Stein hopes to heal isle parish through compassion

Since ancient times, the church has been noted for its powerful preachers, strong leaders and even its miracle workers. But perhaps what a parish needs most is a really good listener.

The Rev. E.J. Stein intends to be that man. As the second head of the relatively new Holy Family Parish, which encompasses the Catholics of Galveston Island and Bolivar Peninsula, his door is open and his intent is anything but autocratic.

“I tend to do a lot of listening,” he said. “A pastor can’t lead the faith, worship or service of the parishioners if their hopes, dreams, ideas, disappointments, complaints, gifts, talents aren’t heard and enabled to work together under the guidance of the Word of God.”

Raised in Ohio and Indiana, Eugene John Stein grew up in a monolingual setting, but he’s now working overtime to learn Spanish.

“And how could a little boy growing up in Fort Wayne, Ind., ever have imagined he would someday be living in Texas?” he said. “It is my goal to learn Spanish and about the Hispanic culture. Our parish population has many with Spanish as their primary tongue. And I believe they should have a pastor they can communicate with.”

Every Christian calling traditionally demands a sacrifice. Stein’s predecessor and fellow Franciscan friar, the Rev. John Bok, said Stein loves hiking in the mountains — thus his posting to Galveston two years ago represents either a bit of divine whimsy or a sacrifice of sorts.

Though Stein does not complain about his workload, he is open to those who might be unhappy with the post-Hurricane Ike state of Catholic congregations local.

He has parishioners who might be avoiding Mass and who might continue to be distressed about the church closings after the hurricane brought.

“I have experienced that a lot of listening goes a long way in ministry toward healing and developing relationships,” he said. “Catholics who may be having these experiences will find a listening ear if they ever want to talk with me.”

Though some might see discord, Stein prefers to focus on the harmonies he finds. Likening the church to a symphonic orchestra, he said he is seeking a brighter post-Ike future for Holy Family.

Specifically, he plans to improve parochial schooling and, if possible, to build a new parish center on the island. The parish is based at St. Patrick Catholic Church, 1010 35th St., in Galveston.

“The conductor listens to the gifts and abilities of the various musicians and leads them to play the music together according to their gifts and talents,” he said. “Every musician is important because each one makes the music that much better.”

His vision isn’t limited to area Catholics. Having worked with other faiths to minister to the poorest part of Cincinnati, Stein said he believes in creative cooperation with other pastors.

“I also believe that our parish relationship with other faith traditions is important,” he said. “I have experienced firsthand how faith traditions praying and working together can have such a positive influence on the health and happiness of the wider civic community.”