Hello again - As we get more and more settled in here we realize the truth of the expression, 'the more things change, the more they stay the same'. Clearly we've begun a rather dramatic change in lifestyle, but some of the practical considerations of life stay the same. For example, trash pickup is on Thursday - and we learned the hard way that if you put your trash out earlier the local dogs have a field day. We now understand why when we see the barrels out, they all have a piece of plywood on top, and a cinder block.
I also had my first haircut today. Most Bahamians are black and the local town barber doesn't cut the hair of many white men, if any. Ginni says its OK, but I think she is being kind. Its my sense that its a cross between a dutch boy and a bowl cut, but its not hanging down over my eyes anymore so its an improvement.
The biggest news of the week is that we have internet access. It took 4 weeks but when the installer came it was about a 20 minute deal and we were up and running. We were surprised at how dependent we had become on the internet. With it we can stay in touch with our sons throughout the world (one in Singapore, one in Canton, and another in the Hamptons) as well as our friends back home.
From a ministry standpoint, this week we met with the local Commander of the US Navy base we serve, and finally had an opportunity to meet the Chaplain. He is an ex-Navy chaplain, now serving his Presbyterian community in Mississippi and visiting the base on weekends. Both meetings were informative and we have a better sense of ministry 'the Navy way'. A base of this type must be supportive of all denominations and we are part of that. When the Chaplain is away we are a resource the Commander can call upon in an emergency. For example if a sailor is at sea and there is a family emergency, such as a death in the family, he will be airlifted off the ship to the base, then shipped state side to his family. Depending upon the emergency he may or may not need support, counselling, prayer, ... if the Chaplain is off base we could get that call.
This is also our 2nd weekend taking CCD registration. With it also being the 3rd week of Advent we have been told the attendance may be down as people begin the exodus to Nassau or points beyond to be with friends and family for Christmas - we will see.
We have learned that the tradition here is that Christmas and New Years both have midnight services. We know a priest will be with us for Christmas Eve, & Christmas Day, then stay with us through the following Sunday. That means 5 services for each holiday, one at the Navy base, one at midnight, and one at both parishes on Christmas Day for those that don't come to the midnight service. Then do it all again on New Years. The priest will be with me on Christmas, but I'll be alone on New Years. It should be interesting since our son Mike will be arriving on the 19th for Christmas and leaving on the 27th (taking Ginni with him until she returns Jan 5).
Ginni will return home every other month to do some per-dium nursing for Hospice. Having her there over the New Years holiday will help them out, give us some added income, and help her retain her seniority with her employer. Since we couldn't sell our home prior to leaving, but rented it, we still retain some expenses that our stipend here won't cover. So Ginni will be going back to Mass every other month to put in a few weeks work. This will be our first month trying that out so hopefully all goes well.
All in all we are still very happy and look forward to ministry to both the base, and all our new Bahamian friends. They all have been very welcoming and we feel like we are settling in. One local woman baked us her coconut bread and another stopped by with a lovely ceramic bowl filled with a variety of teas so we feel very comfortable.
While people come to the door with tea and bread, we have also had people come to the door with counselling needs, names of the sick that may need a visit, and names of those who may be interested in joining the Church. Much to do -
Enough for now. Keep us in your prayers --- Frank and Ginni
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Our 1st visiting priest AND our 1st sick call
Hello Again – sorry to say we still have no internet access but I have discovered I can type a blog entry in WORD, then when I find a location with wireless internet access I can jump online and do a cut and paste into the blog without needing to be online to type the whole thing (necessity is the mother of invention). So let’s hope this works.
This past week introduced us to a few new things we hadn’t experienced yet.
First, this was our first weekend with a visiting priest from Nassau. Our guest flew in from Nassau on Saturday and, after dropping off his bags and settling in, we left for the first liturgy of the weekend at the US Navy AUTEC base. The weekend liturgy here is Saturday at 6PM and, depending upon what is going on at the base, attendance can range from just a few to a full chapel. AUTEC does underwater technology testing and if a Navy vendor is onsite to test new equipment the population of the base can skyrocket. This was not such a week so our 2nd Sunday of Advent service only had about 10 participants.
