This week 120 young men and women from our parish were confirmed by Bishop Peter Rosazza. What an incredible number of kids and what a blessing for our parish. You know how I feel; this parish is so “kid rich.”
As I went through the letters of confirmandi (those who were confirmed) it became clear that some of them really get what being confirmed is all about and despite our best efforts, a few of them don't really get it at all. I assure you that both groups are precious in God's sight and every kid in our parish, whether they get it or not, is precious to us. It is my hope and prayer that some of the confirmandi will take God's generous gifts of the Holy Spirit right away. But if they don't, God will not abandon them. He will continue to be present in their lives, always looking for a way in. That's how God is.
Please take the time to read some excerpts from the Confirmation letters which are included in the bulletin insert this week. I am sure that you will be as touched as I was by the sentiments of our young adults as they requested to be confirmed. I want to thank, from the bottom of my heart, the extraordinary teachers who prepared these young people for Confirmation.
Cloudy Day People
This week I was disheartened for 30 seconds when some people came to the Parish Center and yelled at our staff. When confirmation comes around, there are always things that have to get done. Confirmation Letters need to be written, Confirmation Sponsor Forms have to be signed and service hours have to be completed. All of these requirements are spelled out clearly on multiple occasions, but they tell me there are always people who haven't followed through and at the last minute are not prepared. Sadly, when push comes to shove, they come in yelling.. It's almost like they say, “Gee, I haven't done what I was supposed to do, so I'm gonna go in swinging.”
The people in the Parish Center are good people, very dedicated people. Because we can't ever pay them what they are worth, their reward will be in heaven. All I ask is that when parishioners interact with our staff, they treat them in the same way they would want to
be treated. Please don't yell at them. I didn’t notice any sign outside the Parish Center which says “Having a bad day? Come yell at us.”
I don't want you to think that I am discouraged at all. Last Saturday,. the Polish Supper was an incredible success. On Sunday our religious education kids participated in the Stations of the Cross run by our LifeTeen Core Staff. It was beautiful and our young people were very respectful. Mass attendance was great last weekend. On Monday we heard the confessions of our 8thgrade students. They were so touching. At the School Board Meeting there was lots of good news to share about our school. On Tuesday, the Blood Bank sponsored by our Knights of Columbus was a huge success. The people who worked for the Red Cross were so grateful. We finally finished the Religious Education Confessions on Tuesday night with the 5thgrade.. It took almost two weeks, but it was worth every moment. We heard over 800 confessions of our young people. Fr. Michael's talk on the Bible was very well attended and received. No, I'm not discouraged at all.. I just ask the people to be nice.
Spring Time and Eagle Scouts
Spring is around the corner and I can't wait to begin digging in the garden. I even started looking at perennial catalogs. Patience is a virtue. As spring approaches, I have also been encouraged by the generous offer of two Eagle Scout candidates from our parish. They have offered to do their Eagle Scout projects for our benefit. I am working with the Building Committee to help come up with meaningful projects which will make a real difference for us. Every family that has celebrated the funeral of a loved one here at St. Paul Church has been grateful for the Eagle Scout project which did away with the mud and the dirt between the sidewalk and the curb in front of our Church and Friary.
Berlin is very fortunate to have so many young men and women involved in scouting. Several of our parishioners are involved as leaders in the local scout troops. If I start naming them I'll surely forget someone. If you know anyone who helps out with our local scouting program, please be sure to thank them for their sacrifices and excellent witness to our young people.
Open House
Last weekend our school held another open house. To our surprise 9 more prospective students were present. Of those 9, it seems that there is a good chance that 7 will be attending St. Paul School next year. So many young people are entering our 6thgrade that we are very very close to opening a waiting list. The other class numbers look good, too. Our School is a tremendous blessing for all of us and I'm happy that people are discovering what a blessing Saint Paul School is.