Vaya con Dios

Just lost the best sexton we ever had and also probably the best associate priest, so the past few days of monsoonal weather have been particularly appropriate and even convenient for hiding a few tears. It was just one of those Palm Sunday things that seem to happen every year. Someone had joked the week before that we could create our own High Church version of Halloween and call it Palm Sunday. Tensions rise at the vast and mighty acts of Holy Week and tempers are short to nonexistent. This Holy Week was going to be fine, I had felt the week before. Things seemed to be on an even keel in the sacristy and the only incoming fire was from some crotchety parishioner (let me guess) who had made it into the vestry minutes complaining about my candlestick conversion. I was in a good mood as I arrived for Palm Sunday and even looked forward to the procession from the Soldiers and Sailors Monument with the Methodists even though it was a bit nippy and threatened to rain at any moment. But outside the West End door I beheld Tex and the senior warden deep in serious conversation. I was late for my torchbearing duties so I didn't stop to inquire, but I never imagined it was the beginning of the end for our beloved sexton, hardly six months after he had begun working there.

The moment I walked into the sacristy I knew all was not well. It seems there had been a confrontation between the now former associate and the sexton after the 9:00 am service and a line was drawn in the sand about the handling of the acolyte duties by the sexton. It had been a problem getting a server for this service since we eliminated the 8:00am service and the faithful acolyte who had always done the opening of doors, lighting candles, setting up the elements, etc., had been unable to serve later than 8:00. Asking Tex to do it seemed like a good arrangement for both of us. Tex felt like he was a fulfilling the full duties of a sexton, which in many churches involves such duties as he was performing on Sunday morning. Then a few rude remarks, a general disrespect for his involvement in the service, and we have lost not only a sexton but an associate priest, the sexon quitting the next day, the priest leaving yesterday after Low Sunday High Mass.

Now some people are saying I am to blame for the priest getting asked to take a leave of absence for some anger management. I'm flattered you assume I have that kind of power, but in fact I was not one of those who voted unanimously to ask him to step away from the sacristy for awhile. I'm not even on the vestry this year, and the vestry is trumped by the power of the wardens during the Interim--hirings and firings are in their purview alone, in consultation with the Interim Pastor, Bishop and Deployment Canon, all of whom agreed that a time out needed to be taken. I will miss him also and I foresee that his absence will be a source of considerable conflict for us in the near future, but I believe it is the right thing for both parties at this time to take some time away. See the world, go with God.