From the Pastor August 30/31

Don’t let Vacation Go to Waste

It’s Labor Day Weekend and the end of vacation season for many people. Last week I met a man coming out of church. He smiled and said to me, “Do you realize how lucky you are to be assigned here?” Living full-time in Chatham, what many consider their vacation spot, can seem idyllic, but like living any place you call home, we can take it for granted. When following a car with out-of-state plates negotiating a Main Street roundabout, we can become ornery and wish our visitors would go away. We are tempted to get one of those bumper stickers that read, “I’m not on your vacation.” 

We are only teasing. It’s a pleasure welcoming our summer guests. Chatham is a family resort and since most of our full-time residents are retired, it’s a pleasure seeing many children in our community during the summer. Our visitors bring a vibrancy to the town that is not always present during the rest of the year. We’ve been known to host a celebrity or two in our midst that adds to the excitement here.

Chatham won’t close down completely now that the summer is over. Fall is a wonderful season to spend some time here. Many people prefer it to the summer. We’ll still see many visitors and seasonal residents stick around or come on weekends until after the new year. If you still have some vacation time, we hope you might spend it with us.

One disadvantage of being a priest assigned to a summer resort community is that I usually don’t get a chance for a summer vacation. I have to plan time away at other seasons. I’m going to do that at the beginning of September. I plan to visit Scotland with four of my Seminary classmates. We celebrated our 35th anniversary of ordination this year. I’m really looking forward to the time away. 

American’s are notorious for taking very little vacation. We don’t even have laws requiring employers to offer vacation to workers. The average American only gets two weeks of vacation and half of us don’t use even that small amount. I’m somewhat guilty of that. Canon Law grants priests throughout the world thirty days of vacation and a week of retreat. I’ve never taken all of mine.

Pope Leo is doing things a little different from Pope Francis. He took vacation time this summer. Francis was known for his “staycations,” only cutting back his workload but staying at the Vatican. Leo has renewed the papal tradition of going to Casal Gandolfo, outside of Rome, away from the city’s summer heat. Even a papal vacation requires work. Leo was working while away. He was really only setting a bit slower pace.

Vacation is really necessary if we want to stay healthy, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. All of us need down time when we can relax, be with, family and friends, and connect with God’s presence all around us. If you have vacation time left this year, be sure to take it. Come spend it with us in Chatham. Continue to connect with God’s presence here at Holy Redeemer. A good disciple cares for themselves so they have the energy and desire to care for others. So, don’t deny yourself a vacation. 



Unless the Lord Builds 2025 Capital Campaign

The Lord is building the house we call Holy Redeemer Church. We have begun a 2025 Capital Campaign to continue renovating both our physical and spiritual church. Over the next three years we will raise $750,000 for several projects. Our first priority is to replace the cedar shingles on the main church with composite vinyl siding to match the exterior of the new addition. Our parking lot will get a new entrance from Old Harbor Road, resurfacing, and relined into conventional stall parking spaces. Several projects at Our Lady of Grace Chapel and the rectory are also planned.

Registered parishioners received a letter from Fr. Sullivan, a project brochure, and pledge card asking for your gift to the Capital Campaign. In 2022 Holy Redeemer parishioners gave gifts totaling $1.26 million for the parish renovations. More than half of that amount was from gifts of $2,500 or less. More than 90% of them were made as one-time payments. What would a truly sacrificial gift to the Capital Campaign look like for you? If you gave one of those gifts, could you double or triple it if you spread it over three years? I especially want to encourage parishioners who didn’t contribute in 2022. It is evident from the results; the money was well spent. Please prayerfully reflect on your gift to the Capital Campaign and make it as generous as possible. 

Final Weekend for Our Lady of Grace Chapel

Our summer chapel, Our Lady of Grace, on Meetinghouse Road in S. Chatham, will close for the season this weekend. Mass are Saturday Vigil at 4:30 p.m. and Sunday morning at 7:30 & 9:30 a.m. Beginning next weekend all Masses will be celebrated at Holy Redeemer. That schedule is Saturday afternoon at 4:00 p.m., Sunday morning at 8:00 & 10:00 a.m.

First Friday Devotion

The parish is renewing our First Friday Devotion. This Friday, September 5, the Eucharist will be exposed for Adoration after the 8 am Mass until 4 p.m. Plan to be in Church to spend time in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament sometime during the day. Our prayer intention for September is for our relationship with all creation. Let us pray that, inspired by Saint Francis of Assisi, we might experience our interdependence with all creatures who are loved by God and worthy of love and respect. 

On a similar note, Monday, September 1, is World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation. It is meant to offer individuals and communities the opportunity to recommit to our vocation as stewards of creation, to thank God for God’s creation, his pardon for our sins against our environment, and God’s help to protect our world. Please make that a prayer intention of yours. 

2nd Zoning Board of Appeals Hearing

On Thursday at 2 p.m., the Chatham Zoning Board of Appeals will hopefully, lift from the table, and continue their hearing regarding a variance for the affordable housing development planned for the Meetinghouse Road property across from Our Lady of Grace Chapel. Parishioners have an interest in the issue because we sold the property to the town in 2022, at a discounted price, with the expressed desire it be used for such housing. The hearing will be held in the Large Hearing Room at the Town Hall Annex on George Ryder Road.