After service we returned to St. John’s (our home parish) and Ginni served up a batch of spaghetti and meatballs. It was over dinner that we learned a bit about Fr. Anselm. A native Bahamian, he joined the Benedictines and lives at a monastery in Indiana. His abbot, however, decided the monastery needed a nurse to serve the healthcare needs of the monks and so Fr. Anselm has been attending nursing school at Loyola in Chicago. While visiting friends and family on Nassau, he was asked if he would spend the weekend serving on the ‘family islands’ & it was our good fortune he was sent to us.
You can imagine how Ginni’s eyes lit up when he told us over dinner that, in addition to being a monk, he was a nurse attending Grad school in Chicago. The conversation soon shifted from liturgy and ministry in Nassau to Ginni’s experience with home-based healthcare compared to what Fr. Anselm has experienced in the monastery. I washed the dishes.
Sunday began with people arriving at 7:30, but even before that Fr. Anselm got a taste of family island life when we all got up and found there was no running water, the cable TV was off the air, and the telephone company generator was generating a dull hum from town. We still don’t know what happened over night but it was mid-morning before services were restored.
This weekend was also our first weekend for CCD registration so after the 8:30 liturgy Ginni took names and tried to referee the parents and children crowded around the table. With that done we were off to Cargill Creek and Fr. Anselm got a glimpse of rural Andros where the roads are flat and straight and there are no other cars for miles while mangrove swamps sprawl as far as you can see on both sides of the road.
At Christ the King in Cargill Creek we had a completely full church, followed once again by CCD Registration. This is the parish with children galore and the scene at the table was somewhat less than organized but we’re getting close to understanding what children go with what parents.
After getting back to St. John’s we had lunch and watched the NFL for a bit, then chatted awhile with Fr. Anselm before I drove him to the airport for his 4PM flight back to Nassau. When I returned I hoped to watch the Patriots but it was Miami vs. Buffalo and all we could do was scan the scrolling banner at the bottom of the screen waiting for the Pat’s score against Seattle (we won!)
We had heard that a local man had surgery and we called and were invited to drop by. I brought the Blessed Sacrament, a book of prayers, and Ginni and I drove to their home. Despite what we had been told about them from the parishioners, the person having the surgery was 10. The other surprise was that he was severely physically handicapped.
In Norwood, one of my ministries was Chaplain to a group called Faith and Light. This is a ministry to the intellectually disabled and at St. Timothy’s they were mostly adults. Here we are on Andros and the first home visit we make is to a disabled child – see how God prepares you for ministry!
Our visit was wonderful, I held the boy in my arms for most of the visit and Ginni’s homecare experience as a visiting nurse suddenly become incredibly important. We found the father was Catholic and mother Anglican. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit and I was able to share about Faith and Light to them. They know of other families with disabled children in the area and we hope we can get them all together at St. John’s. Who knows, we might even start a Faith and Light chapter right here on Andros.
On that topic, one of the women we met at the Navy AUTEC base is from Massachusetts and was involved with L’Arch. L’Arch is a ministry created by Jean Vanier that ministers to the disabled with disabled and able bodied people live together in a group home setting. So-o-o we have a L’Arch experienced woman in the area and our first home visit is to a disabled child, who’s parents know of other disabled children in the area – do you think God might be doing something on that front? Time will tell.
Enough for now – keep us in your prayers.
Frank and Ginni
PS – Ginni just called me to watch 3 dolphins swim by in our ‘back yard’ turns out it was 2 adults and a BABY!
This past week introduced us to a few new things we hadn’t experienced yet.
First, this was our first weekend with a visiting priest from Nassau. Our guest flew in from Nassau on Saturday and, after dropping off his bags and settling in, we left for the first liturgy of the weekend at the US Navy AUTEC base. The weekend liturgy here is Saturday at 6PM and, depending upon what is going on at the base, attendance can range from just a few to a full chapel. AUTEC does underwater technology testing and if a Navy vendor is onsite to test new equipment the population of the base can skyrocket. This was not such a week so our 2nd Sunday of Advent service only had about 10 participants.
After service we returned to St. John’s (our home parish) and Ginni served up a batch of spaghetti and meatballs. It was over dinner that we learned a bit about Fr. Anselm. A native Bahamian, he joined the Benedictines and lives at a monastery in Indiana. His abbot, however, decided the monastery needed a nurse to serve the healthcare needs of the monks and so Fr. Anselm has been attending nursing school at Loyola in Chicago. While visiting friends and family on Nassau, he was asked if he would spend the weekend serving on the ‘family islands’ & it was our good fortune he was sent to us.
