PELHAM MANOR, N.Y. - Father Robert DeJulio just entered his eighth year as pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help church in Pelham Manor.
Q: What is your favorite aspect of Pelham?
A: There's a high level of community interest and involvement that is evident not only within the community but reaching out to others who are outside the community.
Q: What programs do you want to create at the church?
A: It's hard to say that because our facilities during the school year are used from early in the morning to nine at night. So we don't have the room or the space in the weekly calendar to make other things. So if we had a bigger plant, maybe we could modify things a bit.
Q: What thoughts or feelings do you want people to have when they leave your church?
A: I want them to be optimistic about their faith. I think the reason people come to church is to be uplifted, to get recharged for the week, to have their burdens lightened. And I think that if we can have them face the coming week a little less burdensome than when they came then our job is successful. (I want them) to feel the presence of God in their life and (know) they're part of a caring community.
Q: How do you go about bringing to church those people who no longer attend or who have never attended?
A: That's a real challenge. There are windows of opportunity when that happens (like) when people are here for, say, Christmas or Easter. If they can leave feeling welcome or part of the community, that's an initial step. It happens often at funerals when people who may have been away from the Church reassess their life. We need people to have an experience and that very often opens the door.
Q: Do you think you'll ever leave Pelham?
A: Every six years parishes are evaluated and pastors are given the opportunity to remain in place or to move to another parish, but ultimately it's the decision of the local bishop.
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