When it Rains...
Repairs continue on our school’s gym floor. The leak in the roof probably went undetected for some time. The moisture under the wood floor is considerable, and the area damaged by the water is expanding. In plain English, it's a big mess. Campus Maintenance Director Travis Harris is working with the company fixing the floor to make sure we have discovered and repaired all of the damage done by the roof leak. It appears the water came down the interior wall of the building and went to the lowest place on the floor.
Some Thoughts on the Nature of Our Beautiful Parish
In the USCCB document entitled “Communities of Salt and Light,” the Bishops wrote, "The parish is where the Church lives. Parishes are communities of faith, of action, and of hope. They are where the Gospel is proclaimed and celebrated, where believers are formed and sent to renew the earth. Parishes are the home of the Christian community; they are the heart of our Church. Parishes are the place where God's people meet Jesus in word and sacrament and come in touch with the source of the Church's life. One of the most encouraging signs of the Gospel at work in our midst is the vitality and quality of social justice ministries in our parishes.”
Summing it all up, our parish should be a place of prayer, formation, action and charity, a place which gives hope and direction. I have been praying a lot about our parish, our parishioners and how we move forward. The pandemic has given us both the challenge and the opportunity to look at things in a new light based on the characteristics mentioned above. Rest assured we will be dedicating ourselves to do just that. We need to make sure that St. Anne Church is always a special place where the Church lives. All of this was discussed at length in the last Parish Council meeting, and the discussion will continue.
Always Generous with Praise
When it comes to the friars’ homilies, our parish is most generous with praise. A while ago someone else spoke at the Mass I celebrated, and one of our beautiful “Golden Girls” walked up to me after Mass and said, “Fr. Robert, that was the best homily you ever gave!” I wasn’t sure if she fell asleep, had her hearing aid turned off or was just sending me a message. I chuckled to myself and thanked her. Last week several offered comments about what I said about being a Good Shepherd to priests. Just in case someone else was sleeping, here is what I said:
It is important to remember that, just like you, priests have good days and bad days. We go to confession just like you and maybe more. Once in a while we hear things like, “I haven’t been to confession in 10 years because the last priest I went to hollered at me.” Please don’t give a priest that much power over you. Maybe he had a bad day. Maybe he was very worried about someone who came before you. Maybe he was up with a family the night before, or maybe, just maybe, you needed to hear what he had to say. I’m not making excuses for the times we screw up. But if a priest speaks harshly or offends you, forgive him, love him more, pray for him. That’s how you can be a good shepherd to him.