You can imagine how Ginni’s eyes lit up when he told us over dinner that, in addition to being a monk, he was a nurse attending Grad school in Chicago. The conversation soon shifted from liturgy and ministry in Nassau to Ginni’s experience with home-based healthcare compared to what Fr. Anselm has experienced in the monastery. I washed the dishes.
Sunday began with people arriving at 7:30, but even before that Fr. Anselm got a taste of family island life when we all got up and found there was no running water, the cable TV was off the air, and the telephone company generator was generating a dull hum from town. We still don’t know what happened over night but it was mid-morning before services were restored.
This weekend was also our first weekend for CCD registration so after the 8:30 liturgy Ginni took names and tried to referee the parents and children crowded around the table. With that done we were off to Cargill Creek and Fr. Anselm got a glimpse of rural Andros where the roads are flat and straight and there are no other cars for miles while mangrove swamps sprawl as far as you can see on both sides of the road.
At Christ the King in Cargill Creek we had a completely full church, followed once again by CCD Registration. This is the parish with children galore and the scene at the table was somewhat less than organized but we’re getting close to understanding what children go with what parents.
After getting back to St. John’s we had lunch and watched the NFL for a bit, then chatted awhile with Fr. Anselm before I drove him to the airport for his 4PM flight back to Nassau. When I returned I hoped to watch the Patriots but it was Miami vs. Buffalo and all we could do was scan the scrolling banner at the bottom of the screen waiting for the Pat’s score against Seattle (we won!)
We had heard that a local man had surgery and we called and were invited to drop by. I brought the Blessed Sacrament, a book of prayers, and Ginni and I drove to their home. Despite what we had been told about them from the parishioners, the person having the surgery was 10. The other surprise was that he was severely physically handicapped.
In Norwood, one of my ministries was Chaplain to a group called Faith and Light. This is a ministry to the intellectually disabled and at St. Timothy’s they were mostly adults. Here we are on Andros and the first home visit we make is to a disabled child – see how God prepares you for ministry!
Our visit was wonderful, I held the boy in my arms for most of the visit and Ginni’s homecare experience as a visiting nurse suddenly become incredibly important. We found the father was Catholic and mother Anglican. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit and I was able to share about Faith and Light to them. They know of other families with disabled children in the area and we hope we can get them all together at St. John’s. Who knows, we might even start a Faith and Light chapter right here on Andros.
On that topic, one of the women we met at the Navy AUTEC base is from Massachusetts and was involved with L’Arch. L’Arch is a ministry created by Jean Vanier that ministers to the disabled with disabled and able bodied people live together in a group home setting. So-o-o we have a L’Arch experienced woman in the area and our first home visit is to a disabled child, who’s parents know of other disabled children in the area – do you think God might be doing something on that front? Time will tell.
Enough for now – keep us in your prayers.
Frank and Ginni
PS – Ginni just called me to watch 3 dolphins swim by in our ‘back yard’ turns out it was 2 adults and a BABY!
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Actually HERE!
Hello Everyone - Well we are here on Andros safe and sound. So far we have been unable to get internet access at the parish on Andros so my entries here will be sparse until that happens. Right now I am back on Nassau so I'll try to update you on the latest activities for now.
We arrived on Wednesday, Nov 11 in Nassau, met the Archbishop on the 12th, then the various Archdiocesan offices on the 13th (Finance, Religious Ed, and Family Life). Finally Friday we took a ferry to Andros. We had each taken 2 large suitcases which is more than the small plane to Andros can handle so it was the ferry or swim - we took the ferry.
Arriving at the rectory we were surprised to see the extent of the improvements the Archdiocese had done since our last stay. The church and rectory were painted, cracks in the walls repaired, new furniture - absolutely wonderful. We even have a DOUBLE BED!! We feel wonderfully blessed that they did so much to make our stay as comfortable as possible.
Each weekend we have done 3 Eucharistic services, we may have a priest visit either this week or next. Thanksgiving Day I did a Eucharistic Service at the AUTEC Navy base (The only religious service they had that day). Mid week the men on AUTEC pray the rosary, followed by a DVD showing of Fr. Corapi of EWTN on the Catechism, followed by discussion. It is actually quite good.
