Connections Fall/Winter 2010 (PDF) - Sisters of St. Joseph of ...

Sister Kate Regan, CSJ
Building A place
to call home
Sister Kate Regan, CSJ shuffles
through the sawdust and scaffolding,
looking at plans and picking out
paint colors for the future St. Matthew’s
Mission Church. “It’s so rewarding to
see the people finally having a church
home,” she says.
Ten years ago Regan arrived in
Ripley to serve as pastoral coordinator
of a parish without a church building
and without a parish priest. Over the
years the few area Catholics found
themselves worshipping in some of the
most unusual places, including a Pizza
Hut, a theater and motel restaurant. But
as the only Catholic church in the entire
county, the faithful persevered.
When an influx of Hispanic
immigrants came to Ripley for factory
work, they brought with them their deep
Catholic spirituality. Faced with the limitations
of space, the challenge of culture
and an abundance of opportunity, Regan
embarked on a journey to build a vibrant
and welcoming parish community.
Today the nearly 300 parishioners
worship in an old drug store. The Spirit
is there, but the space is lacking for
the wide variety of activities including
Masses in English and Spanish, parish
missions, religious education, community
celebrations and family gatherings.
“We have to do everything in this one
room,” Regan describes. “We really have
to work hard to readjust.”
The parishioners are getting
ready for another readjustment this
September—their final move to a brand
new church and parish center. Years
of endless fundraisers and mission
grants helped them acquire the 14-acre
property, but the building itself was
made possible by a donor trust through
the Glenmary Home Missions.
Regan is thrilled to see these faithfilled
people blessed with a building that
Sister Kate Regan, CSJ and Sigifredo Bonilla look over the plans for the
new St. Matthew’s Church and Parish Center opening in September.
“We’re going to be very busy with the finishing touches,” Regan says.
“It’s not just a church but
a place to continue to grow
as a community and to
have a sense of identity
and dignity.”
~Sister Kate Regan, CSJ
represents more than
just bricks and mortar.
“It’s not just a church
but a place to continue
to grow as a community
and to have a
sense of identity and
dignity.”
As a minority parish
without a church,
it has been a struggle
for the parishioners
to find their identity,
but Regan has given them a sense of
pride by honoring their faith traditions
and promoting their presence in the
community. “Other churches might
take that away from them, but we must
respect their culture,” she says.
Regan partners with pastoral
assistant, Sigifredo Bonilla, to help
make these cultural connections.
“It’s been a gift for me to work with
him,” she says. “His pastoral insights
are so invaluable.”
The paint has yet to dry at the
new facility, but Regan and Bonilla are
already thinking about the possibilities
for retreats, youth programs, activities
for young families and even setting up a
language lab. More importantly, they are
excited to empower the parishioners to
lead their church into the future.
After years of focusing on fundraising,
Regan is eager to see the people
embrace the responsibility of organizing,
planning and programming.
“Our parish mission in November
is on conversion and we are hoping that
there will be a real conversation around
how we are to be a church community,”
Regan says.
“The church building is a gift…the
rest is up to us!”y
The St. Matthew’s
parishioners walk
the Way of the Cross.
“The Hispanic spirituality
is really about the
sacraments coming to
life,” says Bonilla.
Co n n e c t i o n s • Fa l l/Wi n t e r 2010
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