January 15: From the Pastor's Desk...

My Dear Parishioners,

We now begin our annual trip through Ordinary Time, but before we leave Christmas behind, I want to share a story with you. The theme of my Christmas homily this year was the statement that “Christmas is a time for Miracles” and I encouraged you to look for yours. Little did I know that I, too, would have a Christmas miracle.

You may remember that I had had a gold chain around my neck on which was a gold Celtic cross and my tiny baby ring that was given to me on the day of my Baptism by my Godparents back in the year 1937. I cherished both of these items. About a year and a half ago, I discovered one afternoon that my gold chain was no longer around my neck and it, the cross, and the ring were gone. I believed that I had probably lost it because the chain broke while I was out doing some shopping. I called stores, but no one had turned in a chain, cross, or tiny ring. The cross was especially precious to me because it was a gift from my best friend and priest mentor, Fr. Bob Sliben (now deceased).

After a while, I accepted the fact that all three were gone, lost, and consigned to my memory. On Friday, January 6th, the Feast of the Epiphany (celebrated by the church last weekend), I was returning from retreat at the Abbey. While I was away some work was done on my bathroom in the rectory – painting, installation of a new medicine cabinet, etc. Mary Neckuty was putting the bathroom back together for me and accidentally dropped brackets for the cabinet shelves behind the radiator cover. She got some help and they removed the cover. In the process of cleaning behind the radiator, she saw something, reached for it, and discovered it was my long lost chain, cross, and ring. When I entered the rectory, they were waiting for me in Lori’s office and I immediately thought something had happened but they asked me to sit down, hold out my hand, and Mary placed the chain, cross, and ring in my palm. Tears came to my eyes and we all smiled. On the feast of what is commonly called “Little Christmas” I received my “CHRISTMAS MIRACLE.”

Please remember that our school’s 8th grade class is sponsoring their Annual Spaghetti Dinner this coming Saturday, January 21st. Kindly support their fundraising project which will enable them to take their 8th grade class trip this Spring. Also please mark your calendars that “Catholic Schools Week” begins Sunday, January 29th, and continues throughout the week. More information is available in this week’s bulletin and also next week’s. Take pride that we here at Holy Cross have an outstanding School!

Oremus pro invicem,
Fr. Tom

Related link: 1.15.12 Church Bulletin