As a little pre-Thanksgiving surprise, we welcome back Deacon Jeremiah Hahn this weekend! The governor of the state up north declared that colleges and universities had to shift to completing the semester remotely a week earlier than had already been planned by Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, where Deacon Jeremiah has been studying. He and the other seminarians there have remained on campus essentially this whole semester without the usual fall midterm break. They did go to designated parishes for pastoral ministry experiences or to stores off-campus with special permission. “Deacon Jeremiah, welcome back to Christ Our Light Parish!”
And, please note that Deacon Jeremiah is planning a faith formation presentation open to the parish as one of his course requirements. So, please stay tuned because we get to be part of his classroom experience!
There is also a notable silver lining with this year’s Turkey Trot shifting to an all-virtual event. Now, you can complete a 3.1 mile/5 kilometer run and/or walk anytime and anywhere between Saturday, November 21st and Saturday, November 28th. Then, you go to the website and post your time. For all who register, you are also eligible to win one of the usual annual prizes: a wreath or Theo’s pie. The silver lining is that now all of us, even those of us who are not quite as fleet of foot as we used to be, have the potential to win one of the pies or wreaths. Even though the Theo’s prize will likely be a gift certificate, it could still be used to obtain one of their pies. Anyway, hopefully the flexibility and the silver lining will encourage participation by as many as possible. Go here to register: www.muskingummultisports.com.
When you drive through the alley between 7th and 8th Streets to where it crosses Gomber Avenue (by our parish rectory), please note that the landscaping there in front of the rectory has been greatly simplified. I hope that will improve visibility and safety for entering Gomber Avenue. In time the area where those rose bushes had been will fill in with a simple grass lawn.
Please note also – if you haven’t already discovered – that the angle for passing from the alley onto that road is still steep and can cause the bottom of your vehicle to scrape if you drive too quickly. If you can safely enter Gomber Avenue at a slight angle, one front wheel at a time, that helps to avoid scraping the bottom!
Finally, because of the increasing coronavirus cautiousness at this time, we are not planning to have an Advent Penance Service this year. However, we will expand the time for confessions on Saturdays and will be posting additional days and times for confession. You can always request to schedule confession individually at a time that is best for you. So, please do not hesitate to contact me if that is your best option this year.
May the Lord continue to bless us with joy and peace as disciples of Jesus and to help us to be always ready for the gift of eternal life in Heaven!