Praedicare – Spring 2013

Sister was honored by the St. Augustine/Our Lady of Victory Men’s Club with their  Mother of the Year  Award on Mother’s Day. Sister serves as  Pastoral Associate at that Bronx parish.

Each and every day we go about our business, we live most of our days in soothing predictability, we find comfort in the rhythmic patterns that define our days, which become our years, which characterizes our life.  For the most part, we live good lives.  We are usually generous, attentive, responsible, faithful, loyal, and loving to the people in our families, in our social circles, to the causes we support, and the needs we are committed to easing.  We are called by God, claimed by God, to live good and holy lives and, hopefully, we can see and be strengthened by those many moments when we realize that we are in sync with God’s call in though, word, and action.

Today’s readings invite us beyond the good, the predictable, the everyday to a meeting with the holy that is life-changing, life-inducing, and exposes us to a love so complete that we can do nothing other than respond as invited even though it totally disrupts the soothing predictability of who we are and how we are in the world.

Imagine…Jesus invites the dead back into life!  Fortunate the son, fortunate the mother, fortunate those gathered around who allowed themselves to be changed through their witnessing.  But what about us?  Are we so fortunate?  Do we hear the invitation in this gospel reading for us…in our time…in our place…in our lives…in our relationships?

The action of Jesus in restoring life in the presence of death is as available for you today as it was for the son of the widow of Nain.  Where do you need restoration of your spirit?  What are the situations, the relationships, the memberships, the practices that are dull and lifeless?  It is these areas, the ones no longer infused with love, hope, mercy, compassion, and/or truth that God longs to touch and heal in us.

So, can we bring to Jesus the many parts of us that are no longer infused with life and love to be healed and restored, reclaimed and renewed, and emboldened to live a life that, like Paul in the second reading, is dependent upon grace and reflects the on-going revelation of Christ.

My prayer this week is that we can step out of our predictability and lean just a little more fully upon God, trusting the presence and power of love and resurrection that God holds out to us.

Congratulations to Sr. Mary Eileen O’Brien who was  honored with a Women Pioneers in Education award from the CEJJES Institute and the Susan G. and Edmund W. Gordon Community Partnership on June 8, 2013. She has devoted over 35 years of service to education as a teacher, principal, and now as the President of Dominican College.

Speaking of her legacy as an educator, Sr. Mary Eileen said, “If I do have a legacy, I hope that they say ‘She liked people and them to realize their potential and make a difference.’”

Sr. Jenn (on left) with Sr. Adela

After ten months in Saint Louis, MO at the Collaborative Dominican Novitiate (CDN), I’ve returned home to Blauvelt.  You might be wondering what the novitiate is about and why it is in Saint Louis.  Twenty-five years ago, many congregations of Dominican women decided it would be good for young women in the formation process to spend time with others who are in the same phase of formation.  Saint Louis was chosen because it is in the middle of the country and has a Dominican school at which novices could study, Aquinas Institute.

The time at the CDN is a time for discernment – an intense, prayerful, decision-making process – as to whether vowed membership is the best way to live out our Christian vocation.  When we attended orientation last spring, there were five of us.  Four of us began the year together.  One left in spring and one at the end of the CDN experience.  Leaving is not a bad thing.  It means that the women and their congregations discovered vowed life was not the best way for that individual to be a Christian.  Our directors both at the CDN and in our home Congregations were there to assist us in the discernment process.  Adela, a Dominican Sister of Adrian, and I are continuing in the process.  Adela will be professing her vows soon, whereas, I have a second year of novitiate to complete before profession.

The experience at the CDN focuses on the four pillars of Dominican life:  prayer, study, community and preaching.  We participated in communal prayer together both in the morning and evening.  We were exposed to different types of prayer and participated in liturgical and sacramental prayer at our parishes.  Study came in both formal, academic settings, as well as less-formal sharing.  Through classes at Aquinas Institute, workshops at the Inter-Community Novitiate, and courses held in our basement classroom, we learned about preaching, the vows, the history of religious life in the United States and various other topics.  Dinner conversations with other Dominicans living in Saint Louis allowed for more intimate conversations on the four pillars and how the vows are lived out.  Community life meant learning how to live as peers, with very diverse backgrounds, who had made an intentional decision to live together.  Each of us had different struggles throughout the year and found support in community.  As novices, we took turns preaching during evening prayer on Sundays and for special events.  Although we are called “Dominicans,” after Saint Dominic de Guzman, we are part of the Order of Preachers.  Our preaching takes many forms – bringing and listening to the Good News of Jesus in our places of ministry as well as preaching the Word that is still being revealed through Scripture.  For the ten months in Saint Louis, I was able to serve at St. Louis Children’s Hospital once a week.  Working with the Child Life specialists, my job was to provide age-appropriate activities and care for children in their room or in the patient playroom.  Like our foundress, Mother Mary Ann, it was a matter of responding to the changing needs of the children on any given day.

