When I first moved back to the Valley, I had the privilege and pleasure of attending Holy Spirit Catholic Church. That was back in June, 1994. I hadn't yet met Father Jerry Frank but he was definitely in my future. I have always had premonitions even lucid dreams of my future and Father Jerry came to me in a dream. In the dream, a man, a new incoming priest would be activating our community. He and I wouldn't always see eye to eye but he was going to be a great teacher...my teacher.
At the time, it was exactly what I was looking for. We had lived in Denver, Colorado, a progressive state where GREEN was being practiced long before it became an in word. We moved back to Texas taking a slow 10-year tour through Houston, Longview, and finally landing in San Antonio and nowhere was Green being practiced in the state of Texas. Now, we were headed for the Rio Grande Valley...????
I wasn't just looking for a environmental conscience community, I was looking for a well-rounded civic-minded conscientious community. So we landed in McAllen. Ralph and I dove in and became active in our daughter's schools, church and our community.
Father Jerry arrives.
Father Jerry introduced our church community to small church faith communities (CCFC). We would have small groups of about 5 -15 people meet in an individual's home. We would all take turns leading; one facilitator to keep us on task. We prayed, cried, and laughed, sharing our joys and our pains. It was a rough time and it was my small church community who saw me through so many of those low spots, kind of the way my Facebook community does for us now...at least my small FB family.
Many thought Father Jerry was way too political. I have to admit, his politics did make me uncomfortable. Yeah, he really was an advocate for voting in our community. Let's face it, voting is not popular. Back in 1994, out of the 160,059 registered, only 60,433 voted. He said with our vote we could change anything. Well, we hear that all the time...but do we know it.
Father Jerry was a man of action. He chose facilitators for CCFCs' and we began training. We learned about our one voice, one vote and how we could move mountains, literally. He asked us to write our dreams for our community. From that list we deleted, and tweaked the list until everyone was in agreement. The list was taken to homes, community and then our city. The Rio Grande Valley Interfaith joined or we joined them...(they made me uncomfortable). Before you knew it, everything on our agenda went through the process and it was put to a vote and well, what you see in McAllen is the result of that effort. And when the city almost took our money marked for our libraries for the north and south and wanted to give it to STC, well,...Father Jerry showed us how to make the powers that be stick to what we voted for.
He even thought about our church staff who work years and have nothing in the form of retirement to show for it. He unionized the church staff. That's where the church finally drew the line and stepped in, sent Father Jerry away to another parish and fired four dedicated employees. The rest is history.
He thought of the humblest of servants and stood up for us...the middle class of our church. The change that followed his departure almost ended our beautiful church community.
(Celia Munoz Bazziomani, Mission High School, Class of 1970 alumni, began fundraising for a orphanage called Casa Amparo in Reynosa during this time. It was through Holy Spirit Catholic Church that she connected Casa Amparo with our community. Celia would raise monies for the orphanage through her summer BBQ and Rummage Sale held in September along with help from our church and community. When Father Jerry was removed...Casa Amparo also suffered.)
I think back to that time. President Clinton was president. Our church kept telling us that it was a Jubilee year. Well, Jubilee means total celebration in my eyes...and it was. I really had jubilee in my heart. But when Father Jerry was gone, it wasn't a jubilee, anymore.
I ask myself, "Did I support Father Jerry? Did I help him? Did I criticize him? Did I thank him? Most importantly, did I pray for him? Did I pray for us?
After much thought, I came to the conclusion that I must not have prayed...
Obviously, I didn't....they took him away from Holy Spirit.
Thank you, Father Jerry Frank...
