A Conversation with Monsignor Carr, Pastor

Q. May is a beautiful month!
A. Yes, it’s beautiful and exciting in parish life as well. Wedding bells ring all month, baptisms continue apace, the gardens and grounds are pretty and lots of things are happening.

Q. This is not your first May in Richmond?
A. This is my third May this time around. It’s hard to believe but I’ve been here three years now. And I’ll be celebrating 39 years of priesthood this month.

Q. Any plans?
A. No, not for 39. Maybe we can do something special next year. Just being here in this wonderful parish is an abundant blessing. And the parish itself will be celebrating 60 years in 2009. Be sure to get your picture in the parish family album.

Q. If you have no plans for yourself, what about our parish? How are we doing? Have you done everything you wanted to do here or will you just maintain for awhile?
A. (Laughs) The wonderful Sisters in my grade school always said I couldn’t sit still. Together we have done a lot in the last few years. We have much more to do. This is a parish that wants to live the faith all week long. So many families want to share the faith with their children and teens. They wonder how faith forms the family and influences public debate.

Q. What have you done in this regard?
A. I have led the parish in discerning its chief gifts and chief challenges. We conducted some smart surveys and got a lot of clear feedback. Our greatest charisms, or gifts, are sharing our faith by educating, inspiring and serving. These are things we do well and want to do better.

Q. But there are challenges?
A. Right. The challenges are around the buildings themselves. The renovations to the church and school that were accomplished fifteen years ago were a good vision and have helped a great deal. But with fifteen years of use we now see how much more we need and how limited they are. Does anyone really think the overflow seating in the commons works for Mass any longer?

Q. So you aren’t sitting still?
A. I can’t sit still when buildings I love are in dire need of repair and upgrade if they are to continue to effectively serve the parish in the coming decades. I am working with parish and school leadership to put together a vision for this generation, one that can get our school the long awaited central heat and air conditioning and new windows, and, to preserve and enhance the church for the incredible demands made on it for a good and safe environment for liturgy and parish life.

Q. So we should stay tuned?
A. Yes. And pray for God’s will to be done here.

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