Ahhhh....It is finished. It was a wonderful experience for me and the people were most affirming. The singing was inspiring and the choir is a real blessing. Thanks, Geri, for all your hard work. Diane was such a trooper with the kids and the children's presence each night was truly exciting for me. I will post some pictures soon.
Now it is on to Holy Week. May the blessings of the recent mission remain and continue to inspire. Thanks, God, for everything.
Ok, it melted my heart. Can you imagine the emotion when a 10 year old says to you, "I just want to thank you for the best confession of my life."
Every mission brings its own joys. But this one ranks up there with the best.
at St. John the Baptist, Whiting Indiana. It was a wonderful night. The Parish Mission team is exceptional. Geri, an occasional commenter on this blog, is a wonderful music director. The Choir this morning was stunningly beautiful.
Prayers for the mission would be appreciated. Even with unrelenting rain we had a good crowd.
Y'all come to night two, Monday at 7:00pm
The parish here in Whiting is undergoing some renovation. It is going to be beautiful when it is done. The picture is a detail from the arch over the sanctuary.
An ancient tradition begun by St. Gaspar, a mission cross is erected in the churches where the mission is preached. The first mission listed in The Minster Mission Cross is 1854, obscured by the flash. The last one was 1991 before this one in 2004.
I am home in Chicago, briefly. Tomorrow we start a new mission at St. John the Baptist Parish, Whiting, IN. There will be a team of preachers for this mission with Precious Blood Companion, Gerry Downs joining the team.
Well, it was a delightful mission. I really do not want to leave. Here is a house where the missionaries pray the office together every day. What an inspiration! And the choir! This is an absolutely wonderful mens's schola, and they have a wonderful buliding to sing in. Amy, their director is very charming and a joy to work for. Jane, the Director of Adult Formation and her team are an inspiration to watch. The humor in the house, well. aside from a couple of good groaners it is fun to laugh, and this place smiles. Well, in the morning after Mass I have to pack the car and head back to Chicago. Just like Gilbert, AZ, I am a bit sad about leaving. The people were very affirming about the preaching. I wish I could cart them off to my new parish. May the church always have such faithful people.
Parishioner at St. Augustine Parish called me this morning to pay me this compliment.
Listening to your homily last night was like trying to take a drink from a fire hydrant
The night before he said I hit another home run out of the park.
What to say....it's a wonderful mission. It was an inspirational evening. The music was stunning, and yes, I am exhausted. More later.
...amd what a day, too. What a great parish, and such neat people. What faith! What singing! The church was getting crowded. We figure conservatively that there was at least 500 people there. I love it when people hear things I do not say, but God tells them strongly to begin working on things. It is absolutely exciting to hear confessions at a mission. Sometimes, I am constantly amazed at how exciting, enriching, humbling, exhilarating it is to be a priest. Jesus is still multiplying the loaves.....
8:00am Mass
10:00am Mass
11:30am Mass
1:00 High School Students
3:00 Married Couples and Engaged Couples
7:00 High School and Young Adults
Yep, just a little tired today, but a good kind of tired. This is a great parish.
Greetings from Minster, Ohio.
This is the only second time I have preached a Lenten Mission in Ohio. The last time was was in Girard, OH back in 1992 at St. Rose of Lima Parish. The Saturday and Sunday of the Mission was conjoined with a celebration of the Boy's Basketball Team from Girard High School that won the State Championship on that Saturday night. Well it is happening again. The Minster High School Girl's Basketball Team won the Division IV State Championship last night, and the whole town is awash in celebration.
Well, it is Laetare Sunday, a time for joy, and that joy in Redemption is mixed with a joyful village proud of their Basketball team.
That must be the ticket. If you want your High School in Ohio to win a State Championship, just invite me to preach the parish mission. (grin)
