Father Esty
When we first started attending Mass at [St. Thomas Aquinas in St. Paul Park], and before joining this active parish, we initially began meeting the parish staff and, one by one, each of these people shared their joy about not only working at STA but also about their team member, Father Greg Esty. (When the church support staff voluntarily tells you that they’ve got the world’s best priest, that spoke volumes to us!). . . .
“We are 100 percent convinced that we have been truly blest to be STA parishioners and getting to know Father Greg as priest/friend has been the best. He is a respectful and respected man to all who enter the doors of STA. Father Greg’s genuine heart of openness, his willingness ‘to listen with the ears of his heart’ and his ability to truly care make him an absolute favorite of our entire congregation.
“His homilies hit home because of their humanistic qualities — he does not talk above/below ‘his people,’ but he sends us out the church doors each week with a specific message that sustains us for the coming days.
“Whether you are newly baptized, celebrating your 60th wedding anniversary, or a person somewhere in between, all of us are truly welcomed in this place week after week and month after month. How wonderful we now feel to call this our home church.”
— Trish Thompson
St. Thomas Aquinas Parish,
St. Paul Park
St. Thomas Aquinas Parish,
St. Paul Park
2 comments:
Ray,
Have you ever been to this church? I have not, nor do I know this priest but the verbage that was used to describe both sounds too familiar. I recently left a parish where similar descriptions were used. "All are welcome" and "humanistic" homilies are what it is all about there. When I read of priests that are given this type of praise I think "permissive parent". Our Lord was not permissive and he told all what they needed to hear not what they wanted to hear. Give me a Fr. Corapi any day.
I may be way off base in this particular case, and if so please correct me, but I think you know what I mean.
V33-
I have not been to that parish nor do I know the priest. Never assume, as they say.
Priests have the most difficult job imaginable.
Trained mainly in philosophy and theology, with a semester or two of homiletics and liturgy, they are expected to become company presidents, building managers, fund raisers, team leaders, diplomats, negotiators, motivational orators, counselors and party throwers, among other things.
And they don't get to choose their parishioners. I empathize with them.
Upon transfer to a new parish, priests may have to drastically alter their styles, requiring a great deal of flexibility.
Few parishioners these days "do what they're told."
Pray for our priests, in this, The Year of the Priest.
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