Dear Friends:
On September 11, 2001, thirty-eight flights bound for the
United States were diverted to Gander, Newfoundland.
That left over 6,000 passengers stranded in a place where
they knew no one. However, it soon became a place
where they loved everyone, locals offered food, clothing
and shelter with instant generosity and love. And people
from all walks of life met as equals to share their grief.
One of those who landed at Gander that day was a dear
friend of mine, the actress Marisa Berenson. She had
been traveling from France to New York when the plane
was diverted because of the attacks on New York City.
Marisa had an even more pressing burden than most
other passengers that day. Because she knew that one of
the planes destroyed in the attack was carrying her sister
Berry Berenson from Boston to Los Angeles. Berry, the
wife of the late actor Anthony Perkins, was returning to
LA so she could attend a cabaret concert by her son. That
trip, as we know, ended in tragedy. Marisa spoke of the
healing kindness of so many people in Newfoundland,
who gave her both individual comfort for the loss of her
sister, and a deep empathy for all Americans in the face
of this great horror. In author Jim Defede's book entitled
The Day The World Came to Town, he gives a touching
account of those post-attack days in Gander. It's a powerful
book, and offers a reminder that no matter where we
come from or what we do for a living, we need one another
in times of crisis. As the author himself says so
well: "If the terrorists had hoped that their attacks would
reveal the weakness in western society, the events in
Gander proved its strength." People all around us continue
to face many challenges. For some people it's the
loss of loved ones. For others, it's the loss of a job or the
foreclosure of their home. Still others around us are experiencing
the messy tragedy of divorce or separation.
Some folks simply cannot make ends meet, and wonder
how they'll get through the next set of bills. Each of these
burdens, like the experience of 9/11, is made easier by
having others to share in our challenges. When a new
Pastor comes to a parish, he often sets a number of goals
for the future. I have several. I want to see the school
stronger and fuller. I want more young people and young
families regularly attending Mass. I want a vibrant Youth
Ministry program in place. And I'd like us to have a full
time Parish Outreach office working to assist anyone
coming to us in serious need. But my overarching goal is
even more basic and much less program specific. I want
us all to become better believers in the greatness of God.
And I want that belief made manifest by the ways in
which we support and help and encourage others around
us, especially those who are most deeply hurting or in
pain. St. John has written that we cannot love the God
we cannot see without loving God's people who we can
see. On 9/11, the people of Gander, Newfoundland put
God's love into action by bothering to care. May we at
Our Lady of Lourdes Parish be gifted with the same
compassion and empathy for each and every person we
meet this coming week. The plaque on my office door
reads: Kindness Matters. And so it does....
Have a beautiful and peace-filled week,
Msgr. Jim