March 27, 2009
The Christian Journey
All are called to welcome new members into the Church
BY FATHER JIM SAUER
Every parishioner can strive to break out of his or her comfort zone to talk with another Catholic, stranger, or new member. We may feel uncomfortable at first; but we grow mainly by moving against the interior currents that hold us back from being like Christ. Did not Jesus teach us, “Whoever welcomes one of these little ones welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me, welcomes the One who sent me?” Jesus is not talking just about little children. He means Christians in general whom he urges to “become like little children” aware of God’s blessings and dependent upon God’s care. To welcome new members or strangers is to welcome Christ himself – an awesome mystery, an awesome ministry.
While working on the diocesan level in the Continuing Education of Priests and Implementation of the RCIA (in the 1980s), my ministry took me to serve as a temporary administrator at a parish north of Evansville. Being there (with the saintly Msgr. Charles Kaiser as my “associate pastor” – he was only 84!) offered me an opportunity to work with parishioners in putting some of my ideas about the RCIA into practice.
We were looking for catechists and parishioners (if not charter members, at least those who knew the parish’s history) to give our new members a sense of the parish’s spirit. I will never forget one man’s response. After thinking about our invitation to serve as a catechist, he came back a few days later, very apologetically, saying that he did not believe he was qualified for that ministry. Before I could say another word, he almost shouted, “But I would love to have our new members come to our house for a barbecue. Would that be okay?” That kind man had caught the RCIA spirit without even telling him!
Have you ever taken time to speak with a catechumen or candidate in your parish? Do you know who they are? If you see them at social gatherings, do you greet them and introduce them to your friends and neighbors? Have you ever thought about inviting a catechumen or candidate out for coffee? Are your parish’s catechumens and candidates identified in a specific way (e.g. with nametags) at parish functions so they can be easily recognized? Do we introduce them at public gatherings or, do the majority of parishioners sit around and say, “I wonder who those people are?” We must find creative ways to welcome our new members AND strangers, as well as “us old timers” (and to say “good bye” to parishioners who are relocating).
We need to put ourselves in their place – imagine what it must be like to join a parish where you may know a few people or no one. How would you feel if you were new in a parish attending a social gathering and no one came up to say hello? The size of a parish has nothing to do with hospitality. Greeting one another is a common act of courtesy, even before it becomes a “sacramental” act witnessing to Christ, who welcomed all who came to him during his earthly life. Moreover, he continues to reach out and receive all who come to him through us, his body. The Church must become the visible, external sign of Christ’s “hidden” welcome. Christ is the living reality behind all the sacraments – through the Church’s mediation Christ baptizes, confirms, forgives, anoints, etc. We are blessed and privileged to serve as Christ’s body through which the risen Lord reveals himself.
St. Benedict instructed his monks to welcome the stranger as they would welcome Christ. Sounds like good sound advice!