Assumption of Mary

Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,

I pray that you are blessed. Today we celebrate The Solemnity of The Assumption of Mary (and my sister, Barbie’s birthday). For me, this feast has always marked the end of summer since the beginning of school was just around the corner. I spent the first 30 years of my life in school, not counting those wonderful pre-school years. As I prepare to turn 60, I realize that those years turn from “most of my life” to “half my life.” No matter how I count them, it was still a lot of time to spend in school, especially since my psychological profile that we all have to take upon entering the seminary showed that I thrive on change and a place like school was supposed to be one of the worst environments for me. But I survived, I think?

After going through a year-and-a-half of this pandemic I know that many people, especially children and their parents, are very focused on the coming school year. Some have already begun. Hopefully, they will come up with a vaccine for children as soon as possible. The saddest and most troubling thing about children returning to school is that some have chosen to politicize it. Rather than working together to come up with the safest environment for our children, they choose to stoke the flames of division using children as kindling. Let us pray for the health and safety of all children.

We too are a bit on the fence when it comes to further opening our parish, or hitting the pause button. I certainly want everyone to be safe, but I also realize that those who have been vaccinated do have a level of protection that allows them to interact more. The little socials we had after each mass on the Feast of St. Alphonsus were proof that we can do some things, especially if they are outside. I do want to once again thank everyone who was involved in those socials and helping us celebrate our feast day. So, while we still have nice weather, we will continue to look for ways to bring us together. In the meantime, I hope you are enjoying this summer, in between the rain drops that is. Have a blessed and safe end of summer.

In the Redeemer, Fr. Rick