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Deacon Frank Tremblay Discerning the
Call to Mission
Conversations,
Possibilities, Considerations, Prayers
For members, friends, and staff persons
of the Congregation, conversations about the SS.CC. community’s
mission and, more generally, the work of evangelizing within the
Church are part and parcel of daily life.
 But
now, as Deacon Frank Tremblay, Administrator of Sacred Hearts
Retreat Center, and his wife Ginni Tremblay look back, they
recognize how one such ordinary conversation has sparked for them a
serious, long ranging discernment process. The months ahead are sure
to include more conversations and listening sessions that will
deepen their commitment to church ministry in ways they never
foresaw until slightly over two years ago.
“During
the Assembly of 2005, I talked with Fr. Martin Gomes, ss.cc., about
evangelism and his ministry in the Bahamas. From that innocent
conversation my wife Ginni and I have embarked upon an adventure
that we are still exploring,” Deacon Frank said. The couple, who
reside in Canton, Massachusetts, are prayerfully considering whether
in the foreseeable future they may settle into ministry on the
“family islands” of the Bahamas where clergy are so
desperately needed.
Deacon Frank, who was ordained as
permanent deacon in September 2002 said, “We have always considered
missionary work as something we would be open to. Seizing the
opportunity, Fr. Martin suggested that, if we were serious, we would
be welcome to come to Nassau and see what it was like.” The couple
accepted Fr. Martin’s offer and stayed with the SS.CC. pastor at
St. Joseph’s Parish a little over a year ago, in December 2005.
Unlike their previous trips to the island’s resorts, this time the
strongest attraction was the Bahamian people.
As they observed the local neighborhoods
with Fr. Martin or at times with Fr. Mike Kelly, ss.cc., who is
pastor at Our Lady of the Holy Souls, the signs of poverty were
everywhere. Many homes, built with cinder blocks and tin roofing,
have no running water. Teenage girls carry water jugs to the public
water spigot on a street corner.
 Over half of the Bahamians are service
workers: the people who wash the dishes, mow the lawns, do the
laundry, and help keep the millions in tourism dollars flowing.
Deacon Frank noted that despite the poverty, everyone dons their
Sunday best for Church. Liturgy is celebrated in the fullest sense
of the word. As SS.CC. priests who have presided at Eucharist in the
Bahamas have said, “ Every verse of every song is sung with gusto.”
Deacon Frank now adds from direct experience, “At the sign of peace,
everyone hugs everyone.”
At the end of the December
2005 trip, Fr. Martin arranged a meeting between the couple and
Archbishop Patrick Pinder, who talked about the needs of the
Bahamian faith communities and how
deacons fit in. Deacon Frank and Ginni came away with a joyful
willingness to continue discussing the possibility of ministry in
the Bahamas.
The dialogue has continued through emails
with the Archbishop. Deacon Frank, who has been the Administrator
at Sacred Hearts Retreat Center since April 2002, has had
further talks on Bahamian ministry with SS.CC. priests Stan Kolasa,
and Chris Santangelo, who also served there and with Pat Fanning
who returned in December 2006 to SS. Peter and Paul Parish at
Clarence Town, Long Island.
“A suggestion we kept hearing from
SS.CC.s who have lived and ministered there was to get a longer
exposure to life on a remote island that, in the summer, would
include heat, bugs, and a possible hurricane.” Deacon Frank and his
wife decided to take their advice. This past August, at the
invitation Archbishop Pinder the couple served for three weeks in
the three parishes located on Andros.
As the only clergy on the island, Deacon
Frank presided at all liturgical worship, communion services,
benediction, and at weekend liturgies. He introduced a mid-week Holy
Hour, taught a Baptism preparation class, and baptized a beautiful
two year-old girl. He and Ginni also attended to the needs of a
homeless person who struggled with substance abuse and who had begun
sleeping on the grounds of one of the churches. Hurricane Ernesto
also gave them a better taste of island life.
To end their December 2006 trip, Deacon
Frank and Ginni met again with Archbishop Pinder to talk over their
experience and learn more about the Archbishop’s pastoral needs. As
Deacon Frank and Ginni discern prayerfully what their next steps
will be, it seems that even with a prevalence of “ if’s”— that
include selling a home and permission from church hierarchy— they
are mainly concerned with only one if -“ if the Lord is leading
us,” as Deacon Frank put it. |