I’ve been blessed to have had this opportunity to delve deeper into Dominican Life and look forward to the fruit this time will bear as I continue to journey with my Sisters.

Sr. Jenn Schaaf

Sr. Ellenrita Purcaro’s twenty-two year career as Executive Director of Highbridge Community Life Center came to an exciting conclusion before the Yankee game on June 26, 2013 when the team honored her for her service to the people of the Highbridge neighborhood.

by Sister Jennifer Schaaf

This was a question recently asked as I was packing my bags for Bogota, Colombia.  The short answer is that the novitiate is where the novice is.  Itinerancy has played a big role in this past year as we traveled to visit various Dominican Motherhouses.  The Dominican charism of being itinerant was developed even more as I joined with approximately 200 young lay people, friars and sisters (representing 26 different countries) in Bogota, Colombia for the International Dominican Youth Movement World Meeting.

The theme of “Muisca,” (the indigenous people of the area surrounding Bogota) was connected with the Gospel passage where Jesus reveals himself to the disciples after the resurrection and says, “It is me in person,” (Luke 24:39).  Throughout the week, there were presentations concentrating on recognizing Christ in ourselves and in the other.

The Muisca people have been in Colombia since 6th Century B.C.  They were hard working, clean, courageous, respected others and expressed their religion through the balance of the universe, nature and humans.  The conquistadors came into the area, discovered the wealth of gold that the Muiscas held and decimated their land and people.  The young adults were challenged to rediscover the “gold,” the wealth, that is held in each person.  This rediscovering connects the humanity of God in Jesus to the people made in the image of God.  Fr. Jorge Andres Angarita Solano, OP challenged the young adults to look at how we, as Christians, live in solidarity with others. He suggested that we need to have an open solidarity, with people who are different from us, rather than a closed solidarity with just other Catholics who live life like we do. “Authentic solidarity doesn’t take place among equals, it is a preferential option for the poor.  Living community/communion means living in solidarity with the other.”

We were able to experience and witness the solidarity lived by some of the Colombian Dominicans as we visited Cazuka, the barrios on the south side of Bogota.  Many of the people who live there were displaced from their homes by guerrilla warfare and/or the presence of North American oil companies.  Extreme poverty and violence are the norm in Cazuka.  Yet, there is hope in the the work that is being done by outside groups to provide education and basic supplies.  And, more importantly, there is hope in the people of Cazuka.  While there, several groups of children provided entertainment through dance.  Women made empenadas and served them at the Catholic parish.  We visited several families and prayed with them in their homes.  One elderly woman, who was quite crippled, came outside to meet with us.  Out of respect, she kissed the hand of the Dominican Brother who was leading the group.  He, in turn, kissed her hand saying that she deserved respect for raising her children and grand-children.  The woman had no teeth and asked for something to eat.  Although we had been provided with food all day, we couldn’t help her, because we had nothing soft enough for her to swallow.  We had to accept our own humility as we left the woman, a face of Christ, with nothing but our prayers.

Later in the week, Fr. Bruno Cadore, Master of the Order, addressed the group and had a question and answer session with the young adults.  Following the themes of Pope Francis’ first encyclical, he challenged the young adults to, “Be the living water in your nations, without pride, sent by God as a source of light and happiness.  There are many places that are in need of light and joy.  The work of the Order of Preachers is to spread the Word of God and let the Word of God be Good News for the people.  We don’t need to say much — Jesus is light and he is here to be your friend who bears light and joy.”

As I continue to reflect on this period of itinerancy, I am grateful to have shared this experience with my brothers and sisters from around the world.  Please pray for the young adults who were elected to the International Commission, especially the two from the United States:  Sean Mundy (Chicago) and Lyamar Diaz (Puerto Rico).  They will be responsible for communications and formation of the young adults at the international level for the next four years.

