Absent leadership

There's a quote from South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford that's all over the news today, but I'm having some difficulty swallowing it. In yesterday's press conference explaining his 5 day absence from the state and apologizing for an extra-marital affair, the Governor said "The bottom line is this: I have been unfaithful to my wife." Excuse me? As despicable as the infidelity is, I don't think its the bottom line on this incident. As Governor, Sanford is the chief executive of the South Carolina state government. To disappear for five days without telling anyone where he was going, or providing any means for anyone to contact him represents a gross dereliction of duty. His responsibility to the governance of the state dictates that he be available to address any emergencies or other issues that might arise. To be out of contact with his staff and other representatives of the state government for five days seriously impairs the ability of the state to respond, and is absolutely inexcusable. That is the bottom line, Governor.

An update on my church dilemma

Last month, I wrote about the issues I was facing after my parish announced that they would not be offering CCD classes on Sundays next school year. With our daughters' various activities, it would be very difficult to attend classes on weekday evenings, so I began searching for a solution that would allow us to keep the girls in Sunday CCD classes.

It turns out that the answer was just around the corner (almost literally). I'd heard people comment about the neighboring parish, usually noting that it was a very welcoming and open community. It turns out that they also offer CCD classes on Sunday, not once, but at two different times! (They also offer CCD classes on Monday afternoons and Wednesday evenings, in a clear attempt to be as accommodating as possible.) It all sounded promising, so I decided to start attending mass there, to get a feel for the parish.

Wow! I should've come here years ago. This parish is such a contrast to where we had been (and, in fact, to most of the parishes I've been to in this diocese). To give you an idea of the contrast: In my old parish, the last announcement before mass is a sternly worded reminder to silence our cell phones. At the neighboring parish, the last announcement is an invitation to introduce yourself to those around you! There are so many little differences, its hard to pinpoint all of them, but the cumulative effect is to make it an atmosphere where I actually can feel comfortable, which is something that has been sorely missing from my church experience for several years now.

Needless to say, I have already filled out a parish registration form to join the neighboring parish, and signed my daughters up for Sunday CCD. It's a longer drive, but I expect it will be well worth the effort. My only regret is that I didn't explore this option earlier. Now I just need to write a letter to my old parish telling them I've changed parishes and asking them to remove me from their registrar.