The following address was delivered by Fr. Jim Flynn at the St. William 100th Anniversary Celebration on October 20, 2001:
It's great to be here tonight with all of you — and to be part of your 100th Anniversary — and doesn't hurt either to be greeted with lots of hugs. Only trouble is: I'll have to take my suit to the cleaners to get the make-up off. Small price to pay, though!
When Ann Walter and Shannon Queenan first mentioned this to me over a year ago I felt excited and honored. So, I think we ought to give ourselves a huge round of applause....
So, my congratulations to all of you for carrying the torch of a very unique parish so faithfully for so many years. I'm afraid to try to mention names of all the saints from this parish — lest I miss someone. But of course, who of us couldn't miss singling out some saints from recent years — some of whom are still living: O'Connor, Wright, Butler, Fox, Ridge, Wimberg, Leitner, Wooldridge, Riegel, Driscoll, Grenough, Hyland, Heavrin, Bricking — the litany of saints could go on and on.
I hold 8 of your 100 years as some of the most significant years of my life. I remember June of 1982 when Joe Herp was reassigned, and I was asked to come to St. William. I had been a wandering cleric in search of some parish where I would fit.
But when they asked me about St. William I jumped at the chance knowing your unique history of social concerns, both local and global.
One day shortly after arriving, I remember walking into the office and being greeted by Jim Butler — he was always early. The evening before both Jim and I had been at our Parish Council meeting where the Council approved the budget for 1982-83 -$45,000.00.
So Jim greeted me: "Hey, Jim, did you hear about St. Louis Bertrand Parish? They're spending $45,000.00 to build a sidewalk in front of the church".
Jim, Verna Kolb, other members of the Parish Council and many of you as well knew that the Neighborhood Center crammed in back of the church building served so many of the local needy folks. A lot of them were located in St. Louis Bertrand Parish — and many of them referred to our Neighborhood Center by that parish.
With that news in my craw, I couldn't help but remember some church politics I had heard for a long time. Would you like to hear some juicy stuff?
As I understand, in 1901 St. William was established by Bishop McCloskey because he had gotten miffed about something or other at that Dominican parish at 6th and St. Catherine Streets. I don't know what it was, but he was going to do something about THEM!
So, he decided to pen them in geographically. He'd surround it with parishes like St. William. That would fix those Dominicans!
McCloskey must have felt that if he let those Dominicans loose they'd take over the whole Diocese. Kind of prophetic, wasn't it? Sure enough 100 years later Louisville would have a Dominican as the Archbishop.
So this all makes me wonder: was St. William founded as an "in your face" parish, you Dominicans? A "spite parish"? "On the fringe" parish? A parish on the margins?
But thanks be to God the church is bigger than church politics and its maneuverings. 100 years from 1901, a spirit bigger than church politics has lifted you high.
Wouldn't you really be a "spite parish" in spite of church politics? Do church politics hem you in? Haven't you found your mission beyond geography? And isn't your mission both local and global? Do I hear you answering YES to all that???
I have something else to add to your 100 years of being a "spite" parish. Was it just coincidence that St. William was founded in 1901 as a "spite" parish, a parish on the margins, at the edges? Let me connect some dots here with some other things that were happening in the global church.
1901 was only one year in a series of eventful years that share the number "1" in your history. There is something else significant about the number "1" in 1901. If St. William was established as a "spite" parish, it served an industrialized neighborhood of workers of German and Irish ancestry who could be easily exploited for their cheap labor.
The Holy Spirit was at work in west-central Louisville. This parish was a sacrament in the midst of a working class neighborhood. It served the dignity of workers and the growing gift of the presence of African Americans in the community. St. William was a sign of contradiction to rampant capitalism, and you championed a family living wage for workers and their right to share in the fruits of their labor.
Though they may not have known it overtly, St. William parishioners were responding to a prophetic encyclical of 1891 from Pope Leo Xlii "On the Condition of Workers". Parishioners may not have known the words of that document — and most people don't.
But St. William parishioners were living it back in 1901 — which is far more important than knowing the weighty words of officialdom.
Then 40 years later, in 1931 — another number "1" — during the Great Depression, Pius XI reinforced that 1891 Encyclical of Leo XIII.
I don't know how St. William parishioners of 1931 responded, but my suspicions are that they were pretty much like most other Catholics: great statements on paper about social justice, but teachings that never reached the pews.
But again my suspicions are that working families of St. William were living and actively DOING what that document was saying. 1891-1901-1931.
Other numbers "1" were playing with St. William folks — without being aware of it. In 1961 Pope John XXIII offered us Mater et Magistra — Mother and Teacher. Pope John asked the entire world to promote justice between rich and poor nations. This was a simple step for St. William parishioners to take, because for you, local and global concerns were intertwined — two sides, same coin.
John's "Mother and Teacher" of 1961 condemned the immoral expenditure of resources on weapons of war and of mass destruction. The seeds of St. William declaring itself a "Nuclear Free Zone" and a commitment to non-violence were being sown.
In the ‘60s social justice documents like "Peace on Earth" of Pope John, and the teachings of Vatican II were taking flesh at St. William.
You put flesh on those teachings when you participated in the civil rights movements of the ‘60s. For the Catholic Church of Louisville, St. William parishioners were in the front lines of demonstrations — many times night after night in the summers.
The same was true for your participation in the anti-Vietnam War demonstrations. These actions on behalf of justice branded you as "that radical parish", "that group of crazies at 13th and Oak", "those commies DOWN there!" --- LET'S HEAR IT FOR THE CRAZIES AT 13th & OAK!
