Sunday, February 25, 2024
I only found out about Father Gregory's passing today. I was thinking about him and Googled him to see what parish he was working in. He was a wonderful man and priest. I met him while attending St. Francis Xavier in Park Slope. I was Lutheran at the time, but I eventually converted to Catholicism. While attending RCIA classes, I met with Father Gregory several times to voice some concerns I had over Catholicism in general. He was gracious and compassionate and kind. I remember he said to me, after I voiced my disagreements with a few basic Catholic tenants, "If we turned away everyone who had a beef with the Catholic church, we would have no members." It was his honesty and humor that made me feel welcome and safe and convinced me it was the right choice. I also remember thinking as we sat talking, "This is truly a man of God sitting before me." I had been raised in the Lutheran church and had had many conversions with clergymen prior to meeting with Father Greg, but his vibe was different. He was comfortable in his own skin and clearly devoted to God. I lived down the street from St. Francis Xavier's, and I would often see him watering the church gardens. He kept them up beautifully. One last memory: When Father Greg was called away from St. Francis Xavier's to go to another parish, the congregation was devastated. We knew he was irreplaceable. Months later, I was enrolled in a jazz vocal class, and my classmate was giving me a ride home. She lived further out in Brooklyn, and I was on her way. We chatted about the various Brooklyn neighborhoods, and she began to tell me about a church that her friend attended. She said they had recently gotten a new priest and that he was just marvelous. She said her friend ranted and raved about how lucky the congregation felt. On a hunch, I asked what the priest's name was, and of course, it was Father Gregory Stankus. Thank you Father Greg, you changed my life and the lives of so many others. Thank you for watering our seeds and helping us to grow. I hope you are joking with the angels. ❤️