One rather special event for me was the consecration of an Icon at Christ the King parish in Cargill Creek. When we were here a year ago we left right before the feast of Christ the King so I ordered an Icon of Christ the King and sent it to them for their feast day. Well, when I got to their parish, no Icon. I search for it and find it on a shelf and discover they never hung it up. So - on the feast of Christ the King, using holy water from St. Timothy's, I blessed it in front of the parish and it is now installed next to their tabernacle.
Our biggest challenge right now is CCD. They have had nothing for 4 years so there is a backlog of children awaiting first communion and confirmation. Unfortunately those that graduated and left for college during those years missed confirmation. We plan to have CCD registration for the next 2 weeks and then see how many kids, of what ages, and where they're located. That will help us focus on the scope of the CCD effort that is needed.
The reason we are on Nassau today is that once a month the Archdiocese brings all the clergy from the family islands onto Nassau for a day of prayer, teaching and community. The speaker tomorrow is a Fr. Clifford who has done some extensive writing on St. Paul. It should be pretty good if he lives up to his reputation. After the session Ginni and I will start shopping for things we cannot find on Andros. Everything from a floor mat for our shower stall to a piece of 4 inch PVC piping and hopefully we will find someone to make extra keys (I already locked myself out of the van once).
All in all we are adapting to island life. While we have been here 3 weeks we've only gone to the beach once. There is much to do. Besides writing homilies and the spiritual dimension of what we do, there is the practical. I need to put together a budget, track petty cash, and begin to get familiar with the financial procedures of the Archdiocese of Nassau. I need to come up with a plan for CCD and RCIA, order CCD books and bibles, buy a copy machine, and get a Bahamian National ID Card (similar to our Social Security Card). sigh.
The only other thing I should mention is the weather. Its been windy, cool, around 60, and windy, when a front comes though its a monsoon, and its windy, when its sunny it is gorgeous, but windy (did I say it was windy).
Actually I shouldn't complain, my son Mike called one night and when I said it was cool, in the 60s he laughed and said, "Dad, its 21 here today," so I guess the weather isn't that bad.
Enough for now, hopefully my next entry will be from Andros.
Peace
We arrived on Wednesday, Nov 11 in Nassau, met the Archbishop on the 12th, then the various Archdiocesan offices on the 13th (Finance, Religious Ed, and Family Life). Finally Friday we took a ferry to Andros. We had each taken 2 large suitcases which is more than the small plane to Andros can handle so it was the ferry or swim - we took the ferry.
Arriving at the rectory we were surprised to see the extent of the improvements the Archdiocese had done since our last stay. The church and rectory were painted, cracks in the walls repaired, new furniture - absolutely wonderful. We even have a DOUBLE BED!! We feel wonderfully blessed that they did so much to make our stay as comfortable as possible.
Each weekend we have done 3 Eucharistic services, we may have a priest visit either this week or next. Thanksgiving Day I did a Eucharistic Service at the AUTEC Navy base (The only religious service they had that day). Mid week the men on AUTEC pray the rosary, followed by a DVD showing of Fr. Corapi of EWTN on the Catechism, followed by discussion. It is actually quite good.
One rather special event for me was the consecration of an Icon at Christ the King parish in Cargill Creek. When we were here a year ago we left right before the feast of Christ the King so I ordered an Icon of Christ the King and sent it to them for their feast day. Well, when I got to their parish, no Icon. I search for it and find it on a shelf and discover they never hung it up. So - on the feast of Christ the King, using holy water from St. Timothy's, I blessed it in front of the parish and it is now installed next to their tabernacle.
Our biggest challenge right now is CCD. They have had nothing for 4 years so there is a backlog of children awaiting first communion and confirmation. Unfortunately those that graduated and left for college during those years missed confirmation. We plan to have CCD registration for the next 2 weeks and then see how many kids, of what ages, and where they're located. That will help us focus on the scope of the CCD effort that is needed.
The reason we are on Nassau today is that once a month the Archdiocese brings all the clergy from the family islands onto Nassau for a day of prayer, teaching and community. The speaker tomorrow is a Fr. Clifford who has done some extensive writing on St. Paul. It should be pretty good if he lives up to his reputation. After the session Ginni and I will start shopping for things we cannot find on Andros. Everything from a floor mat for our shower stall to a piece of 4 inch PVC piping and hopefully we will find someone to make extra keys (I already locked myself out of the van once).
