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The prior reflection mentioned about eighty “characteristics” that people used when they described Fr. Ron Lewinski in their remembrances. I noted I think Lewinski’s actions and impact--not just the characteristics--are the things worth noting about his life (or anyone’s). Impact results from action, and the concept of ‘action’ implies some kind of ‘relationship.’
As one would expect for someone like Lewinski, he had many relationships. Naming them soon invokes echoes of our own lives. For him, they included: Associate Pastor, Author, Board President, Brother, Classmate, Client, Co-Director, Consultant, Cousin, Dean, Director, Disciple, Dreamer, Father, Friend, Leader, Learner, Liturgist, Manager, Mentor, Pastor, Peer, Preacher, Priest, Son, Speaker, Stranger, Student, Teacher, Uncle, Visionary.
“Remembering Ron Lewinski” would not exist without the contributions of many individuals who had a relationship with Lewinski. Each contributor’s content, in its own chapter, includes observations I think warrant some degree of contemplation. The many people who have offered to share their perspectives of Fr. Ron should be acknowledged for their generosity. There are commonalities to be recognized, but the differences should be equally valued.
Contributors include family and friends of Lewinski, parishioners and former parishioners, the current and past Rectors of the seminary he attended and later taught at, former instructors and work associates, fellow clergy from the U.S. and Europe, the architect of the ‘new’ church (2002) at St. Mary’s, fellow directors of liturgy offices, and the Archbishops of Chicago and Washington, D.C. The youngest contributor was in his early twenties when he met Lewinski. The oldest will celebrate her first century of life in a few weeks.
The book has no page numbers or index. Instead, a Concordance lists topics the contributors mention. I show some of those below.
68’s | ACTA Foundation | Advent for Women | Affirmation | Africa | Altar boy | Australia | Austria | Baptism | Belize | Boycott | Buddhism | Built of Living Stones | Canon Law | Cardinal Bernardin | Cardinal Cody | Cardinal Cupich | Cardinal George | Change | Chaplain of the U.S. Congress | Chicago Blackhawks | Church Fathers | Contextual Architecture | Convert | Curia | Dialogue | Diantha Hall | Discipleship | Docent | Easter | Ecclesiology | Ecumenical | Emmaus Drive | Epiphanies | Eucharist | Eucharistic Chapel | Evangelize | Farnsworth House | First Eucharist | France | Frassati Academy | Fundraising | Germany | Gethsemani | Glory in the Cross | Good shepherd | Greece | Healing Mass | History | Holy Land | Holy Name Cathedral | Holy Spirit | Immersion | Indonesia | Islamic | Italy | Jewish | Kansas | Liturgical | Liturgy of the Hours | Liturgy Training Publications | Loyola University | Malaysia | Mandela, Nelson | Marquette University | Men of St. Joseph | Merton, Thomas | Meyer Center | Mission | Mundelein Seminary | Notre Dame University | Office for Divine Worship | Office of Mission & Vitality | Organ | Parish (Pastoral) Council | Parish Transformation | Patrology/Patristics | Poland | Pope | Pork and Corn Roast | Protestant | Pullman | Quigley Preparatory | RCIA | Religious Education Program | Renew My Church | Retreat | Roman Canon | Roman Rite | Russian Orthodox church | Sabbatical | Sacramental theology | Sacraments | Sacrosanctum Concilium | Sanctuary | Saudi Arabia | School Board | Scripture | Servant Leadership | Shepherd | Spirituality | SPRED | Stations of the Cross | Steeple | Swimming | Switzerland | Tabernacle | Tapestry | Thailand | The Pivotal Pastor | Town Hall | Triduum | United Arab Emirates | USCCB | Vatican II | Washing feet | Woodstock generation | Workshop | Zulu
Perhaps some of these topics catch your attention. One that did for me was “boycott,” which relates to “a rebellion in the seminary that no one knew about” according to the contributor who shared it with me. Lewinski was there. The changes he experienced at that time impacted his life and consequently, the lives of thousands in turn.
An “action” doesn’t have to be very noticeable to have an effect. It is rarely as obvious as a bolt of lightning. Its impact is also likely to be unforeseen at the time of the action. In the remembrances, one example of an impact is someone’s decision to convert to Catholicism. The action was experiencing Holy Week and Easter in the manner that Lewinski conducted services. This contributor, from a strong Protestant family, had resisted the idea of conversion for a long time. Lewinski's first Holy Week at the parish changed that.
Another action of Lewinski’s was recommending the organization SPRED to parents of a young child with special needs. The family experienced the beneficial impact during subsequent years including when the child, as a teenager, proudly performed as a lector during Mass.
Another contributor noted they wouldn’t be the person they are today if it wasn’t for Lewinski’s mentoring and his faith in their capabilities. As a staff member, this person, too, in turn impacted the lives of hundreds of children.
One can attempt to dismiss such actions/impacts as examples of the butterfly effect—something too insignificant to warrant any attention. While these examples come from people who had a relationship with Lewinski, the principles apply equally to all our lives: small actions matter in a world where everything is connected.
In my next installment, I’ll wrap up these reflections and share how you can get a copy of “Remembering Ron Lewinski.” Meanwhile, since the book has only one photo, you may enjoy browsing these related images.
Send me your comments/questions.
READ MORE ABOUT 'REMEMBERING RON LEWINSKI'
This is one in a series of installments by the editor about the book, Remembering Ron Lewinski.
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