What I shared at the Parish Town Hall:                                                                                                                    
I shared the story of my journey to Tybee Island.  December 1 ^st marks my twenty-fifth anniversary as a pastor in the Diocese of Savannah.  I was ordained a transitional deacon for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia on May 18 ^th, 1978 and Cardinal Krol ordained me to the priesthood on May 19 ^th, 1979 in the Cathedral of Ss. Peter and Paul.  My first assigned was as a Parochial Vicar at the Cathedral and for the next fourteen years I served in several parishes and ministries in and around Philadelphia.  I knew I loved being a priest but for several reasons I also knew that I needed to look beyond the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
 
To discern, I was granted permission to make a 30-day Ignatian Retreat, which initially did not seem to be going well, until one Sunday at the Parish Mass next to the Retreat House during the responsorial psalm I received an amazing clarity about what I should do.  I knew I needed to explore the Glenmary Home Missioners.  After short stints filling in for Glenmary pastors in Arkansas and Texas, I was assigned on December 1 ^st, 1993 as a Glenmary pastor in Waynesboro, GA and its mission in Louisville.
 
Georgia and the Diocese of Savannah was a good place for me to live out my vocation to the priesthood, and Bishop Boland was willing to accept me as a priest of the Diocese, so in 1996 I was assigned to be pastor of Dublin with its mission in Sandersville.  I spent six happy years in middle Georgia and figured I’d retire there.  But in the spring of 2002, Bishop Boland asked me to move to Augusta to be pastor at St. Mary on the Hill.  I spent fifteen happy years in Augusta and figured I would retire there.  Bishop Hartmeyer even signed off on my purchase of a retirement condo. 
 
But on Tuesday of Holy Week last year, I got a call from Bishop Hartmayer.  I knew he was working on priest assignments and thought it concerned the transfer of Fr. Meza, the parochial vicar at St. Mary on the Hill.  I was more than a little surprised to learn that it was about my transfer.  The Bishop thought I’d do well at another large parish in the Diocese.  I didn’t think another large parish would be best for my health, so he very kindly offered St. Michael on Tybee.  I had planned to go to the Chrism Mass that night and was on Hilton Head Island with family and friends that Tuesday.  After hanging up with the Bishop, I went out on the deck and looked at my new parish across the water.
 
These reassignments are always difficult for both priest and parishioners.  They bring us into the Paschal Mystery – there is the “dying” experience of letting go but hopefully there is also new life.  It was so very hard for me to leave St. Mary on the Hill, but as I told them, even though the letting go is painful, they really can’t feel too bad for someone who is moving to the beach (aka Paradise on Tybee).  And despite some rumors I moved here without any special instructions from Bishop Hartmayer.
 
Your warm reception of me has been wonderful.  I love our faith community and really was surprised at its vibrancy.  One of my most difficult decisions that I’ve had to make was changing music directors.  I was grateful for your understanding and especially grateful for Helen Stevenson’s graciousness.  As I explained to her, when I arrived I was pleased with the quality of our music, but I also thought we needed to do more than maintain what we have been doing.  Whether it is with our liturgical music or any other aspect of parish life, we need to have a sense of mission, a sense of outreach, a vision for moving forward and building up our faith community.  Our mission can’t be just to maintain a nice, comfortable, little faith community because one day the members of such a parish will pass on.  Our mission must be not only to maintain a good physical plant but to fill our Church with believers in the Risen Lord through the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit.   This of course is the mission of all the Baptized
 
Briefly what I heard at our Town Hall Meeting:
There will be ongoing reflections, discussions, and decisions on these matters but briefly this is what I heard at our first Town Hall Meeting:

• I shouldn’t plan on my retirement anytime soon.
• Most parishioners love our new approach to liturgical music.  Some do not.   We are having some growing pains, but we are moving forward with music that enhances our worship and are working on finding the right mix of new and old.  New musicians and choir members are welcome.
• Though much research went into the purchase of a new hymnal, we wish there was one available that had a better mix of new and old.  We also need to find a more user friendly missalette.
• We need a nursery – how wonderful!  I’d ask all parents, older teen and adults who’d be interested in figuring out how to best go about this to please leave you name and contact info with Mary in the office and we’ll set up a meeting.  Virtus training will be needed for all involved.
• Our partnership with TIMA is a good thing for us, TIMA, and the community.  We need to work together in figuring out the best use of our space for future growth for TIMA and us.  Our needs as a faith community might include building a parish hall – just dreaming at this point.
• Living the Eucharist was a great Lenten program, but we need more year-round adult faith formation.
• St. Michael’s Night Out and Town Hall Meetings have been well received.  Hopefully lots of folks can join us at the North Beach Grille this Monday, April 30^th at 6pm.  Come join the fun!

 
Fr. Jerry Ragan