Dear Family,
Praise the Lord. We did it. We are now $3,825.00 OVER our ABCD goal. Between what we have already received and what is pledged, our current total is $147,341. Your generosity empowers the outreach of the Archdiocese to fund various ministries as well as poorer parishes. Annie let me know with thie note below.
That’s one of the finest pieces of art I’ve seen in a long time!!! Let me add that one of the blessings you have given me over the years is always being ready to do your part in the finances of the parish.
And speaking of special things, I also received the following note from Marius Garbayo. He and Ava Gutierrez blessed our celebration at 11:00 last week when they made their First Communions. Jesus told me that spelling doesn’t count. See his not below also.
Some days get so good I feel guilty for taking a salary.
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I hadn’t given it a lot of thought until this moment, but maybe celebrating the Ascension of the Lord today is a timely coincidence. (By the way, the northeast and northwest corners of our country celebrated Ascension last Thursday, but the rest of the country celebrates today. Don’t ask me why. Perhaps in my retirement I can devote scholarly study to the question.
The ‘timely coincidence’ is that on August 12th, I will be ‘ascending’ into the ranks of the retired. Although I was caught a little off guard by the timing, I’m thinking that, as usual, the Lord knows what He is doing.
The nearly 13 years I’ve ministered at St. Sebastian have been very happy ones, - even the part of finally getting the kitchen building underway. I definitely will try and come back for the blessing, and I hope I don’t jinx it by saying our contractor is hoping for October/ November. That sure will give a whole new meaning to Oktoberfest.
As I write, I’m not sure where my next residence will be, but I’m sure that will be “revealed” soon. During these 55 years, subconsciously I think I just thought I would ‘die in the traces.’ That’s the way it was with all the priests I knew growing up.
Then we got great health plans, and here I am at 81+ realizing how blessed I have been to have that time, doing the only thing I ever wanted to do. (Well, not exactly. You may remember that at 10, I thought being a Greyhound bus driver would really be neat. I did get to drive the seminary bus, and decided the world was better off with my talents being left at the altar and not on the road.)
There will be time to say the ‘adieus.’ With all my heart I BEG YOU not to have endless celebrations. (I guess in a way that’s pretty presumptuous.) But really, all the thanks that matter is the “thanksgiving” we celebrate around the altar with each other. I’m not ready to sing “Thanks for the Memories” just yet.
In Jesus,
