This weekend we celebrate the Feast of Pentecost, which is considered the Birthday of the Church. So Happy Birthday to all of us, because we are the Church!!! Christ is the head and we are His body, and we form the Church.
For us here at St. Austin Parish and School community, this Pentecost is another birth for us. Last week I received a letter from the Vicar General of the Diocese of Austin, the Very Rev. James Misko, giving us permission to proceed with our major development project. This is a major milestone, and in a way a new birth for our parish and school.
There are, of course, CONDITIONS on the permission to move ahead with this project. The letter lists 12 of them, almost all dealing with financial matters.
By the time you read this I will have met with the St. Austin Parish Finance Council and the St. Austin School Finance Committee on Monday, May 17, and then later that evening with the St. Austin Parish Pastoral Council. Assuming that there are no serious nor substantial objections from any of these parish/school groups, I will then sign the letter and send it to Bishop Joe Vásquez. So by the time you read this in the bulletin, it will hopefully be a done deal. You will be able to view the signed letter, and see what the 12 conditions are, on our parish website.
This is a great event in the life of our parish/school. That it is occurring the week of Pentecost reinforces to me how the Holy Spirit has been a help and guide in this entire process. It reassures me that we will bring this major project to a successful completion, and that it will impel us to work harder at evangelization and spreading the Good News.
Congratulations to so many in our parish/school community who have been working so hard on getting us to this point. Countless hours spent in meetings, so much effort in making this happen, and we are only just beginning! If all proceeds as planned the St. Austin School will leave their current home on June 3-6 and move to San Jose parish campus for the next two years. Volunteers are needed for the move.
The accumulated treasure and trash of the last century or so of the parish will need to be packed or disposed of. There will be a HUGE parish yard sale on Saturday July 24, disposing of lots and lots of stuff we no longer need in the parish, or that is just not worth saving. Mark your calendar and watch for more details.
The Paulists will move out of the current rectory in mid-August and be settled in our temporary rectory by August 27. We will be residing for a couple of years at 4502 Caswell, on the corner of 45th and Caswell in Hyde Park.
On Saturday, August 28, we will have a FAREWELL ceremony for our current facilities, for both the school and the parish. By then all the furniture and equipment will be moved out. Current discussion for this event is that we would start in the church for a short prayer service of thanksgiving and commemoration.
Then all the buildings would be open (and the A/C on if it still works) and people can write on the walls and ceilings theirmemories, wishes, prayers, etc. That would be followed by an ice cream social or something cool, under the gym. Finally, on Monday, after the weekend Masses are all over, people who want to retrieve the brick with their family name on it from the current courtyard would be allowed to do so. On September 1 the developer takes possession of the property, a fence goes up around it, and we will have access only to the church for the next two years.
Of course this is a developing situation, so expect some changes and rearrangements. But we are on our way on our pilgrimage!