All in all we are adapting to island life. While we have been here 3 weeks we've only gone to the beach once. There is much to do. Besides writing homilies and the spiritual dimension of what we do, there is the practical. I need to put together a budget, track petty cash, and begin to get familiar with the financial procedures of the Archdiocese of Nassau. I need to come up with a plan for CCD and RCIA, order CCD books and bibles, buy a copy machine, and get a Bahamian National ID Card (similar to our Social Security Card). sigh.
The only other thing I should mention is the weather. Its been windy, cool, around 60, and windy, when a front comes though its a monsoon, and its windy, when its sunny it is gorgeous, but windy (did I say it was windy).
Actually I shouldn't complain, my son Mike called one night and when I said it was cool, in the 60s he laughed and said, "Dad, its 21 here today," so I guess the weather isn't that bad.
Enough for now, hopefully my next entry will be from Andros.
Peace
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Well this is new to me, but with all the activity in our life right now I thought this might just be the way to keep you all informed. This first entry will try to document how we were led to this ministry – it took over 3 years so it’s a bit lengthy, so get a cup of coffee, here we go:
This adventure actually started when I was laid off after 20 years in high tech and couldn't find work. At the time I was close to being ordained to the Permanent Diaconate in the Catholic Church. With no job prospects I decided to try to leverage my management skills in a ministerial role. Two weeks later I was hired as Administrator of the Sacred Hearts Retreat Center in Wareham.
This is a facility owned by the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, a missionary order initially started in France, but now world-wide. After managing this property for about 3 years I mentioned to one of the visiting priests of the Congregation that my wife and I had always thought of doing missionary work later in life, while we still had our health. He replied that if we wanted to see a missionary parish, we were welcome to visit his on Nassau. About a month later, that is exactly what we did.
We visited Fr. Martin Gomes at St. Joseph's parish in Nassau. It was clear that once you left the casinos and resorts of Paradise Island on Nassau, you soon discovered the homes of the local Bahamian people who work as waiters, waitresses, groundskeepers, maintenance workers, etc. at the resorts. Many have no running water and must carry it from the corner spigot to have water at home. Home may be a cinder block cube with a tin roof. Electricity may simply stop. Yet, they always have a smile and a good word, and welcomed us as long lost friends.
On Sunday everyone showed up in their Sunday best and it was clear they wanted to be at Church. Every verse of every song was sung. The sign of peace required everyone to leave their pews and everyone hugged everyone. It was a celebration, and we felt right at home.
At the end of our stay we told Martin we thought this was something we could do and he suggested we meet the Archbishop. We were willing, but we were leaving the next day - his response to that was, "You're not in Boston anymore." He picked up the phone and 20 minutes later we were sitting in the office of the Archbishop of Nassau, Archbishop Patrick Pinder.
We had a wonderful conversation, with our learning he had 20 parishes with no clergy at all and we began to realize there were people here who wanted to worship who had no clergy to lead them. We traded email addresses and promised to stay in touch.
When we returned to the US and word got out we were seriously considering this as a missionary effort, other priests we knew from my work at the Retreat Center who had been assigned to the Bahamas told us that if were serious we should go back in the summer. Our first trip was in DEC when it was 70 degrees everyday. In AUG it can be over 100 and there are bugs - big bugs. They also suggested we go to one of the outer 'family' islands to get away from Nassau and experience a different part of Bahamian life.Over the year I emailed the Archbishop our ideas and questions and when he heard the suggestion about returning in the summer he agreed, "Why not 3 weeks in AUG and I think you'll enjoy Andros".
So we flew into Nassau, met the Archbishop and collected keys then we flew to Andros. The plane was a 20-seater and 15 minutes later we were on the ground.Our ministry for this trip was to serve 3 different communities. We were to stay at St. John Chrysostom parish in Fresh Creek, while also serving a US Navy base (AUTEC) that does underwater acoustic testing primarily for submarines, and Christ the King parish in Cargill Creek about 40 minutes south.
Andros is the largest Bahamian island geographically, but it is only populated on the very east coast, the rest of the island is pretty much swamp.We were met at the airport on Saturday and after unpacking, and settling in, we heading off to AUTEC to do the Saturday evening liturgy. The people were great and the service seemed to be received very well.
