Dinner with Father Nicholas

I would like to have dinner with as many people in our parish as possible. I want to be the best pastor for this parish and her people. I also want to each of you the opportunity to be with me in a context that is laid back and low-stakes, so that we can get to know each other better.

The first time I did something like this was towards the end of the COVID restrictions, I was the pastor in Magnolia Springs. Because of the restrictions from the pandemic, I did not have the ability or the opportunity to know the people there very well. As soon as the restrictions began to lift, I invited everyone to have a meal with me. It took me a few months to cover the whole parish, and I was not able to eat with each person, but it was successful at bringing the parish together and understanding what the parish needed.

I would like to make this same effort here. This is a much larger parish than my previous assignment, so it will take me longer to get to everyone, but let’s start now! There is no agenda for these meals, just for us to get to know each other better. Due to the size of the parish, maybe we can have two or three families join together for a meal.

To help plan these meals, I will offer three options:

• I can cook for you in the rectory. (Limit of 7 people at a time)

• You can cook for me in your home.

• Let’s go to your favorite restaurant.

I do love to cook so if you are interested, please do not be shy to request a meal in the rectory.