It was a snowy day, the morning of Sunday, December 14, when Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez traveled beyond the Philadelphia Archdiocese to arrive at Saint Margaret of Antioch Church in Narberth.

The occasion on the Third Sunday of Advent was to celebrate what is called the “Closing Mass” in order to mark a full year’s commemoration of the 125 years in the life of the parish.

The first reading, Isaiah 35:1-6a, 10, set the tone of what was to come:

“The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus; it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy and singing.

The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God.

Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who have an anxious heart, ‘Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.’

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.

And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”

This day in the Saint Margaret of Antioch Parish was for rejoicing and celebrating God’s love and encouragement of spiritual industry.

So, it happened that Archbishop Pérez in his naturalistic manner introduced a reflection from Pope Francis concerning the true nature of a parish, so fitting during this 125th year since the start of Saint Margaret Parish.

“A community of communities”: A Parish that is inclusive, evangelising and attentive to the poor (Holy See Press Office, Instruction “The pastoral conversion of the Parish community in the service of the evangelising mission of the Church,” of the Congregation for the Clergy, Section V, 27-29, 20.07.2020)

“27. The subject of the missionary and evangelising action of the Church is always the People of God as a whole. The Code of Canon Law emphasises that the Parish is not identified as a building or a series of structures, but rather as a specific community of the faithful, where the Parish Priest is the proper pastor.

“Pope Francis recalled that ‘the parish is the presence of the Church in a given territory, an environment for hearing God’s word, for growth in the Christian life, for dialogue, proclamation, charitable outreach, worship and celebration,’ and affirmed that it is ‘a community of communities.’

“28. The various components that make up the Parish are called to communion and unity. When each part recognises its complementary role in service of the community, on the one hand, we see the fulfilment of the collaborative ministry of the Parish Priest with his Assistant Priests, while on the other hand, we see how the various charisms of deacons, consecrated men and women and the laity, cooperate in building up the singular body of Christ (cf. 1 Co 12:12).

“29. The Parish is a community gathered together by the Holy Spirit to announce the Word of God and bring new children of God to birth in the baptismal font.

“Assembled by the pastor, the Parish celebrates the memorial of the passion, death and resurrection of the Lord, bearing witness to faith in charity, living in a permanent state of mission, whilst ensuring that no one is excluded from the salvific, life-giving message.

“Pope Francis expressed it thus: ‘The parish is not an outdated institution; precisely because it possesses great flexibility, it can assume quite different contours depending on the openness and missionary creativity of the pastor and the community.’

“While certainly not the only institution which evangelises, if the parish proves capable of self-renewal and constant adaptability, it continues to be ‘the Church living in the midst of the homes of her sons and daughters.’

“This presumes that it really is in contact with the homes and the lives of its people, and does not become a useless structure out of touch with people or a self-absorbed group made up of a chosen few.

“We must admit, though, that the call to review and renew our parishes has not yet sufficed to bring them nearer to people, to make them environments of living communion and participation, and to make them completely mission-oriented.”

The words of Pope Francis serve as an invitation and exhortation especially to Pastor Monsignor V. Paul Dougherty, Reverend Christopher Moriconi, and Deacon Reverend Mr. Christopher DeMaio and the members of the Saint Margaret of Antioch Parish today and into the future.

Saint Margaret Parishioner Mary Brown, Main Line Media News columnist, teaches Latin at Saint Joseph’s University and is President of the Philadelphia Classical Society and Executive Director of the Classical Association of the Atlantic States.