The Sunday routine was rather busy. One of the local men, Peter, arrived early and took the van to go pick up local people who have no way of getting to church. Peter also played a drum, the only instrument at St. John's. Again the people were wonderful, very welcoming, enthusiastic, and involved in the service. As soon as it ended, Peter drove the local people home and then we drove about an hour to Christ the King for an11AM liturgy. As we drove we stopped at towns along the way and picked up those who had no transportation. Once we arrived and unloaded, another local man, Harold, took the van to pick up the locals near this church. Here we had not only a drum, but also an electric keyboard and once more the people were welcoming and enthusiastic and we felt right at home.After we were finished the same routine happened in reverse. Harold took the locals home, when he returned all the folks from other townships piled in and we headed back to St. John's, dropping people off along the way.
Once back at St. Johns, we had a few moments to catch our breath when we discovered a local homeless man sleeping on the church property. He became our friend and we would share a sandwich with him from time to time. Initially this was a concern for me - I didn't know this homeless man or how safe or risky it was to be feeding him. My wife's response was one that taught me a bit about what our attitude should be. "Frank, he's hungry, where else should he go if not the Church?"
With weekend liturgies over Ginni and I toured the island, got acquainted with some of our parishioners, and decided that we would try to initiate mid-week Adoration at both parishes. We scheduled a Holy Hour for THUR night at St. John and FRI for Christ the King. Once more, both were well received and the people complimented us on the service and my reflection.
After the 2nd weekend liturgy a young mother approached us about baptizing her daughter. The child was 1 and Ginni and I set up a time for her and the God-parents to come to the rectory for a Baptism Prep session and we planned to baptize her the following SUN.
When I looked into what we were to use for a Baptismal Font we discovered that they used one of the Corning Ware bowls in the kitchen. The same one we had made tuna noodle in the night before. We thought we should try to elevate and consecrate a specific font used just for baptism. Ginni found a very nice set of stainless steel bowls and we set aside the largest one, as well as a conch shell we found at the beach. On SUN, before the entire community, I consecrated the bowl and shell as the baptismal font - then we used them to baptize the little girl.
At the end of our stay we left Andros and returned to Nassau. We met with the Archbishop confident the heat and bugs (which were intense) were things we could deal with. He encouraged us to write up what we thought we might need as a model for ministry, which we did, then put our house on the market.
A year later we returned a 3rd time, letting the Androsians know we were trying to sell our home to come here permanently, but the housing market was making it impossible. While we wanted to go, we have financial obligations that necessitated selling the house.
When we returned to the US after this trip, several people suggested renting. Our contract with the realtor was up and so, we took it off the market, offered it as a rental, and were swamped with people. There is a lot of detail in how all that went down, but suffice it to say, we quit or jobs in July, our home is rented, our vacation cottage in NH is rented, and our work permits have arrived. Soon we will have dates for the move from Archbishop Pinder and we will be off.
This adventure actually started when I was laid off after 20 years in high tech and couldn't find work. At the time I was close to being ordained to the Permanent Diaconate in the Catholic Church. With no job prospects I decided to try to leverage my management skills in a ministerial role. Two weeks later I was hired as Administrator of the Sacred Hearts Retreat Center in Wareham.
This is a facility owned by the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, a missionary order initially started in France, but now world-wide. After managing this property for about 3 years I mentioned to one of the visiting priests of the Congregation that my wife and I had always thought of doing missionary work later in life, while we still had our health. He replied that if we wanted to see a missionary parish, we were welcome to visit his on Nassau. About a month later, that is exactly what we did.
We visited Fr. Martin Gomes at St. Joseph's parish in Nassau. It was clear that once you left the casinos and resorts of Paradise Island on Nassau, you soon discovered the homes of the local Bahamian people who work as waiters, waitresses, groundskeepers, maintenance workers, etc. at the resorts. Many have no running water and must carry it from the corner spigot to have water at home. Home may be a cinder block cube with a tin roof. Electricity may simply stop. Yet, they always have a smile and a good word, and welcomed us as long lost friends.
On Sunday everyone showed up in their Sunday best and it was clear they wanted to be at Church. Every verse of every song was sung. The sign of peace required everyone to leave their pews and everyone hugged everyone. It was a celebration, and we felt right at home.
At the end of our stay we told Martin we thought this was something we could do and he suggested we meet the Archbishop. We were willing, but we were leaving the next day - his response to that was, "You're not in Boston anymore." He picked up the phone and 20 minutes later we were sitting in the office of the Archbishop of Nassau, Archbishop Patrick Pinder.
