We had the funeral Mass for Dorothy Racy last Friday morning. Dorothy was 89 years old and just gave up driving in January. She was very devoted to her 14 grandchildren & 14 great-granchildren, who, in her eyes, could do no wrong. She worked hard as a housekeeper and factory worker and loved to bake. May she rest in God's peace.
On Saturday we celebrated a Memorial Mass for Dolores Dempsey. She was originally from Blessed Sacrament church which is where our stained glass windows are from so she felt at home here where she could look at the windows that were once part of her former parish. She was not just a grandmother and great-grandmother but also a great-great grandma so many generations were present at her funeral. May she too be with the Lord.
Thanks to all who gave a brief presentation last weekend inviting you to join one of the ARISE groups for our final session this fall. It has been a great experience for many in our parish and we want you to experience what it can do for you as well. Please pray that those who are in a group this fall may benefit it from greatly.
Congratulations to Mike Berlekamp & Dr. Amanda Balodis who are being wedded on Saturday, October 1st. They were a great couple to work with and we are grateful that they allowed the Church to help them prepare not only for their wedding Mass but for their life together as a married couple.
Our Sunday Sessions are going very well. We have three people who are seeking to become members of the Catholic Church and several others who are parishioners just wanting to learn more about the faith they already profess. It's an informal gathering which begins with a brief presentation by myself followed by discussion & questions. We meet for under an hour between the 8 & 10 o'clock Masses (we begin at 9am). You are always welcome to join us...come weekly or just whenever you are free & want to be more engaged in your faith. Oh, and don't forget we serve coffee & donuts. That always helps motivate me.
This week I will be joining over 300 other priests from our Diocese for a "Presbyteral Convocation" (church-speak for a gathering of priests and their Bishop). We do this every other year and find it to be an enjoyable time for us to socialize with each other while also discussing important issues in our ministry. This year we will be talking about our present and future staffing or personnel needs. We will meet from Tuesday through Friday at Sawmill Creek in Huron. Please keep us in your prayers.
Thanks to those who placed beautiful Fall decorations in the church. I've been tempted to steal the pumpkins & make pumpkin pie but let's be honest...I don't bake. I can carve though so maybe I'll make some scary faces for Halloween. Anyone want to volunteer to be a model for that or do I have to ask you?
