One of the aspects of parish life that I have enjoyed since I came to Saint Ambrose almost five years ago is our relationship with Cheverly United Methodist Church (CUMC). Pastor Saroj Sangha was one of the first community leaders that I contacted to introduce myself when I arrived in Cheverly. Since then, it has been a blessing to collaborate with her in ministering to the people in the Cheverly area. The fruits of the relationship between our church communities include shared bible studies, youth events, the annual Thanksgiving worship service, the combined Men’s Club, and in the way we mutually support each church’s social events.
The next collaborative event will be a Fish Fry on March 15th (see the separate notice in the bulletin for details). When I learned that CUMC was going to sponsor a fundraiser fish dinner on a Friday in Lent, I invited them to hold it here to complement our customary Lenten Soup and Stations. That means that the Fish Fry is sponsored by CUMC, but it will be held here at Saint Ambrose. The Stations of the Cross will also be led by members of CUMC. It will be a break from our soup and station routine, but I believe it is a welcome one.
There are several reasons why I invited CUMC to hold their Fish Fry here at Saint Ambrose. Our soup and stations has been very successful in the last few years in fostering fellowship and prayer for the people of Saint Ambrose. I thought it would be great to extend the circle of fellowship to our non-Catholic neighbors as well. Hospitality is so important whether it is among us “regulars” or to those who do not typically come to Saint Ambrose. The Fish Fry will be one more opportunity for us to cultivate harmony rather than competition among churches. Now let’s all support this event and see how well Methodists can cook fish.