By Tanya Connor
The priest told his son he couldn’t play football because games were held Sunday mornings.
“Why don’t you do something about it?” challenged the 10-year-old. The father did. He raised the issue at his ecumenical clergy meeting – and learned others too were concerned.
So he drafted a letter asking that Sunday mornings be kept free for worship and rest. He and 16 other area clergy signed it. They sent it to newspapers and informed their congregations and others about it.
This is the story Father Luke A. Veronis, pastor of Sts. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church in Webster, tells about his role in the letter-writing campaign.
In addition to the Orthodox pastor and six Catholic priests, clergy signing the letter are leaders of Methodist, Baptist, Congregational, Episcopal and Assembly of God congregations, among others.
“Many people complain of hectic schedules,” says the letter.
“The stressful spirit of going 24/7 has become the norm for too many, even starting from a young age.
“In the Judeo-Christian tradition that helped form our Western and American society, the idea of a ‘Sabbath,’ or day of rest, has always played a significant role that positively affected our lifestyles. Our faith traditions reminded us that one day a week was supposed to be different from the others.”
In recent decades school and sports programs have “crept into the Sunday morning schedule … turning an opportunity for peace and rest into just another busy and stressful day,” the letter says. Youth and parents are forced to choose between sports and church.
“A pattern of public insensitivity to the religious traditions of our churches has emerged, while at the same time many community leaders are talking about the importance of supporting ‘family values’ by providing moral education of youth through family and religious life,” the letter says, quoting a Massachusetts Council of Churches statement of concern.
“For the health and well-being of our society, as well as taking into consideration the many people who desire to worship in our churches on Sunday mornings, we would like to appeal to all public officials, leaders of public and private sporting leagues and events, and townspeople in general, to keep at least Sunday mornings free from various activities,” the letter says.
“That decision is long overdue,” said letter-signer Msgr. Anthony S. Czarnecki, pastor of St. Joseph Basilica in Webster.
Youth must be taught that there is a time for everything, and that no one thing should be overdone, he said. He said they need to spend time with their families and form their identity from Church teaching and participation in Sunday liturgy. If people are not exposed to the Gospel, the toxic culture forms them, he said.
Pastors speak with one voice to local authorities, and are responsible for informing their own congregations, he said. He said he planned to display the letter in church and the parish bulletin and talk about it at Masses and with parents from the basilica’s school.
Father Veronis said he is sending the letter to coaches and people in charge of sports leagues.
“Whether the leagues will listen to us or not, it can encourage the parents who are struggling with this,” he said. They’ll know they are not alone.
“I’m trying to offer a witness to my children” – about standing up for their beliefs, he said.
He said he informed his
son’s basketball coach that he hoped nothing would be scheduled for Sunday
mornings, and the coach said games would not be held then.
The priest said he also received positive responses from parents who, like him,
have children at St. Anne Elementary, one of the Catholic schools in Webster.
Stories were published in area newspapers and Father Veronis said an interview with him was to be aired on Charter TV, Channel 3 this past week.
Father Michael J. Roy, pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish, and Father Paul F. Campbell, pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Dudley, told the ecumenical clergy group they too had talked about the Sunday morning scheduling problem, Father Veronis said.
“We were glad,” he said. “The Catholic Church makes it a little more difficult for the rest of us” by offering Masses Saturday evenings as well as Sunday mornings.
Fathers Roy and Campbell approached area Catholic priests about signing the letter and other members of the ecumenical group contacted other clergy, Father Veronis said.
He said he read the letter at church and preached about it in his children’s sermon by telling the story depicted in the movie “Chariots of Fire.” The story is of Eric Liddell, who forfeited a possible medal by refusing to run the 100-meter race on Sunday in the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris. He won a gold medal and broke a world record in the 400-meter race, and won a bronze medal in the 200-meter race.
Msgr. Louis R. Piermarini, pastor of St. Roch Parish in Oxford, said he spoke about the letter at Masses.
“I decided it’s so important I’m going to haunt them every week,” he said of his parishioners. “It’s not just about church, but about family.”
Another letter-signer, Father Joseph F. Szwach, pastor of St. Andrew Bobola Parish in Dudley, said he is in full agreement and would display the letter.
“We’re certainly going to disseminate it,” said Father Joseph A. Marcotte, pastor of St. Louis Parish in Webster.
Father Veronis said the clergy group did not agree to a proposal to have laity sign the letter, but he will bring that up again.