Kevin's Corner 07-04-10
STARTING OUR NATION’S 235TH YEAR: For those of us who remember the Bicentennial of 1976, it is hard to fathom that another third of century has passed since then. And yet when one thinks of the volume of change in these intervening years, it is rather amazing. The basic legal battles of “liberty and justice for all” had officially been won in the 1960’s. Still, it is only in the last two or three decades that legal victories have been converted into daily practices of full citizenship for Americans of color. I thank God for the ongoing progress of freedom in our nation. May the next year see some concrete progress toward incorporating millions of hardworking immigrants and their families into the full promise of the United States. God bless America!
THE NEW PRINCIPAL IS ON BOARD: It has been hard not seeing Dr. Josie Johnson in the school/parish office daily. She finished her very generous work with us over a week ago. She passed the torch to Mr. Charles Vickers, our new principal. Charles was a teacher at Harvest Preparatory School/Seed Academy a few years ago when he became a member of our Parish Council. His leadership in Saint Peter Claver Parish made him a target for the recruitment efforts of Teresa Mardenborough and myself, and he soon decided to come on board at Claver School. Raised in Catholic schools, he brought a strong sense of mission and purpose to his teaching. From early on, he also let us know that he hoped to become an administrator some day. Last fall Dr. Johnson appointed him as her assistant principal, and he took over as principal in his own right with her return to retired status. Please pray for his success, his professional growth, and his continued commitment to our mission. Welcome aboard, Principal Vickers.
THE MINNESOTA MUSEUM OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY: The Vickers family has taken on another challenge as well. Sharon Kennedy Vickers, wife of our principal and mom of two lovely daughters, is one of the lead fundraisers for a new Minneapolis-based Museum dedicated to the rich history of our community. Although the Museum is not scheduled to open until late next year, I had a chance to see some of the early progress toward that goal last Monday. Josie Johnson was there as well. Are you interested in helping to support the development of the Minnesota Museum of African-American History? Talk to me and I will connect you to the right people!
TWO FAITH PARTNER GIFTS: The work of raising funds to support Saint Peter Claver School continues as well. During the just-completed school year (summer school ended last Wednesday) we made an appeal for help from some of our suburban-parish Catholic friends. In June we received a wonderful gift of $5000 from Saint Joseph’s Parish in Lino Lakes. The pastor, Father Mark Underdahl, sent a gracious note of encouragement as well. And just last Thursday we received $700 from the small parish of Saint Genevieve in Centerville. That gift included a $200 personal gift from the pastor, Father Tom Fitzgerald. Please pray for our benefactors, and for all who make our outreach work possible.
SOME WORK POSSIBILITIES: A simple informational flyer in the church entryway from WomenVenture may be of help. The organization helps women who want to train for career start-up or change, for building a business, or for financial literacy. They are particularly promoting a program called “Women Can Do It!”, focused on helping low income women find jobs in construction and trades, in information technology, and in green energy. There are training scholarships available. Please check out the vestibule flyer or call 651-646-3808 for more information.
AND A COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM: We have a friend inside the Minnesota Sate Colleges and Universities. Parish member Maria McLemore sent out word that there is a special matching scholarship available to students of color pursuing a four-year degree at one of our “state schools”. Some funds are still available for this fall. This scholarship is intended to extend the effectiveness of other community grants, like the gifts given last week by the Ladies of Peter Claver. If you want to know more, e-mail me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and I will connect you.
MY FIRST WEEKEND AT INCARNATION: Although I am present at Claver’s July 4 8:00 AM Sunday Mass, I am “missing in action” from Saturday’s 4:00 and Sunday’s 10:00. This is my inaugural weekend as administrator (acting pastor) of the Church of the Incarnation in South Minneapolis. As you know, I have been working with the Spanish-speaking community based in that parish for the last two years. But it is only now that I have the official platform from which to work more closely on a unified approach to pastoral care and to sharing the Good News in the neighborhood. I am imagining that there will be some bumps in the road, and I ask your prayer. Thanks too for your patience: I want to put a little extra time into Incarnation in order to get off to a good start.
A LETTER FROM A CLAVER GRANDMOTHER: The grandparents of two children in our parish school have been making a gift of $50 a month to support our work. A few days ago we received a check for $2050, with this note:
“I recently received some inheritance money from the sale of my parents’ home. They were always very committed to Catholic education and I’m sure they want us to continue that support. We are very impressed with Saint Peter Claver School. We feel the children are receiving a very Catholic education. It shows in the children’s behavior. We have had some incidents that needed attention. I felt that the staff was firm and fair (being sure to look at all sides), and showing concern and care for these young people. I think the children feel very secure and loved at this school. I always highly recommend Saint Peter Claver School when I talk to other people. I am enclosing a check for $2050.00. The fifty dollars are my monthly pledge. I sincerely hope to see Saint Peter Claver’s grow and thrive. The school is an asset to the community. Thank you and may God bless each of you”