I came to Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Sandy Bay, Manitoba, in the Archdiocese of Winnipeg, on July 1, 2006, with great dreams and plans. My first Sunday here, though, was a disappointment that shattered those hopes and dreams. There was no one to open the church door, no one to prepare the altar for Mass, no one to take up the offertory collection and less than 20 people in attendance. Everything was left unattended. Was it all the duty of the priest?
As I prayed daily that God would show me a way out of this crisis, I heard my inner voice ask, “Do you trust me?” “Yes, Lord, I trust you,” I answered. God said, “Then trust my people.”
That was a turning point in my pastoral work.
I called a meeting to share my views and visions with my parishioners, who were happy to accept their new responsibilities. We now have a finance committee that manages offertory collections—including counting and depositing the collection, provides full details of the parish finance report to the community, and plans and implements necessary fundraising activities. Nothing is hidden. Every month, we have an accounting of how much was given in collections, how much was spent and how it was spent.
We also have a liturgical committee that prepares the altar for Mass and decorates the church according to the seasons of the year. There are people who help me in my pastoral ministries. There is also now a volunteer work force.
We always enjoy good dialogue. Whenever I meet with a group, I give my ideas, and then let the people talk. Then we work together with respect, trust and laughter.
We have organized activities such as common wedding anniversaries, Mass at the cemeteries with the blessing of the tombs, a spiritual gathering at the lake, and parish retreats. I also make frequent visits to the sick and bless homes in the parish.
The Sacrament of Baptism is celebrated one Sunday of every month. In 2008, we had a beautiful celebration of Christmas. Lots of people participated for the day and night Masses. During the Christmas Eve celebration, eight children received their First Holy Communion and during Christmas Day Mass, 17 more children were baptized. A total of 74children were baptized in 2008.
I know that people still carry the pain and wounds of residential schools and for that reason, a good number of people stay away from the church. But there is also a deep appreciation for the work we do and great respect for the priest. This is visible in the community.
The Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is celebrated as a community get-together. At all Sunday Masses, children are called forth for a special blessing. I can tell you that there has been a tremendous change in the community!
During the three years of my work here, I have observed that communication and trust between the pastor and his people are keys to successful pastoral ministry. We still have a long way to go!
Father Roy George Vazhaplankudiyil is pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Sandy Bay, Manitoba, in the Archdiocese of Winnipeg He is also pastor at Our Lady of the Angels in Amaranth and Assumption of Our Lady Mission in Alonsa.