Sr. Jennifer Schaaf is a novice in her second year of novitiate.

Congratulations to Sr. Catherine Ann Burns, Sr. Mary Elisha Byles, Sr. Mary Ann Collins, Sr. Michaela Connolly, Sr. Jo-Anne Faillace, Sr. Margaret Ann Martin, and Sr. Noreen Walsh, who celebrated their  Golden Jubilee on Sunday, September 8, 2013. Click here to see pictures from the Mass and  the party, attended by family and friends of the Jubilarians, that followed.

With great success our 63rd Annual Autumn Festival was held on Saturday, September 28. A beautiful blue sky and comfortable weather day which was celebrated by everyone who attended.

…the night is far gone, the day is near.Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light…Romans 13:12

First week of Advent: First Light..this week we celebrate Dec. 1, World AIDS Day * Dec. 2, Women Martyrs of El Salvador * Dec. 6. St. Nicholas.

Allow time for remembering the presence of God…

by Sister Anne Daniel Young

Every Christmas, I am reminded of one of the classic movies, a “timeless treasure” that puts our secular world in perspective while it places our spiritual world at the heart of who we are.  Frank Capra’s “It’s a Wonderful Life,” weaves his character, George Bailey, into a monumental presence.  George’s reaction to devastating circumstances weakens his capacity to remember the good things, the memories, the truths that matter; the heart songs, motivators of soul, and the intrinsic value of his fragile life.  The standards of this world so often deny what is essential; faith, family, friendship and home.  Life’s one basic premise is that it revolves around relationships, where everything and everyone intertwine and interact.  Life is fundamentally “relational” and impacts upon the conscious world in ever widening circles. And so, at the heart of the film, Clarence, the would-be angel, shows George what life would be if he had never been born.  The realities that were part of his memory would be gone because they never happened; all the joys he had known would be lost in “nothingness,” a void that would remain unfilled, never to be realized.  Every worthwhile endeavor to which he set his compass would be star-less because it never became reality.  It took an almost catastrophic decision to have this compassionate, loving man recognize the implications of a life that never was.  If George had not been born his absence would unmistakably have left a void upon the Bedford Falls Community where he shared his life.

And what if Christ had not been born? Bethlehem would not have had its purpose; there would be no star, no praising angels; no manger would cradle the God of the universe; there would be no Mary, no Joseph; no Magi would offer gifts, nor would shepherds speak of joy despite their poverty and no crucified and resurrected Savior would pay the debt of sinfulness. A Christ-less world would be an empty world from which we would simply pass from earth to earth.  We would not hear Paul’s magnificent proclamation, “No eye has seen; no ear has heard; no human heart or intellect can understand, the wonders God has prepared for those who love Him.” In a Christ-less world, Christmas is lost; in a Christ-less world, no “forever” exists.  There is no reason to worship; the dreams and aspirations of the human person would be rooted in this world; there would be no future aside from the confines of finite lives that end without hope. No New Testament would speak of compassion, forgiveness and mercy. Even in the literary world, we would not hear the words of Joseph Mary Plunket’s magnificent poem, “I see His blood upon the rose and in the stars, the glory of His eyes.” We would not know the power of the divine God who chose humanity as a vehicle of loving friendship.  This God Who created the universe came to us as a tiny, vulnerable baby lying in a manger, foreshadowing the equally vulnerable man hanging on a cross. God is with us and because of His birth in a dark, cold stable and because of his death upon the cross this broken world will one day be redeemed.

“Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. In the city of David is born for you, a Savior Who is Christ the Lord.”

These words of the angel, spoken to shepherds tending their flocks, capture the essence of Christmas. In Bethlehem and in designated time, Christ entered the world and forever changed the course of human history. This is what we celebrate. Saint Pope Leo captures the meaning of Christmas past and Christmas yet to come when he writes: “Today the Maker of the world was born of the Virgin’s womb, and He, Who made all natures, became the Son of her whom He created! Today the Word of God appeared clothed in flesh, and that which had never been visible to human eyes was made tangible in the substance of our flesh and soul.”

