Time Outside of Time

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Hartford CT – About 60 people showed up for our Donor Appreciation Luncheon. We had a lively crowd which asked lots of questions, and were fun to visit with. At some gatherings we ran into a lot of folks who’ve made the trip out to South Dakota, but in this group there was only one. The rest were so excited about meeting staff and students. And it’s always a pleasure for us to say thank you in person for their generosity which makes our work with the students possible.

Lunch with compassionate donors.

In the evening we walked to St. Patrick / St. Anthony for church. The parish was celebrating 20 years of Franciscan presence. We encountered a full church, active participation and incredible music. The cantors sounded like Broadway stars. The songs based on St. Francis’ praise of Mother Earth, Brothers Wind, Air, Fire and Water reminded me of the themes common to Lakota spirituality.

Dean told me that for him the hour long mass flew by, which is a real compliment coming from a High School boy.  When you enter into a good prayer experience, the time often seems over before you know it – time outside of time.

We found a restaurant that had plenty of TV screens to follow some college football games. One of my travel rules is that the students have to try some new kinds of foods each day, and we jointly decided that the calamari on the menu looked like an interesting appetizer. The students weren’t too sure when they saw what it looked like, but once they started, we cleaned the whole plate in no time. Then we took an evening stroll and took in the sights and sounds of downtown on a crisp, cool night.

Author: St. Joseph's Indian School

At St. Joseph's Indian School, our privately-funded programs for Lakota (Sioux) children in need have evolved over 90 years of family partnership, experience and education. Because of generous friends who share tax-deductible donations, Native American youth receive a safe, stable home life; individual counseling and guidance; carefully planned curriculum based on Lakota culture and individual student needs and tools to help build confidence, boost self-esteem and improve cultural awareness. All of this helps children to live a bright, productive, possibility-filled future. View all posts by St. Joseph's Indian School