So, I guess I might as well finally give this news to all fifty-three of my Faithful Readers here at Padre Mickey's Dance Party, as I already announced it on Facebook and yesterday at Parroquia San Cristóbal: on Tuesday, November 22, 2011, I submitted my resignation as Rector of St. Christopher's Parish, effective December 18, 2011. I've been trying to find a position in the U.S.A. and have been unsuccessful, to say the least. Bishop Murray said that, as long as I am in Panamá I won't find a position in the U.S.A., and the Search Committee at San Cristóbal agreed. We all agreed that the Lovely Mona and I should plan to leave by the end of the year, but, after discussion, the Lovely Mona and I decided that we wanted to spend Christmas with our family, seeing as we haven't celebrated a family Christmas in twelve years. So, on December 20, 2011, the Lovely Mona, Señorita Chompita Wiggletail and yer Padre will be winging our way to Los Angeles, California. We'll spend Christmas in Fresno with Mona's folks, and New Years in Sonora with my folks, and then on to Beautiful San José, California, famously featured in a Hit Song™ by Burt Bacharach, for the month of January, as I will be returning to San José, Costa Rica towards the end of January to attend a meeting of the IARCA-TEC Covenant Committee, of which I am a member (San José to San José, and back again!). Then, if my current losing streak continues and we find no position in my home diocese, we'll head up to our place in the Trinity Alps (don't get excited, we're not landed gentry; it's a freakin' trailer in the Odd Fellows Camp. A beautiful place, and at least we won't have to live in our car and end up on "60 Minutes" or sumpin'), hoping and praying that I can win over a Search Committee somewhere in That Great Land known as Los Estados Unidos de América. So, keep us in yer prayers and stuff. Personally, I find this a rather anti-climatic ending to twelve years of service as missionaries, but one never knows what God has in mind.
I know that things are tough all over, and that so many people are requesting help at this time, but, since we will have no income beginning in January, and you are moved to donate to help us out, please contact Nathaniel Lim at St. Francis Episcopal Church, 1205 Pine Ave., San Jose, CA 95125, 408-292-7090. Please feel free to check St. Francis' web site at www.stfrancisepiscopalchurch.org, which includes an archive of our letters and pictures of our mission.
Blessed Advent, everbuddy!
15 comments:
Padre, it's a crying shame is what it is that you don't have a position. That you and the Lovely Mona served sacrificially for 12 years, and you're having such difficulty in finding a job is shocking and scandalous. You know what? It makes me angry.
Blessings and prayers for you and Mona as you enter this uncertain time in your lives.
Love to you both.
Onward! I think there is so much positive spirit and energy surrounding the two (three including la wiggles) that all will be well, and yes, it´s a odd ending after such a inspirational run...¨we will see what we will see¨ said my Mother to me (often)!
Abrazos fuerte,
Leonardo/Len (feeling abandoned but I realize, just in time, it´s not about me, me, me)
Sadly there are plenty of anticlimatic endings... figure on my last Sunday at the parish Thanksgiving dinner, no one thought to save a place for Anne and me at a table, they ran out of places so we ended up eating off our laps, sitting on a pew on the edge of the parish hall looking at everyone in the middle. Clueless. Bizarre.
Prayers that once you are back in the EEUU you can find hope and a cure... meanwhile, I will look forward to seeing you in San Jose, Costa Rica. We can plot resurrection while there.
Hey, Padre! Give me a buzz when you get to Cali. Right now I am okay for cash so I should be able to lend a hand in some small way.
WV: effeskie
Use in a sentence: Living in the same country where you are trying to find a job is an effeskie stratergery.
Good luck. I hope that making the move will break the logjam and some lucky parish will snap you right up!
Praying and praying and praying and then praying some more!!
God bless you Padre.
It's been hard looking here too.
The Trinity Alps is where God lives, so you will be close to the source, and your prayers will be answered.
Continued prayers coming your way.
Esteemed Padre Micky... I pray and hope you land a position quickly. You are an amazing and creative priest and the church needs you. Regards and good Christmas with family.
Prayers, prayers, and more prayers!!
Word verification: blessin (i poop y'all not!)
I'm sure you must be feeling some ambivalence about this, Padre. You're in my prayers (esp. to find a calling in the EE.UU.!)
As you're traveling around Alta California, perhaps you'll pass thru the Sacra-tomato area? I'd love to meet you (and Lovely Mona and even/esp. Senorita Chompita!)
Drop me a line any time! jcf1899 at gmail dot com
What a loss for your missions and for the church in Panama. Prayers of blessing, comfort, joy, and thanksgiving come to you from me. God has a work for you, my friend. It's just waiting for you to say, "Oh, Doh! Why didn't I see it before."
In England it's very difficult to get a job if you are unemployed (whatever the reason). So I hope and pray that you are not jumping out of a waged frying pan into an unwaged fire, my friend.
Blessings on this next segment of your journey, Padre. One indeed never knows what God has in mind and I salute your willingness to go where you already feel you need to be and listen for God's call for you there. I get it about the anti-climactic ending... that's how it goes sometimes. I've enjoyed your ministry in Panama these last couple of years via the Dance Party and look forward to seeing what is coming next.
Prayers to you and the Lovely Mona.
I could SWEAR I left a post here. Did something happen to this thread?
[I invited you to get together, if you and/or Lovely Mona were passing thru Sacra-tomato way. jcf1899 at gmail dot com]
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