I liked your post yesterday about showboating. When I think about what we have endured at OLA, "Showboating" is a rather gracious description. While showboating may seem harmless, as many a sea goer knows, an overexposure to the sea can make one sick. I draw your attention to OLA's Crusader Award. In 2008, the school started to throw an annual Gala in support of the school. This is a fundraising dinner, with live auction, where a member of the community was honored for their commitment to the school, by volunteer work, or otherwise. For the very first year the school chose to honor, not one of the many hardworking volunteers, or hardworking teachers, or staff - but the school chose to honor Fr. Phillips himself.
One question that comes to mind is, why did Fr. Phillips accept this award? From my way of thinking, a good leader leads by example, but he does not hold himself up as the example -- unless you are one who practices the delicate art of "showboating". A better question, however, is why those on the selection committee felt they had to choose Fr. Phillips as the first recipient of this award. I tell you, from "Good Sheep Sunday", to the annual commemoration of his ordination, the climate at OLA is one in which, if you are going to have an award like the Crusader award - you wouldn't dare not honoring Fr. Phillips first, for he is the supreme example.For the third year, Deacon Orr was honored. According to the Crusader Times of October 12, 2010,
The Atonement Academy’s 3rd annual gala and auction fundraiser was this past Saturday, and approximately 200 participants enjoyed a lively auction and elegant dinner followed by the presentation of the annual Crusader Award to Deacon James Orr, a co-founder of our school. Headmaster Ralph Johnston and Atonement pastor Father Phillips recognized Deacon Orr’s many accomplishments, and alumna Casandra Treviño paid tribute to Deacon Orr in her own words as well as by Deacon Orr Honored at 3rd Annual Gala Deacon James Orr was the deserving — and grateful— recipient of the annual Crusader Award. reading a letter from her brother, alumnus Alex Treviño. . . .[During the recent OLA controversy, visitors brought to my attention the numerous instances, some published at the time, of questionable conduct by Dcn Orr with young boys. A father told me about a specific complaint he made to Fr Phillips about Orr kissing his son on the mouth. The father reported to me that Fr Phillips discounted this as the "kiss of peace", and told the father he should basically get over it. However, kissing on the mouth is now specifically proscribed in the OCSP Safe Environment Code of Conduct. That Orr should be rewarded in this way suggests Fr Phillips was at best lax in supervising Orr.]
In 2015, Fr. Stravinskas was honored for his seafaring skill.
To me, this inward looking disposition reminds me of Luke 9:46-48:
An argument started among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. 47 Jesus, knowing their thoughts, took a little child and had him stand beside him. 48 Then he said to them, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For it is the one who is least among you all who is the greatest.”
This brings to mind a question that I've pondered now and then: Our Lady of the Atonement, thought to be now the biggest OCSP parish, is small by diocesan Catholic standards. Yet it's acknowledged that a significant proportion of its membership has always been cradle Catholics. This suggests that liturgical observance, a music program, and a good school can have appeal beyond Anglican converts. Our parish in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles has apparently been very successful -- much bigger than OLA -- for nearly 100 years, stressing liturgical observance, a music program, and two good schools. In changing demographics, the appeal continues. It's not just Anglicans who want these things.
Why hasn't OLA, or indeed any OCSP parish, had equivalent success with diocesan Catholics? Our own parish suggests the ingredients are actually there.
