By the time you read this I'm sure you will have heard of the passing of Fr. Gene's Dad, Mr. Frank Wojcik Sr. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Fr. Gene and his entire family. It has been a difficult time for them the last few months with both of Fr. Gene's parents dealing with health issues, and additionally with the 15 year old son of Fr. Gene's cousin being involved in a serious motorcycle accident. Again, we lift our prayers to God for them and for everyone in our parish who is dealing with hardships.
We have all had to deal with the loss of loved ones, and it is never easy, no matter what the circumstances. Even if our loved one has lived a full life and has graced us here on earth for many years, it still leaves a void, and we still need the support of those around us - our family, our friends, and of course our God. It is during the difficult times that I wonder how people who do not believe in God make it through - where do they go to find hope? Where do they turn for guidance? This past Monday the home run derby was held as part of the All-Star Game festivities in New York. Josh Hamilton, who plays for the Texas Rangers, put on a record performance, belting 28 home runs in the first round. Just a couple of years ago, he was not even playing in the major leagues because he was addicted to illegal drugs and was getting into trouble on a regular basis. However, he appears to have turned his life around, and he credits it to his wife who steered him toward a Christian lifestyle. One of the commentators on the broadcast said that "it is a bad night to be an athiest." I would argue that there is never a good time for that, and that the hope God gives us springs eternal.
This past Sunday Fr. Jeff Moore celebrated his first Mass here in his native parish. It was a great day - the weather was beautiful, the church was full, and a wonderful brunch was provided by Bertha Mae and her crew. It was also great to hear our choir once again. If you haven't checked it out yet, you can go to the home page or photos page on our website and click on Fr. Jeff Moore's page, where you can view photos and video (yes, video) of the day. Many thanks to all who helped prepare for and participate in the day, Bishop Schlarman, Fr. Maes. Fr. Gene, and of course Fr. Moore.
Our Vacation Bible School also took place this past week (see photo above). I had the chance to visit last night and shoot some pictures and video. Hopefully by this evening I will have these up on our website. This is always a great event for our parish. There were as many as 55 kids participating on a given night. That is fantastic! As you can imagine, it takes the hard work of many people to pull something like this off. Special thanks goes to our DRE, Cheryl Gross, who spends hours upon hours getting things organized and set up, and of course thanks to the many wonderful volunteers. There are many great things happening in our parish, which is one of the reasons we began our website - to let everyone know what we are about and the pride we take in our parish. Spread the good news of St. Mary's!
Finally, it is hard to believe that final registration for school is this Tuesday! Was there really a summer vacation!? It is a great tribute to our teachers and staff that they continue to sign back on year after year and continue to make our school such a source of pride for our parish. We pray for our best year ever in 2008-2009, and let us support our school in any way we can!
Peace.