Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
A few years ago I came across an article which held up the Masters as an example of a living tradition and secular liturgy. On Sunday, watching the final round, seeing the familiar camera shots of Augusta National’s azaleas, listening to the classic sound of Jim Nantz’s commentary, I was reminded of that article. The standards to which CBS’ production is held and the rules all patrons must abide by, to say nothing of the skill of the golfers, contribute to an experience in which viewers always know what to expect – in terms of excellence – but can still be surprised and moved by the experience itself.
At the risk of comparing what we do at St. Pius to the carefully managed television production that is Masters coverage, I am immensely proud of and grateful for the excellence on display in some of our non-liturgical productions, namely, our bulletin, parish email communications, social media, and website. If our bulletin isn’t the highest quality bulletin in Fairfield County, it has to be in the top five (and I only admit that there is a possibility that it isn’t the best so I can seem more humble about the bulletin than I actually am). Thanks to Cathy Coyle’s hard work, the bulletin is laid out and formatted to make our parish activities easily accessible. Plus, Cathy has put some extra time into using Chat GPT to make amusing graphics of me as Elvis, Fr. Brendan as a game show host, and more. Similarly, our parish emails are outstanding. While I am not a user of social media anymore (and parents, you have my support in keeping your kids off social media until they graduate high school…and while we’re talking about it, please do yourselves a favor and read “The Anxious Generation” by Jonathan Haidt and “The Tech Exit” by Clare Morell, both of which should be considered mandatory reading for any parent trying to help kids of any age navigate our tech-saturated world), I have to tip my hat to our Director of Evangelization Paola Pena, who makes sure that our parochial social media presence is focused on sharing the Gospel and communicating that this parish exists as a community of believers striving for holiness. I am immensely grateful for the efforts made to communicate our parish identity, our parish priorities, and our parish activities in such a beautiful and clear way. Just as the production value offered by CBS lets you know that the Masters is an event to behold, so the excellent work done by our parish staff communicates that the experience of life and worship at St. Pius is, to borrow a phrase, “like no other.”
And speaking of the Masters, please remember our parish golf outing coming up on June 8. You can register your foursome now, and sponsorship opportunities are available. Thanks to our Knights of Columbus Council 16347 for organizing!
Peace,
Fr. Sam
