[SuziQ]

RE: #9, being greeted by the Pastor, or the Associate, for that matter. Unless you are active in the Parish, and have occasion to see the Pastor and Associate frequently, why would you expect either of them to remember your name. Some priests and remember someone's name even after only meeting them once, but that's a very rare talent among human beings.

Inviting the Pastor or Associate over for dinner is another way to make sure he knows your name. We invited the new Associate to have Christmas dinner with us, and it was a fun evening. I told him don't even bother showing up at the house before 5pm, because nothing would be ready. He arrived around 5:30, and things STILL weren't ready, so I sat him down, gave him a glass of wine, and we just visited while I was finishing up the meal. He knew ALL our names after that visit! LOL!

[NYer]

Thank you for sharing that wonderful story! It sounds like he had a wonderful time, experiencing family life in the real world. God bless you for opening your home to the Associate Pastor to dinner.

Our pastor knows the names of all the parishioners and greets everyone who shows up on Sunday. However, our parish is very small - only 80 families - so in that regard, we are like some of the protestant churches.