The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1908-11-07
OUR PARISH.
Some Pertinent Observations That
Might Be Made by Any Parishioner.
"Looker-On" in Boston Pilot.)

'Looker-On" in Boston Pilot.)
On moving into a new parish lately
and becoming acquainted | was sur
prised to note what a small percentage
of the congregation can be counted
upon for active assistance and cordial
cooperation with the parish priest The
great majority are well disposed in a
negative way, contribute to the collec-
lions and attend TO their spiritual du-
ties fairly well. but without much
warmth or zeal.
Strange to say. there is a large num-
Der who have something against the
priest" Generally it is a trifing mat
ter, but they have nursed it so long
that it has assumed magnitude in their
eyes. Then the amount of criticism of
the pastor and his methods is revela-
ton. Some say he is too fond of money
and others blame him for laVishness
Some aver that he is too familiar with
the people and others call him dis
tant." He has a bad temper or is fr-
ritatfngly calm according to the COM
pany you keep.
l did not notice these things in the
old parish. Time and familiarity had
softened down the RICHNESS of comment
and criticism and / knew that some of
the takers did not matter and that
others did not mean half what they
said. but here it is different and for the
first time in my life | begin to realize
what a difficult work is that of a pas
tor. OF course. much of this half-heart-
ed service and readiness to critic
comes from lack of knowledge of re-
sponsibility Few of those who have
so much to say about the priest give
much thought to the priests side of the
question. They find it hard enough to
keep their own households in order and
yet never hesitate to find fault with the
man who must look out for a family
that runs up into the thousands.
The generality of pastors do not in
form the people when they are sick,
sore or sad. and yet. when we come to
think of ii. this must often be the case.
In practice It is the clerical hypochon-
driac who receives the sympathy that
should go to the men who suffer and
are silent
There is the genuine ring of the true
parishioner in the statement of the CEN
turion in the gospel who asked the Lord
to heal his son. He was a man of re-
sponsibility and understood the worth
of instant and willing obedience. And
Christ was quick to approve of that
loyal stand with the words: II have not
found such faith in all Israel" This is
generally the case. he peODlt VI lllG
congregation who have much to attend
to are the most helpful and most charit-
able to the priest. while those who are
Shiftless and careless have the most to
S9,'.
Doubtless the church has had the
erlumblers like the poor. with her from
the beginning. In all likelihood there
were individuals in old Rome and Cor
NTH who found st. Peter too impetuous
and St Paul too plain spoken. Some
people would be lonely without some
sort of a grievance against the priest.
Family life is the common lot. it has
its blessings and comforts, but it often
narrown man and causes him to make
mountains out of mole hills. The wife
and mother can stir mp a small tempest
by an injudieious story of some reproof
given the children at school, some lack
of warmth on the part of the priest. II
such a story about another were related
to the man outside he would laugh at
it. but at home it Is another matter. He
feels like refusing to give anything at
the next collection and makes I'D his
mind to tell the priest what he thinks
of him.
Our parish is large; it has great
school and a costly church. The fixed