We had a wonderful conversation, with our learning he had 20 parishes with no clergy at all and we began to realize there were people here who wanted to worship who had no clergy to lead them. We traded email addresses and promised to stay in touch.
When we returned to the US and word got out we were seriously considering this as a missionary effort, other priests we knew from my work at the Retreat Center who had been assigned to the Bahamas told us that if were serious we should go back in the summer. Our first trip was in DEC when it was 70 degrees everyday. In AUG it can be over 100 and there are bugs - big bugs. They also suggested we go to one of the outer 'family' islands to get away from Nassau and experience a different part of Bahamian life.Over the year I emailed the Archbishop our ideas and questions and when he heard the suggestion about returning in the summer he agreed, "Why not 3 weeks in AUG and I think you'll enjoy Andros".
So we flew into Nassau, met the Archbishop and collected keys then we flew to Andros. The plane was a 20-seater and 15 minutes later we were on the ground.Our ministry for this trip was to serve 3 different communities. We were to stay at St. John Chrysostom parish in Fresh Creek, while also serving a US Navy base (AUTEC) that does underwater acoustic testing primarily for submarines, and Christ the King parish in Cargill Creek about 40 minutes south.
Andros is the largest Bahamian island geographically, but it is only populated on the very east coast, the rest of the island is pretty much swamp.We were met at the airport on Saturday and after unpacking, and settling in, we heading off to AUTEC to do the Saturday evening liturgy. The people were great and the service seemed to be received very well.
The Sunday routine was rather busy. One of the local men, Peter, arrived early and took the van to go pick up local people who have no way of getting to church. Peter also played a drum, the only instrument at St. John's. Again the people were wonderful, very welcoming, enthusiastic, and involved in the service. As soon as it ended, Peter drove the local people home and then we drove about an hour to Christ the King for an11AM liturgy. As we drove we stopped at towns along the way and picked up those who had no transportation. Once we arrived and unloaded, another local man, Harold, took the van to pick up the locals near this church. Here we had not only a drum, but also an electric keyboard and once more the people were welcoming and enthusiastic and we felt right at home.After we were finished the same routine happened in reverse. Harold took the locals home, when he returned all the folks from other townships piled in and we headed back to St. John's, dropping people off along the way.
Once back at St. Johns, we had a few moments to catch our breath when we discovered a local homeless man sleeping on the church property. He became our friend and we would share a sandwich with him from time to time. Initially this was a concern for me - I didn't know this homeless man or how safe or risky it was to be feeding him. My wife's response was one that taught me a bit about what our attitude should be. "Frank, he's hungry, where else should he go if not the Church?"
With weekend liturgies over Ginni and I toured the island, got acquainted with some of our parishioners, and decided that we would try to initiate mid-week Adoration at both parishes. We scheduled a Holy Hour for THUR night at St. John and FRI for Christ the King. Once more, both were well received and the people complimented us on the service and my reflection.
After the 2nd weekend liturgy a young mother approached us about baptizing her daughter. The child was 1 and Ginni and I set up a time for her and the God-parents to come to the rectory for a Baptism Prep session and we planned to baptize her the following SUN.
When I looked into what we were to use for a Baptismal Font we discovered that they used one of the Corning Ware bowls in the kitchen. The same one we had made tuna noodle in the night before. We thought we should try to elevate and consecrate a specific font used just for baptism. Ginni found a very nice set of stainless steel bowls and we set aside the largest one, as well as a conch shell we found at the beach. On SUN, before the entire community, I consecrated the bowl and shell as the baptismal font - then we used them to baptize the little girl.
At the end of our stay we left Andros and returned to Nassau. We met with the Archbishop confident the heat and bugs (which were intense) were things we could deal with. He encouraged us to write up what we thought we might need as a model for ministry, which we did, then put our house on the market.
A year later we returned a 3rd time, letting the Androsians know we were trying to sell our home to come here permanently, but the housing market was making it impossible. While we wanted to go, we have financial obligations that necessitated selling the house.
When we returned to the US after this trip, several people suggested renting. Our contract with the realtor was up and so, we took it off the market, offered it as a rental, and were swamped with people. There is a lot of detail in how all that went down, but suffice it to say, we quit or jobs in July, our home is rented, our vacation cottage in NH is rented, and our work permits have arrived. Soon we will have dates for the move from Archbishop Pinder and we will be off.
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