Yet another number "1" comes up when you were 70 years old. In 1971 a Synod of Bishops from all over the world produced a marvelous challenge to Catholics. It was titled "Justice in the World". That statement condemned the injustices of domination, the exploitation of humans and of natural resources, a lack of respect for the human rights of people of color, oppression and abuse of power in the hands of a few — among other things.
These injustices had already been your concerns here on the ground — locally and globally.
One particular statement from the 1971 "Justice in the World" was and still is being fleshed out in your community: "Action on behalf of justice is constitutive of the Gospel" — CONSTITUTIVE, not just a nice additive.
A parallel statement from the U.S. Bishops in 1968 was and still is being fleshed out in your community. "Good liturgy fosters and nourishes faith. Poor liturgy weakens and destroys it". You have consistently struggled to bring good liturgy to this community.
All the way back to the ‘60s, you at St. William saw the vital link between good liturgy and its parallel demand for social justice. We cannot have one without the other: liturgy and social action go hand in hand — same coin, 2 sides.
In the ‘70s you were DOING liturgy and social action. It was during those years that you established New Directions and the Neighborhood Center. You protested the Vietnam war, you lobbied for legislation for the poor and needy, you participated in Open Housing and Civil Rights marches, and School Desegregation Issues.
Those actions were simmering here since 1901, knowingly or not. And they sprang from your understanding of social action as constitutive of the Gospel — all of which was celebrated in your Liturgies.
So it was quite easy for you in 1982 to declare your church property — and your individual lives — to be a Nuclear Free Zone. That's why so many of you participated that year in the 1 million person march in New York against nuclear weapons and for a nuclear freeze. And that's why so many of you have been connected with Ground Zero, and with the Nevada Desert Experience.
One thing becomes obvious: your enduring persistence in so many areas of social concern. ---- For all that, let's give ourselves another round of applause.
So: are some of you wondering if I'll get to another one of St. William's most daring ventures? Don't hold me back, please. The most life-changing event of my life happened in 1982 and ‘83. Some of you remember, don't you?
It was a venture that could only happen at St. William — no other church could have done what you did! I am thinking here of the 9 pregnant months between March and December 10, 1983. Those were the months when St. William Community discerned and decided to join an infant movement with the ancient name "Sanctuary".
With Sanctuary you welcomed political refugees fleeing horrible violence and massacres in El Salvador and Guatemala. The Reagan Administration branded thousands of Salvadorans and Guatemalans crossing the Rio Grande as "economic refugees". All the rest of the world knew that they were political refugees.
I have vivid memories of those days of 1983, ‘84, ‘85 and ‘86. Perhaps 100 people from El Salvador and Guatemala passed through our doors. We heard unbelievable stories of horror and death-squad massacres that were almost identical from each refugee.
But of course, your daring-do in declaring St. William a "Sanctuary Parish" unloosed countless blessings from God when our first refugees from El Salvador arrived.
Carolina (7 months pregnant with Patricia). Manuel and 2 year old Mara stole our hearts. And in my own spiritual, political and life-journey, those beautiful people tipped the scales of my life in profound ways. These Salvadorans and the many others who came here in Sanctuary were God-sends to all of us.
So much were they God-sends to me that within a year I found myself going to Nicaragua for the first time — with several other members of St. William.
You here at St. William were the real God-sends to me in those years, because if it had not been for you allowing me to go to Central America, I don't know what direction my life's journey would have taken.
All I know is that I am still extremely grateful to you for your willingness to launch me into the wonderful world of Latin America.
The beautiful and remarkable thing about our Sanctuary experience is simply this: it was only one item in a long list of social justice issues you have faced for 100 years. Your social justice concerns brought you the welcome title "radical" — simply because of the un-Christian way too many churches have locked up their faith inside their buildings — and locked out the blessings of God.
Your long list of social justice concerns shows the way for what a Catholic Parish can be. For many people you are still a "spite parish" — after 100 years. You're still championing the dignity of all people regardless of background, race, origin or sexual orientation — there's plenty good room for all God's people in your midst.
Which prompts me to ask: Why isn't every parish a Nuclear Free Zone? Why isn't every parish inclusive? Why isn't every parish a Sanctuary Parish? Why doesn't every parish have a New Directions, or a Neighborhood Center, or a CrossRoads? Why isn't every parish a Peace Covenant Parish? Why don't members of every parish sing and praise the Lord with equal vigor on Sunday as members of this parish do?
Maybe it takes 100 years! Maybe it takes more than 100 years! For God 100 years is nothing — and God will wait. But humans can't, shouldn't, won't wait for 100 years! Few of us have 100 years.
I have to add one other number "1" to the list of"1s." In 1971 Dick Fowler and I started a parish that some called "St. William East". We chose the name "Epiphany" for many reasons.
For us Epiphany was built on the same two pillars that you had been living under for 70 years — since 1901. Those two pillars were what St. William was noted for: your unwavering concern for social justice and good liturgy.
As it turned out we planted Epiphany — a "St. William East" — right in the heartland of suburbia U.S.A. Like St. William in the heart of the city, Epiphany was in the heart of suburbia to challenge the givens about which pillars a parish should have: social justice and good liturgy — or a school and sports.
And finally, how can I not indulge in one more number "1 "? It's the number 9-1-1 — a number that rings many a bell for all of us.
Tonight I want to be a cheerleader saluting you as having been faithful for 100 years to the Gospel of Social Justice — for 100 years of providing a place for good liturgy — for 100 years of welcoming so many people who might otherwise have no church refuge — all since 1901.
Hold your banner high. You stand on the shoulders of so many saints who've gone before you. At the same time look deeply into the present signs of the times, because after 100 years your work has just begun. May what God has begun in you be brought to completion in the coming 100 years.
And in 2101 when they gather for the 200th anniversary, may those St. William parishioners remember you here tonight whose shoulders they'll be standing on.