June 13, 2004
Missing You...
Sommer
in the Summer
Got some things you’d like to ask a priest? Want to have a nice
conversation about God, the church, the world, the future? Like hosting
gatherings in your home? Got dessert? Then you’re a candidate
to host one of this year’s Sommer in the Summer sessions. Father
Ralph Sommer wants to visit folks throughout the parish throughout the
summer for as chance to hear what people are thinking, wondering about,
or questioning. The process is casual and simple. Pick a date with Father
Ralph (during the day...or evenings). Then invite friends or neighbors
to come. (Twelve people is a good number for this.) Tell them to prepare
some questions or topics they’d like to talk about. Get dessert.
This is a good way for a pastor to get to know folks in an informal
setting.
E-mail or call Father Ralph if you’d like to host.
At
College?
At St. Brigid’s we like to stay in touch through
e-mail “letters from home.”
Once a person has an e-mail address at school (or if he/she uses a personal
address), please let us know what it is so we can include them when
we write.
Here's a handy college link so you
can send this info online.
e-mail Father Ralph:
Past Columns:
June 6: Farewell Father
Leonard
May 30: Going & Coming
& Going
May 23: P.O.P.S.
May 16:
Celebrating
Our Parish
May 9: Facing the Future
May2: Resurrection Sequel
April 25: Chapel Design
April 18: Oh what a week!
April 11: Easter Life!
April 4: Palms & Passion
March 28: Plenty Good Room
March 21: More Passion
March 14: Reconciliation
March 7: A sequel from Mel?
Feb 29: Come to
Life!
Feb 22:
An Adventure to Life
Feb15: A rose
by another name?
Feb 8: If at first...
Feb 1: Our Patron Saint
Jan 25:A View From Inside
Jan 18: Our School
Jan 11: Baptism with Fire
Colums from 2003
Columns from 2002
Is
it my imagination or did Sunday church attendance suddenly drop off with
the coming of the nice weather? We’ve had some outstanding weekends
(weatherwise) and our usually crowded masses seem less so. (Plus we have
a couple of boxes of these bulletins left over each week.) Of course if
you’re reading this in the bulletin (and not online) you’re
already here and that’s good. These feasts of the Holy Trinity and
Corpus Christi are gifts from the church to honor God and celebrate us,
God’s people. I’m glad you’re part of the Sunday celebrations.
And even when we return to the “ordinary” Sundays of the summer,
God’s still here. Jesus still wants to live in you. Eucharist goes
on.
I don’t know what to do to
reach out to those who’ve “passed” on coming to the
church these past weekends. It’s not like I’m mad at them
-- I’m just missing them. I want to tell everybody “We’re
still open for business on Sundays!! Come praise God! Come, thank God!
Come experience the peace of God!”
In fact, I’ve always thought
that some of the most profound moments when God touches us happen when
we’re in that relaxed “summer mode”. Life’s pressures
seem less and we’re open to the movement of the Spirit in a different
way.
So I’m glad you’re
here. Keep on walking with the Lord and your sisters and brothers here.
And, if you could reach out to those who are missing, please do so. Don’t
lecture -- invite! You could cut out a copy of this letter and pass it
on. Or take a few extra bulletins with you (we certainly have enough!!)
and bring them to your friends and neighbors. Offer to give a ride, or
plan on meeting here for mass and then go out and enjoy breakfast or the
beach (or breakfast AND the beach).
And if you’re the lucky recipient of a copy of this column and you’ve
been away for a couple of weeks... c’mon back. We’ve got a
seat for you. We miss you.
You are Person
