Archbishop Carlson has indicated his intention to merge the parishes of St. Dominic Savio and St. George. Remember how the Catholic Church in St. Louis expanded exponentially after World War II when the population moved out of the city of St. Louis into those communities just beyond the city limits. Affton was one such community. Trudy Seise shared with me an old article from the St. Louis Review that she has kept close at hand for many years. It listed the parishes that were created out of Assumption Parish (1839) on Mattese Rd. They include: St. Andrew, St. Paul, St. George, St. Francis of Assisi, Seven Holy Founders, St. Martin of Tours, St. Bernadette, Immaculate Heart of Mary, St. Catherine Laboure, Mary Queen of the Universe, St. Timothy’s, St. Simon, St. Matthias, Most Precious Blood, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, Mary Mother of the Church, Queen of All Saints. I7 parishes were created during a time of explosive expansion and now we have entered a period of contraction.
The Holy Spirit is calling all of us to have 1) big generous hearts, 2) a willingness to forgive one another a lot and 3) to think outside the comfortable confines of our current customs and traditions. This is the only way we will come to that unity to which Jesus calls us. We share so much in common. Let’s not allow the cultural differences to divide us and scatter the flock. Rather, let us welcome one another and work together for the glory of God.
I look forward to working with you in building the parish into a vibrant community of faith that looks outwardly, rather than inwardly; a community of faith that loves Jesus, a community that loves one another and seeks to draw people into a relationship with Jesus. This has to become our mission now: Love God, Love one another and make disciples.