Mother and Baby

Birthing the Holy – Advent Morning of Prayer/December 7, 2013
Diane Forrest, OP

In the book “The Heart of the Hunter”, Laurens Van der Post describes a poignant scene in the midst of the Kalihari desert.  He is camped there with local bushmen and they are sitting around a campfire.  The absence of any artificial light allows for a world of complete darkness once one moves beyond the campfire.  The stars hang low in the sky, their brilliance not only seen but heard. Van der Post describes the sound of the stars as “this intense electric murmur at one’s ears.”  Then he sees the outline of a bushwoman holding her young infant up to the stars.  She is singing some kind of chant and has her face lifted to the sky.

When Van der Post asked the local bushmen what the woman was doing, he was told that she was asking the stars to take the heart of her child and to give him ”something of the heart of a star in return…because the stars have heart in plenty….”    The heart of the stars is a hunting heart, a seeking heart, a longing heart, an Advent heart.

When you really think about it,  isn’t Advent truly the most feminine of all seasons?  With its images of pregnancy and possibility, deepening and desire. Perhaps the real call to us this time of the year is this: to birth the holy in the midst of our lives, wherever we find ourselves.  This is not something that waits until we have more time or space.  We are called to birth the holy, right here, right now.

Our Dominican brother, the mystic, Meister Eckhart, places this squarely before us when he writes: “What good is it to me if Mary gave birth to the Son of God fourteen hundred years ago and I do not also give birth to the Son of God in my time and in my culture?  We are all meant to be mothers of God.”

Advent is a time to make room for what God desires to birth within us – to make conscious choices about what will occupy our minds, our hearts, our time and our energy.  Can we hold the space for the holy tension within us…can we stay awake and recognize what is stirring within us in these moments?

In the silence, each of us hears her own personal annunciation and invitation to enflesh the sacred.

Our God is always creative and always wanting to do something new.  We are invited to release the holy longings deep within our hearts and give image to them.

Can we name the “child” within us  longing to be born” ?  A deeper sense of purpose?  A new way of living or thinking?  A new wisdom?  A deeper appreciation of our life?  A hope for our future?   Can we, like the bushwoman under the stars, hold up what longs to be born within us?

I once heard a preacher in a Southern Church  speak about “birthing a move of God.”   I was told that meant “asking God to create a vision in our hearts.”

Like any woman in labor, we must PUSH so we can birth our deepest hopes.

PUSH means PRAY UNTIL SOMETHING HAPPENS.

Today is a GIFT !     Nurture silence, spaciousness, slowness and beauty.

And don’t forget…….to PUSH.

“When the song of the angels is stilled
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flock
The work of Christmas begins:
To find the lost
To heal the broken
To feed the hungry
To release the prisoner
To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace among all,
To make music in the heart.”

-by Howard Thurman

Please support the Sisters with a tax deductible donation as they continue to do the work of Christmas through out the year.

“So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see everything has become new.” -2 Corinthians 5:17

The New Year brings a desire to make resolutions to improve the quality of our lives. It is an opportunity to renew our hope and deepen our resolve to live more fully in keeping with Christ’s will and way. Often though, when we make resolutions, we focus on physical things such as diet and exercising. In the new year, I invite you to consider making a commitment to renew and deepen your relationship with God.

As the experts remind us, make it doable, start small, celebrate small wins, and gradually make changes that hopefully become lifetime habits. Here are ten suggestions:

1. Attend Mass more regularly, remembering that what is important is not what we get out of Mass but instead what we bring to Mass. St. Thomas Aquinas reminds us that it is “right and just” to give God praise.

2. Pray and reflect on the Sunday Scripture readings.

3. Participate in a small community committed to prayer, faith sharing, and Christian action.

4. Recite a decade of the rosary daily for the intentions of friends and family.

5. Read a spiritual book.

6. Cultivate an attitude of gratitude. Every morning as you wake up say “thank you, Lord” for a new day, and each night thank God for all the blessings of the day.

7. Practice the examen, the daily Jesuit practice of examining our lives.

8. Reflect on a person whom you have not been able to forgive. Ask God for the grace to forgive him or her.

9. Choose to do a good deed. Mother Teresa often told her sisters to remember the “Gospel on five fingers.” She would say, “You-Did-This-For-Me,” as she held up each finger of her hand. These words come from Matthew 25 where Jesus tells us we will be judged by how we helped the thirsty or hungry or sick.

