Dear Fellow Parishioners, Several people have asked, “And how are you doing in all this?” Others have been attentive to the prayers on the weekend, “Is the Fr. Charlie we prayed for at Mass your friend from Haiti?” And someone made note, “Your homilies have been addressing the larger picture of our nation, and not just individual preparation this Advent.” So how am I doing? This is a very challenging time for us all, and when I hear some people believing that this pandemic is a hoax, wearing masks infringes on my freedom, let the most vulnerable die through herd immunity… I just shake my head in disbelief.
My experience is firsthand, beginning with the graveside services for parishioners from March through mid-May. So many personal losses have come my way. My sister-in-law Mary’s sister died of Covid-19 and I was the celebrant and homilist at her funeral. Our parish lost Frank Rummo to Covid-19 in April and then last Saturday I received a call from the Oblate Infirmary informing me that Fr. Charlie Heon, whom I served with in Haiti for the seven years I lived there, and the many years I worked on and off in Haiti from 1987-2001 was Covid positive. Within three days he was dead. He wanted me to preach at his funeral, but the Oblate facility is on lockdown due to the pandemic.
I serve on the Board of Trustees and am on the leadership team for Friends of the Gladys E. Kelly Library in Webster. Two weeks ago, Amanda Grenier, our Library Director died of an aneurism. She was 37 years old. I have had to “anoint” dying Covid-19 patients via Zoom. It is awful to pray with a family and not be able to be with them physically.
I feel surrounded by death. I am in contact with the people on our prayers list, and the loneliness, isolation, and lack of contact with family members is loud and clear even through a phone call.
What a year it is, and it’s not over yet! How am I doing? In the midst of it all I am trying to stay healthy, so our parish can continue to proclaim the Word of God. I am trying to stay safe and sane tuning into the words of the Prophet Isaiah, “Comfort, give comfort to my people says the Lord!” And the promise of “A year of favor from the Lord!” As the calendar moves to 2021, may a vaccine and continued diligence make that year of favor a reality!