The nativity scene is already in place at St. Helena’s Church in Minneapolis, minus the statue of the Baby Jesus. The empty space in the stable seemed to accentuate what we so often feel in this Advent season, that our lives and hearts can only be filled by Jesus and that we are incomplete without him.
I was at St. Helena’s for the funeral of Father Richard Villano, the pastor emeritus of the parish, who had served there for more than four decades, retiring at the age of 89 earlier this year. Had it not been for the health challenges that made it impossible for him to continue to lead the parish, Father Villano would have never retired. He had begun his service at St. Helena’s before the new Code of Canon Law took effect, and accordingly was not bound by any term limits as pastor. St. Helena’s parishioners were his family. As much as he tried, he could not imagine being anywhere else.
Archbishop Bernard Hebda
Judging from the packed pews at the funeral, the folks of St. Helena’s felt the same way. It was a beautiful tribute to Father Villano’s impact on the parish and to the bond that can exist between a parish and its pastor whenever he is focused on filling their life with Jesus. The Christ child was absent from the crib, but Jesus was clearly front and center in the hearts of the faithful that morning.
The homilist at the funeral, Father John Paul Erickson, centered his reflections on the theme of fatherhood, arguing that Father Villano had earned the title “father” in the way that he took care of his parishioners. That was a recurring theme that morning, as countless parishioners and members of the staff approached to let me know how Father Villano had been a true father to them. It was clear, moreover, that they were family to him, providing just the care that he needed so that he could, with the new pastor’s blessing, stay in the rectory as long as his health (and physicians) permitted.
Since the conclusion of our Synod small groups, I have been reviewing the mountain of data and feedback that was offered. I am so grateful for the lay faithful who have stepped forward to assist in categorizing and analyzing the responses. Not surprisingly, the input confirms the importance of vibrant and welcoming parishes for the success of the Church’s mission. The data confirms the importance of dedicated pastors, like Father Villano, but also the critical significance of effective collaboration, as at St. Helena, with well-prepared lay ecclesial ministers, invested parish lay leadership and an army of volunteers, aware of their gifts, prepared to radiate Christ in a way that welcomes others to the parish. Together we are able to do much more than we could ever do on our own.
The information forwarded to me highlighted the extent of the needs before us, especially in parishes ministering to new immigrants. There is a real hunger, for example, for more formation opportunities in Spanish and for a greater understanding of the ways in which culture impacts our faith. It is clear to me that we need to be praying for vocations among our immigrant communities so that we might have men and women who are able to minister effectively in a variety of cultural contexts.
Last Saturday’s ordination to the diaconate reminded me of the importance of deacons in the Church’s response to those needs. I was privileged to ordain seven deacons with a stunning breadth of gifts and experiences. Coming from different countries, cultures and professional backgrounds, but sharing a common love for Christ and zeal for souls, our new deacons are surely going to be able to reach new populations who hunger for Jesus. I am already excited about the ways in which they are going to enrich our parishes and bring Christ into our hospitals, prisons and other institutions.
If you see individuals in your parish that you think would make good deacons or lay ecclesial ministers, I hope that you will encourage them to pursue those possibilities. There is something so beautiful when people from within our parishes are being called to lead in these ways. As we pray for revitalized Christ-centered parishes, please remember to pray for those whom the Lord is calling to serve the Church. We need more Father Villanos, more deacons, more consecrated men and women, and more lay leaders with apostolic hearts. As we pray at the empty crib this Advent, let’s ask Jesus to make his presence known and felt in our parishes by calling more women and men to service.
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