Kevin's Corner 11-16-08
Written by Fr. Kevin McDonough
GOODBYE, MR. ZENO: Mr. Royal Zeno died last Saturday morning. He was 90 years old, and his daughter Rosemary and I agreed that he lived about 180 years in those ninety. He was first and last a family man, dedicated to helping them achieve a life of dignity and purpose. He was also a hard worker, who did what was necessary to make a living, mostly shining shoes and attending to the simple needs of people’s days. He was also a fundamentally good-humored individual – he had stories to share but never imposed them on anyone. His funeral will be here at our church tomorrow (Monday) at 12:00 noon. Join us if you can. Pray for him if you cannot be here.
HAPPY VETERANS’ DAY (BELATED): In this column last week I was so busy writing about events of November 4 that I did not have space to thank our veterans. We did pray for you on November 11, which is not only Veterans’ Day but also the Feast of Saint Martin of Tours, patron saint of soldiers. We continue to lift up the family members of our parish who are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan – God keep them safe and bring us peace.
THANK YOU, JAZZ BRUNCHERS: Many thanks to the organizers, cooks, and musicians who made last Sunday’s third annual Jazz Brunch a wonderful event. There was one down side to the whole thing, however. So many of us were tired after the exertions of campaign season and election watching – the most common thing I heard as I visited tables was: “I am going home to take a nap!” It really is a wonderful event, however, and I hope we can find just the right time of year so that we get an excellent turn-out. It deserves to be a tradition – thanks to all who have gotten us started. And a special acknowledgement to three talented young men who kept it cool!
COUNCIL MEETING: The Parish Council has our quarterly meeting this Tuesday evening. If you have concerns about anything in parish life or in the broader community we are serving, please either make them known to a Council member (names are on the front of this bulletin) or come to the meeting yourself (6:00 PM Tuesday in the rectory). The first business item on our agenda (after prayer) is to hear any parishioner’s concerns that have been brought to Council members. Of course, our major focus this week will be continued attention to our progress in meeting the funding challenge of our school. Watch this space for more news about the discussions we will have under the capable leadership of Council chair, Sister Sharon Howell.
THE END OF MY “ROLLING SABBATICAL”: I have kept you posted about the extra time I was taking in recent months to reflect on my life and ministry and to reconnect with my family. As you may recall, this has been a momentous year for me, with the death of my dad and some major changes in my ministerial life. I did not want to let such events pass without looking backwards in gratitude and forward in hope. That has meant that I have been absent from Claver more than you may have expected, and I am grateful for your patience. I am also grateful to have had such important time. Here are a few things I learned (and relearned). First, I am related to an extraordinarily fine group of human beings. I spent extended periods in the homes of several siblings and other relatives: they are all fun, prayerful, intelligent, servant-minded, family-oriented people (thanks, mom and dad!). Second, I have enjoyed a very rich ministerial life over the last two decades. Of course, our parish has been at the heart of that richness, but I am also grateful for the chance to make some impact on the Twin Cities, and even beyond, through 21 years in archdiocesan leadership. I am ready now to let go of that work and look forward to my future. And third, I am honored to be a priest. I am nearing my thirtieth anniversary, and I love this priesthood of Jesus and his Church now more than I did in 1980. Not a bad journey! Thank you for sharing it with me.
HOW FIRM A FOUNDATION: Those not a church last weekend did not hear Father McDonough announce an extraordinary gift of $100,000 in support of our school. That gift was given before Halloween, and was intended to help us meet the ongoing operating challenges in education and economically-challenged group of students. It does not solve all our problems by any means. But it gives us some breathing room. Thank you so much, anonymous donors!
Claver’s 8th graders attended a special event this week sponsored by the Minneapolis YWCA. The annual “It’s Time To Talk” Luncheon has become a tradition for our oldest students. They enjoy a nice meal and an opportunity to meet community leaders. Best of all, they talk about how to combat racism in our Twin Cities community. Father Kevin and Ms. Mardenborough joined them for the event, and reported that the students participated beautifully and talked insightfully. You would have been proud of them!
The first trimester of the school year finished last Friday, and parents will be in for conferences most of the week ahead. Some students are receiving stellar reports, and others have significant deficits to face. All will be challenging. Please pray for productive parent-teacher meetings.