Our Welcome to a New Town
It’s a personal account of a particular priest and how my family and I have come to love and respect him. His name is Father Thomas Wyndham, and he currently serves as pastor of the St. Jerome parish, located about 15 miles south of Boston in Weymouth, Massachusetts.
My lovely wife Elevena and I, along with our two daughters, moved from Seattle and arrived in Weymouth about two years ago. At the time, my older daughter, August Lynne, was herself about two, and my younger one, Patty Jane, was about four months. We had the pleasure of attending our first Mass at St. Jerome the first Sunday we arrived. Not only were the church and the altar decorated immaculately, but the heartfelt passion with which the celebrating priest was speaking wound up captivating us. I couldn’t help but feel filled with the Holy Spirit as I listened to Father Wyndham celebrate the liturgies of the Word and Eucharist that late-summer day.
I briefly introduced myself and my family to the inspiring priest after Mass. His warm handshakes all around and endearing smile made us feel immediately welcome — a good feeling after a journey of some 3,000 miles by car! He seemed almost grandfather-like in the way my children instantly felt comfortable with him and sensed his, well, goodness. I don’t know any better word for it. Patty Jane, recovering from a traumatic (for all of us) open-heart surgery, which has been written about before on this site, was all smiles. I know it can’t be just me who thinks this way, but a mysterious connection was somehow made, and it was apparent to me that, by the grace of God, we had found a parish we could call our own.
As the weeks and months passed by, our regard for the parish community of St. Jerome and our respect for Father Wyndham continued to grow. And all really just by showing up, and listening, and participating. His connection to the parish children, especially, was — and continues to be — electric. He seemingly knows every child by name and is the “unofficial” godfather of each and every one of them. His enthusiastic homilies keep the adult faithful attentive and definitely bring me, at least, closer to God and our Church.
Catholic Parish Life
We invited the good Father to have dinner with us recently, and he graciously accepted. He was pleased at the way August Lynne said Grace before our meal and seemed as content at our house as he makes us feel at his Mass. That’s what I’ve always believed real Catholic parish life is supposed to be all about, anyway. I’m glad that my children are learning it first-hand.
Father Wyndham is the kind of priest that has made up the foundation on which the Catholic Church in this country was built, and on which a solid and renewed Church can be rebuilt. He focuses on and inspires courage and strength during difficult times, but will not hesitate to speak of the virtues of service and humility during joyous times.
Perhaps most of all, however, Father Wyndham inspires a strong sense of God — both at the individual level and collectively. I have been personally aided and uplifted, I know, in my own family life through my contact with him. He helped me to understand in a very profound way, for example, how completely thankful and filled with gratitude I was to God at the birth of my son, Liam Francis, this past April 5. (We were delighted to learn, incidentally, that both Father Wyndham and Liam share “Francis” as a middle name!) And I think the whole St. Jerome parish felt privileged to have Father Wyndham around in the aftermath of September 11.
Newborns and September 11 are big things, however. Little things also tend to set Father Wyndham apart in my experience. He was recently visiting friends in New Hampshire when he spotted two small dolls in a store window. He thought of August and Patty Jane and so purchased the items as gifts for them. Needless to write, my little angels were overjoyed when Father presented the dolls to them at a recent Mass!
Almost two years have gone by since we first met Father Wyndham. We see him most every Sunday and speak to him on the telephone from time to time. He continues to become a more and more important part of my family. He recently baptized my son in a special private ceremony. His thoughtfulness shone through once again when he suggested that Patty Jane be included in the Baptism. Patty had been baptized in her hospital bed in Seattle prior to her heart operation at just eight weeks. Father felt she should be properly welcomed, however, in a joyous ceremony, giving thanks and praise to God for his greatness and for her continued recovery. He was, of course, right. The ceremony — the whole day — was breathtaking.
The wonderful things Father Wyndham says and does continue to strengthen the bond we have together. What can we do in return other than offer him our open door and open hearts? I guess that’s why I’m writing.
True Leadership
Father Thomas Francis Wyndham is a great man. I know he’s a human being — imperfect, like all of us — but that’s my heartfelt judgment based on my experience with him. Maybe it says as much about me as it does about him. From what I see, he places the greater good of his people above his personal pursuits and proudly reaffirms in his life his commitments to the priesthood and to his flock. That must be hard at times! Considering him, as I do, a true soldier in the army of God, I’ve watched him lead us, with wisdom and spirit, through the minefields of these most trying times. To witness that — and at what seems like the epicenter of the spiritual “earthquake” here in the Boston area — has been an inspiration.
I know, and I want you to know (as I’m sure you do), that he’s just one of the many, many thousands of upstanding American Catholic priests who continue to serve both God and their communities with faith and with purpose. God bless Father Thomas Francis Wyndham and all dedicated people of God. If you’ll permit me the liberty, I take this opportunity to publicly thank him — and them — on behalf of all of us.
© Copyright 2002 Catholic Exchange
Patrick James Allen is a union electrician in the Boston area. You can reach him via email at elevena11a@hotmail.com.
