This is the OP making his third posting.
Someone came on here and changed the direction of the OP to a complaint about too much work, but I never complained about too much work. The parishioners in the Sanford chapel are by far the most generous people I have ever known, the work they’ve done in the last 15 years building that place is mind boggling for such a small congregation. The priory was 2000 square foot house, and recently they paid well over $600,000 to make a 2000 square foot addition to the priory. That’s a 4000 sq ft home (in Florida!) for 6 men! Theirs is no way you could call the parishioners anything but astronomical generous. The writer has contributed as much as the most generous.
The reason for my posting was to tell the prior that honey attracts more bees than vinegar. All I here every week in sermons is hateful insults to the parishioners. That is not going to get good results.
Here’s an example, the prior was complaining that no one from Sanford has signed up for the retreat, and he called them cowards and lovers of a comfort life in air condition, among other insults. That is what I call vitriol.
Here is what should have been said instead, very few people from Sanford have signed up for the Ignatian Retreats, please do not wait till the last minute to sign up, as we need to prepare the lodging and food and other preparations. For those of you who do not know what an Ignatian Retreat is, it is this……….. (explain its history, and every detail , like why it is a silent retreat etc. and the reason why it is vital for a take the time off from the world). Explain how they have beautiful retreat houses in Los Gatos California and Ridgefield Connecticut, that of course our facilities in Sanford do not compare, but we have made them available for those that can’t afford the travel expenses. Our meals in Sanford though are far superior to Los Gatos and Ridgefield!
I hope the prior can see the difference between the two methods and learns to refrain from using vinegar in the future.