10. Do an act of justice. Think of an injustice in your work environment or your neighborhood and carry out a small action toward making it right.

Additional Resource: Father James Martin, SJ, article “12 Really Stupid Things I Never Want To Do Again” about things we should not repeat in the new year. Sr. Terry Rickard is a Dominican Sister of Blauvelt, NY and the Executive Director of RENEW International.

But big sporting events, like the upcoming Super Bowl, are known to create a lucrative market for human traffickers. Please join with Dominican Associates, Sisters, and other activists to raise awareness of this despicable crime and to pray for the estimated 21 million victims of this violation of the most basic of human rights – the right to live free.

SISTER ELLEN HUBLITZ, OP, FORMERLY SR. GEORGE MARIE, a member of the Sisters of St. Dominic of Blauvelt, New York, for the past 65 years died on January 29, 2014 in St. Martin de Porres Infirmary.  Sister Ellen was 82 years of age.

Sister Ellen was born to Winifred Van Valkenburgh and George Hublitz on April 2, 1931 in the Bronx, New York.  She entered the Sisters of St. Dominic on September 11, 1949 from Our Lady of the Assumption Parish, Bronx, NY.  Sister received the Dominican habit on August 24, 1950, professed her first vows on August 25, 1951 and her final vows on August 25, 1954.

Sister held the BS degree in Education from Fordham University, Bronx and the MTS from Catholic University, Washington, DC.

Sister’s many years of active ministry were devoted to education as a teacher on the elementary school level.  She taught in the following schools: St. Luke, Bronx, NY, 1952-1959; St. Mary, Carpenter Ave. Bronx, NY 1959-1965; St. Anselm, Bronx, NY 1965-1967; and St. Paul School, Daytona Beach, FL 1967-1986.  In 1987 Sister studied in the Career Options Program at Calvary Hospital and in the Fall of 1988, Sister became a minister to the homebound of St. Frances of Rome Parish, Bronx, NY.  From 2005-2012, she served as Pastoral Associate for the Catholic Churches of Wakefield.  Due to illness, Sister retired to St. Martin de Porres Infirmary in 2012 .

In addition to her religious congregation, Sr Ellen, is survived by her sister, Viola Miklitsch, her nieces Ellen Ares, Mary Ellen Hearon, Theresa Kinstrey, Patricia Spellman, and her nephews Roger, George Hublitz and Thomas Miklitsch.   Sister was predeceased by her brother George and nephew Kenneth Hublitz.

SISTER LOYOLA BARTNETT, O.P., formerly Sister Leonie, a member of the Sisters of St. Dominic of Blauvelt, New York for the past 70 years died on February 3, 2014 in Nyack Hospital. Sister Loyola was 86 years of age.

Sister Loyola was born to Julia McCabe and William Bartnett on
February 18, 1927, in the Bronx, New York.  She entered the Sisters of
St. Dominic on September 9, 1944 from Our Saviour Parish, Bronx, NY.  Sister received the Dominican habit on July 5, 1945, professed her first vow on
July 6, 1946, and her final vows on July 6, 1949.

Sister held the BS in Education from Fordham University and the MA in History from Hunter College.

Sister’s many years of active ministry were devoted to the education of youth. Sister taught at Holy Cross Manhattan, 1947-1954; SS Philip & James, Bronx, 1954-57; St. Joseph, Milbrook,  NY 1957-62; Our Saviour, Bronx, 1962-67; St. Raymond, Providence, RI, 1967-70; St. Margaret, Pearl River, 1970-72; St. Dominic, Blauvelt, 1972-73.

Sister served as principal at St. Catherine’s School, Blauvelt, NY, 1973-1981 and Our Lady of the Assumption 1983-1994.  She taught at St. Anselm, Bronx, 1981-1983 and served there as librarian, 2000-2001; Assumption Academy , teacher, Emerson, NJ 1994-1997; St. Mary Star of the Sea , Secretary 2001-2006;  Our Lady of Victory Academy , Dobbs Ferry, tutor, 2006-2011;  Cabrini Immigration Services, Dobbs Ferry, ESL tutor 2011-2013.  Sister served as Administrator at St. Dominic’s Convent, 1997-2000.    Sister retired from active ministry in 2013.

