rachel lightheartedly and gigglingly referred to, in private, and without any real ill-intent, as "The Fat Controller".
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James
James
The formidable Mrs Wilde caused some consternation by arriving suddenly at St Isadore Priests House to demand what arrangements are in hand to accommodate the Corpus Christie church drama group. She was in full battle regalia - tweed two piece with long skirt, flat walking shoes, a golfers cap- for some reason, and waving a thick blackthorn walking stick dangerously.
Word of her approach was reported some ten minutes earlier, just in time for Father Cardew to make a "last minute" call out to a sick parishoner leaving sister Monica to "take any calls" in what he dscribed as an "unpredictable time away"
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Rose of York
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The battle lines were drawn.

The formidable Mrs Wilde of Corpus Christi set out to ensure the parish priest did things the way they should be done. She it was, upon whom the parish had depended for many years.

George Williams set out to ensure the parish priest did things the way they should be done. He it was, upon whom the parish had depended for many years.

Father Cardew would, in his own way, ensure things were done as they should, and as they had been, for many years. He it was, upon whom the parish had depended for many years. Father Cardew had his own ways.

A new Polish parishioner muttered under his breath, in his own language "Home from home. I remember Stanislaus, in Poland, who used to tell Father Woytila how to be a good priest. Ah, we have the Blessed Sacrament in Poland and in England. I will say my prayers while they have their fights."


Keep the Faith!

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James
James
Sister Monica relished being in charge when Father Cardews went on visitations.
She had a secret passion for cornish pasties and tea and which little treat she could not avail of elsewhere.
Father Cardew was also a lover of cornish pasties and his frig. usually contained a dozen or more at any one time.
Having placed one in the microwave, she sat down with a nice cup of tea still in her hand when an almighty bang at the front door caused her to drop the cup and contents on her lap. This bang was followed by two more in rapid succession with a vibration that shook some of the delph dispayed on the kitchen dresser.
Rushing to the door to investigate this explosion she was confronted by an elderly lady of ample proportion with a large stick raised above her head about to repeat the attack. Raising her forearm above her head for protection Sister Monica managed to shout loudly "Excuse me, but there is a bell".
"A BELL" came the haughty reply, "I did not come here for "A BELL" and do you usually answer the door of priests house in that state."
"Look at you, you're all wet woman"
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