I made rounds of the development office, wishing staff a Happy Easter since everyone will have tomorrow off. This time of year, the incoming mail starts to slow down and they focus on cleaning up our lists, organizing materials and projects for the future. It’s our goal to answer every letter within 5 business days, and we’re able to do that pretty consistently.
I checked in on the maintenance staff on their break. On a very wet and dreary day, I found them to be tired of ‘rainy day’ projects and hoping to get back outside soon. They are just about finished with the Rooney Home remodel, and plan to have the students move in within the next week or so.
I spent time wandering the halls at school. 2:00 was the official dismissal time for Easter break, but only a handful of students after lunch. Some of our students have up to a four or five hour trip to get home, so their families came throughout the day to pick them up. As they came to the school office to check out I was able to meet and greet.
My praying for their health took on added meaning this year.
Tonight, I drove 30 miles west to Kennebec to preside at mass. To some who work in large urban churches, a crowd of two dozen might seem kind of sparse, but that represented about a third of the people who usually come on Sunday in the small, rural community. Parishioners came forward to help me reenact Jesus’ washing of his disciples’ feet, and remind us of the importance of serving others. Several people are ill and facing surgery, so we also celebrated the sacrament of the anointing of the sick. Many of the same people washed my feet in a figurative sense this past year as they have prayed and helped me through surgery and illness.