In addition to her religious congregation, Sr. Loyola is survived by her niece Mary Ayoub, her nephews John Bartnett, Martin Bartnett and his wife Nancy and her cousin, Sr. Miriam Anne Brennan, SC. Sister was predeceased by her brother William J. Bartnett, JR.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend services at:

ST. DOMINIC’S CONVENT, 496 WESTERN HIGHWAY, BLAUVELT, NY
WAKE: Thursday, February 6, 2014  3 – 7 PM
EVENING PRAYER:  Thursday, February 6, 2014 6 PM
MASS OF CHRISTIAN BURIAL: Friday, February 7, 2014  10:30 AM

Arrangements have been made by Hannemann Funeral Home, Nyack, New York. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Sisters of St. Dominic, Blauvelt, NY

Given by Sr. Dorothy Maxwell at St. Francis of Assisi Parish on Feast of the Presentation 

If we can accept that the only permanent part of life is CHANGE, then we can function in any area of daily life.  As we learn from experience: it is not what happens to us; it is how we react to what changes take place in the course of life.  Those whom we admire most are the people who roll with the punches, pick themselves up and start all over again.

Believe me, the Rockland County sisters, priests, brothers and parishioners have demonstrated this time and again. Three child caring institutions are gone, but St. Dominic’s Home of Blauvelt has a multifaceted array of services for those in need of support and housing from fostercare, adoption, to long term care for residents. Instead of living in institutions, those in need can live in a house or apartment like the rest of society.

The grounds which once housed the children of Sparkill and Nanuet now provide homes for low income and seniors at Thorpe Village, Dowling Gardens, and Seton Village. The ARC Programs in Sparkill would not be possible without the property once lying fallow across the road from the Dominican Sisters of Sparkill. The Thorpe Senior Center operating under the direction of the Sparkill Sisters and Meals of Wheels is a godsend for many seniors in Southern Rockland.

Marydell Faith and Life Center provides a respite for those seeking peace and direction, and children from the city enjoy the pool and grounds during summer outings. The One To One Learning Center moved to this location, where the Sparkill Sisters were welcomed by the Sisters of Christian Doctrine so there would be a place to serve the educational and spiritual needs of the Hispanic community who have been able to make a living here.

The Sisters of Life advocate for the unborn. The Marian Shrine serves hundreds of people searching for God, as the Salesians offer programs on their beautiful property. Tagaste Monastery is a beacon of hope for those in the Suffern area. The Oratory of St. Philip Neri in Tappan has provided our parishes with the sacramental needs of the county, and has been a tremendous blessing.

St. Thomas Aquinas, Dominican and Mt. St. Vincent have deep roots grounding the works of the Dominicans and Sisters of Charity, as they offer programs for the young and not so young leading to productive careers.

A Blauvelt Dominican and Sister of Charity are medical doctors, and nurses from our congregations serve in many facilities.

Many religious would be happy to provide direct service, but the needs of maintaining our congregations have called them to congregational leadership and various support services for our own. With aging and fewer active members, these religious face difficult challenges.

The amazing aspect of religious life is that once we were all educators, nurses, child care providers, or social workers. Now we continue to assume these roles, but are now doing a variety of works: a Pastoral Care Associate at Good Samaritan Hospital, a Chaplain at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility, a Pastoral Associate at St. Francis of Assisi Parish. The people of God are now witnessing the works of articulate, educated religious representing the poor and oppressed. We are making waves as we move for comprehensive immigration reform because poverty drives people across borders and greed pushes them out of their homelands. Many sisters are working zealously for the end of human trafficking, and have been active in the role it plays in large sporting events, recently part of a coalition to keep traffickers out of our area here during the Super Bowl events. We are supporting the Riverkeeper, and other environmental groups as we see our life endangered by the effects of fracking, nuclear power plants, desalinization, transportation of hazardous materials, use of fossil fuels and other factors that are causing environmental disasters. The most significant change is using social media, and we are keeping abreast of what is going on as we reach out in a variety of ways to educate for justice and focus on human rights.

We thank the church for honoring us today and especially thank the men and women of St. Francis who annually provide a delicious breakfast for us. There are few of us here, but many more out there, and we want you to know that God’s work goes on and future changes will not equate us with dinosaurs. Together we will ride the tides of change and continue to build the Church of God.