Priest goes distance to serve rural parishes

Previously, he had served as associate pastor at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Watervliet, his first assignment as a priest.

The transition from an urban to a rural setting within two years of his ordination has given him a unique perspective on parish life.

On the road

"Certainly, driving is a big factor in serving a rural parish," Father Frisoni told The Evangelist.

The 15- to 20-mile drives from site to site are becoming familiar to him as part of his normal routine.

"The churches here are scattered far apart," he observed. "As a priest, I have to not only make myself available but also be willing to go a great distance to serve the Catholics in these locations."

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While driving, he uses his car "as an opportunity for some much needed quiet time."

"The Rosary is a great prayer to pray while driving as it is repetitive and allows you to keep your concentration where it needs to be," Father Frisoni noted. "The Divine Mercy meditation is the same. I have found both of these prayers very relaxing. They give me time to think about things.

"They also let God speak to me in ways that I would not otherwise have time to listen to. I'm using this time to my spiritual advantage."

Distance markers

Another change between rural and urban settings is the lack of nearby stores for shopping.

"The shopping malls and big department stores are far away from Delhi and Walton," Father Frisoni said. "I was used to just driving a short distance to go shopping when I lived in Watervliet. Now shopping requires planning."

The closest big cities -- Binghamton and Scranton -- are closer to Walton than his hometown of Schenectady.

"For a day away, I usually go to these cities," he said. "I have priest-friends in Syracuse, and I frequently go there. I find it very refreshing to go to cities other than those I'm used to. It gives me a different perspective."

Power outages

Recalling last summer's flooding in the area, Father Frisoni said that he has learned that, during power outages, telephone communication becomes non-existent.

Recently, he noted, "we had a heavy thunderstorm roll through here, and some electric lines were affected. When the power goes out, so does the telephone service because the communities here do not have generator backup. It's a fact of life around here."

While "living in a rural section of the state does take some getting used to," he loves the quiet of the country, and the friendliness and warmth of the people.

"Our parishes are comprised of life-long residents as well as people from the downstate metro area who have moved here in retirement," he explained. "They are people who are most kind and who have warmly welcomed me as their new administrator. I've felt at home since I arrived. The people are happy, healthy and holy."

(Says Father Frisoni: "It doesn't matter if I am in an urban or a rural setting. I look at both as wonderful opportunities to be able to minister to God's people." Unlike the Capital District, there are very few traffic jams or gridlocks in Walton or Delhi. "Generally speaking, we do not worry about traffic here," he said. "It's usually pretty quiet. Only one weekend a year would you find lots of traffic in Walton: in August for the Delaware County Fair.")

(9/6/07)