It could have been awkward. Thirty-eight years ago, Fran Clancy was a born-and-raised Catholic, a parishioner at Our Lady’s, and the mother of two young daughters, and she needed a new job. When she applied for the advertised position of Secretary at the First Unitarian Society in Newton (FUUSN), she didn’t know much about Unitarian Universalism, a progressive and open-minded faith tradition, but she had worked in another church office in Newton and had enjoyed it.
Luckily for FUUSN, she took the job and liked it well enough to stay for 38 years, eventually becoming the nerve center of the staff and congregation. During that span, she has worked with five different settled ministers and three different two-year interim ministers, in addition to plenty of religious educators, youth advisors, music directors, membership coordinators, and custodians. When she began, she knew no one in the congregation, and she was offered no training. By the time she retires this week, she will know the 377 members of the congregation == and most of their children by name — as well as so many who have moved away. And of course, they all know her. Everyone, not just the kids, likes to drop by her office to visit (and help themselves to a few M&Ms from the jar on her desk).
So how did this lifelong Catholic fare amidst all these Unitarian Universalists? Fran had a somewhat rocky start, with no one to train her, and she felt unseen in what she said felt like not “such a warm and welcoming place.” But quickly, she learned her way around, found her niche, and made herself indispensable — so much so that she was promoted to Administrator and handled everything from producing weekly Orders of Service and correspondence to managing payroll and budget documentation, to supervising teen and adult volunteers and employees, contractors, and building rentals.
Fran ran up against a few well-known traits of UUs – “they ponder everything” interminably – which tried her limited patience at times. She admits that “…patience is a virtue I never got. I always prayed for it, but I never got it.” (One of those ponderous issues that took years to resolve was changing the congregation’s name to First Unitarian Universalist Society in Newton — from FUSN to FUUSN – long after Unitarians and Universalists joined together.) No, she hasn’t converted — she’s still a Catholic, and she still attends Our Lady’s when she can — although she usually works Sunday mornings at FUUSN.
But Fran said she has learned to appreciate much about Unitarian Universalism. “I never became a Unitarian, but all of their principles sort of rubbed off on me. And one of the ones that I love the best is the inherent worth of every human being.” She also thinks very highly of FUUSN’s OWL (Our Whole Lives) sexuality education program, which provides accurate, age-appropriate, factual information while also helping participants clarify their values, build interpersonal skills, and understand the spiritual, emotional, and social aspects of sexuality. She wishes her own daughters had been able to participate in OWL.
FUUSN gave Fran a big send-off with a retirement party on Friday evening, November 22. The parish hall was filled with old and newer FUUSN friends and her family members, who all came to honor her in person. Several former colleagues attended and offered tributes and appreciations, and her 18-year old grandson offered a heartfelt rendition of Carole King’s and James Taylor’s song “You’ve Got a Friend.” Many remarked on Fran’s efficiency and effectiveness in her work, and her calm under pressure. And everyone spoke of kindness as the trait that truly defines Fran.
Anne Bancroft, a former religious education director at FUUSN who went on to become a UU minister herself, observed in remarks at the party: “We became friends – and there is no greater gift in a workplace than really liking the people you spend so much time with day after day, week in and week out.” She remembered “how much fun we had …but more than that …how much care we had for each other, and for the people we served together.”
When asked what made her decide to retire at this particular time, Fran said it just felt like the right time. And since FUUSN now has a tech-savvy staff member, Fran is happy to give up wrestling with computers and all the other technology that has haunted her. She’s clear that she’d be able to learn the new technologies; she just doesn’t want to anymore. “I want to do more work with humans.” She’d like to find part-time work staffing the front desk of a retirement home — greeting visitors and helping people find their way around.
Fran’s old office door will soon bear a plaque honoring her and her long service to FUUSN. But who will be sitting in her old desk chair? In a surprising twist — as much of a surprise to Fran as to anyone else — Fran’s daughter Agatha Clancy will succeed her as FUUSN’s Office Administrator. Agatha began work last week and will have the benefit of the thorough training Fran never got. Perhaps Agatha, too, will retire after 38 years of wonderful connections and faithful service at FUUSN.
