(SNR) - Duties of a Catholic pastor have developed over time and across generations. For example, a pastor traveling the boundaries of the parish is not the priority task it may have been centuries ago.
Father Robert Barnhill, pastor of St. Wenceslaus in Wilber and St. Joseph in Tobias chose the pastoral task of traveling and imparting a pastoral blessing over the territory of his two parishes.
“Over the territory” of the parish boundaries is literal. With the help of parish member John Cox, a Sept. 19 flight plan took them on an 89-mile evening flight in parts of Gage, Saline, Lancaster and Fillmore counties.
Father Barnhill was appointed pastor of Wilber and Tobias parishes this past June.
“I traveled the parish boundaries of St. Wenceslaus, Wilber in August by vehicle,” he said. “I learned from the travel by vehicle that the road conditions, or lack of through roads, would not allow for a complete view of the parish boundaries.”
Cox serves in the ministry of acolyte at St. Wenceslaus in Wilber. He is also a physics teacher at St. Pius X High School in Lincoln.
“My idea of traveling the parish boundaries went to a new level when I approached John, a licensed pilot,” said Father Barnhill.
Since the 5th Century, prayers, fasting and processions were part of traveling the parish boundaries. For centuries, the “Rogation” days prior to planting and
“Ember” days prior to harvest have a long tradition where the pastor would travel the parish boundaries and impart his blessing upon the parish lands.
Related item: Parishes restore 'Ember Days' tradition
Most rural pastors have access to Nebraska County Plat Maps, Father Barnhill said. These detailed plat maps show the townships, the types of roads, the water tributaries and other facts related to landowners.
“On paper, the parish boundaries can be mapped in detail,” he said.
The Sept. 19 evening flight plan began with GPS mapping of the rural boundaries of the Wilber and Tobias parishes. With Cox at the controls following the flight plan, Father Barnhill carried out his pastoral plan to impart his priestly blessing using the sacramentals of the Church.
“First, we blessed John’s plane with holy water, at his request” said Father Barnhill. “I brought with me prepared prayers to recite throughout the flight.”
The prayers invoke the Holy Trinity, the Name of Jesus, the protection of St. Mary and St. Michael as well as the Litany of the Saints. Father Barnhill also recited Psalms 103 and 104 which are traditional verses used on Rogation Days.
T
he other sacramentals used by Father Barnhill were the sign of the cross and blessed salt. The personal blessing of a pastor over his territory boundaries has spiritual benefit for the parish. Blessed salt, sprinkled or used by the faithful, is another sacramental. Spiritual warfare has the tradition of using blessed salt.
“I went through a full box of blessed salt,” said Father Barnhill. “I held a salt shaker out the small plane window at each mile section to bless the land and those dwelling within the parish boundaries.”
Father Barnhill, a veteran and former chaplain of the Air National Guard, said traveling the boundaries by air reminded him of a military air reconnaissance mission.
“My prayers for the spiritual protection of Wilber and Tobias parishes give me consolation as the new pastor.” In the spiritual warfare battle, he added, the sacramental blessings of the Church are weapons in our favor.
