Directions for mapping the daily commute

By Rebecca Drake
Editor

For the last 12 years I have commuted from my apartment in downtown Monson to the diocesan offices here on Elliot Street in Springfield.
My preferred route is through the back roads of Monson, over the "Wilbraham Mountain" (Monson Road) and eventually onto Wilbraham Road all the way to State Street in Springfield. From there, it takes about five more minutes to reach the Bishop Maguire Pastoral Center across from the chancery.

The total commuting time is 30 to 40 minutes in good weather and much longer on a bad weather day, or if I encounter construction or other traffic delays.

I am still asked occasionally why I don't just take the turnpike in Palmer to Exit 6 and then Route 291 to downtown Springfield. Although it would save about 10 minutes, I still prefer the "scenic route" through small town streets and inner-city neighborhoods. Instead of trying to steer clear of motorists exceeding the speed limit, and big rigs on tight schedules, I have time to observe some of the communities served by the Catholic Communications media. Here is what I see:

I see the main street of my hometown, on which there are four Christian churches: St. Patrick Church, the Glendale Methodist Church, the Unitarian Universalist Church and the United Church of Christ Congregational Church. I pass Hillcrest Cemetery on Wilbraham Road in Monson, where my mother and many special friends and neighbors now rest, lying in wait for Resurrection Day.

In Wilbraham, I drive by Wilbraham United Church, and in Sixteen Acres, a part of Springfield, I pass St. Mark's Armenian Church and then cross over Parker Street, recalling the stories I have written about St. Catherine of Siena Church, about a mile to my right. Before reaching downtown Springfield, I also pass Foster Memorial Church, Church in the Acres and Church of the Nazarene.

The Mason Square neighborhood of Springfield is home to a Lutheran church and several other Christian denominations, as well as Holy Family Parish on Eastern Avenue. On my short ride down State Street, I pass a mosque, Alden Baptist Church and Wesley United Methodist Church before spotting the spire of St. Michael's Cathedral, the mother church of my spiritual home, the Diocese of Springfield.

On my daily commute, I follow the signs that tell me how important faith is in the lives of western Massachusetts residents, whether in wealthy suburban neighborhoods, rustic backwoods roads or multi-ethnic inner-city enclaves. I follow the directions, literal and figurative, that show me that prayer, fellowship and concern for the needy are the ultimate destinations for all those who believe in a loving God.