APRIL 23, 2006

"Well, I have good news," says the surgeon to me in the recovery room after my knee operation on Monday. "The good news is that you don't have a torn meniscus, as the MRI showed. The bad news is that you have a chondral defect (like a divot gouged out of the bone in the knee). The good news is that we fixed it by cleaning everything out and prepped it for regrowth of cartilage. The bad news is that you will be on crutches for a least the next 4 weeks."

I am grateful to everyone for their prayers, good wishes and offers of help by way of food, books, DVD's and such. I am most grateful to my brother clergy who will take up the slack while I am partially immobilized. With things like First Communion, Mother's Day, my ordination class reunion which our parish will host, Confirmation, the resumption of Sunday School and the Youth Mass, and the ordinary sacramental life of the parish in store, I will not be as mobile and present as I have been since being assigned here at Christmas. Most of what will go on publicly will have to go on without me, and the other clergy as well as perhaps a visitor or two will be covering those events. (Of course, one wag speculated that the parish had "overdosed" on me anyway in the past four months and could probably use the break. Thank you!)

I am also grateful to all of you who made my first Holy Week here such a prayerful and joyful celebration. I could not have been happier with the attendance, cooperation and participation. All the numbers for all of the services were substantially higher than in recent years, with the exception of the Easter Vigil. Admittedly, it was at an inconvenient (though appropriate) time, but nonetheless vigorously observed with the smaller number of attendees. And they were all true celebrations: pious, enthusiastic and filled with joy (and fun).

It was disappointing that the ramp and paving and bathrooms were not ready for Easter, but good progress is being made on them this week, and I am confident that they will be operative in time for First Communion and Mother's Day. We did in fact have the first challenge grant of $50,000 met with our share of $25,000 in parish contributions. The total for these projects is now approaching another $75,000, and I have asked the anonymous donors to renew the 2 for 1 challenge for another $50,000 if we raise another $25,000. In fact, we are already almost halfway to our second share, so please keep the contributions coming in so we can have all of it paid off when all the work of this stage is completed. Some of the contributions were in kind, such as two catch basins from CCI, our neighbors at the Bryant Cement Company, and extra work beyond contract from the Paverite Company who did the asphalt, and some emergency stump removal from Naughton Tree Company. They are all local businesses who have invested in the community by investing in our church with these contributed services, and we recommend them to your consideration when you need materials and expertise that they can supply. Even our friends in the railroad repair crew bailed us out of a tough situation by helping us get out materials to the site. And the local officials and inspectors have been quite helpful and patient with us in terms of codes and requirements, seeing to it that we get the job done right, but that we get it done in a timely fashion. It has been a trying but rewarding experience so far.

I will not be idle during my recuperation period. I will not be able to drive or to get around very easily, but I have computers in both my office at MOS and my bedroom at St. Mary, and I will be doing as much work as your Pastor as I am able. I just will not be so visible. And I will try to be on the Mass schedule as soon as I can, even if I have to preach and celebrate sitting on a barstool in the sanctuary. (Anybody know where I can borrow a nice padded one, with a wide swivel seat, back and arms?)

Jesus Christ is Risen, Alleluia!