I Am With You in Spirit

This weekend I am in Wisconsin for my nephew Sam’s wedding. Sam is the oldest son of my sister Jean. Sam and his fiancé Ablavi live in the Twin Cities, but will be married in Milwaukee. I am saddened that this important family occasion conflicts with an important event of our parish: the 5th Annual Lourdes Block Party. When this conflict became apparent, I canvassed the opinions of a few staff members and a few parishioners. Those I consulted were unanimous: “you need to be with your family at your nephew’s wedding.” Certainly, the Lourdes community is my family too - so while I will not be present for Saturday’s Block Party, I will be with you all in Spirit. 

You will be in good hands for Saturday’s Mass and Block Party. Archbishop Hebda will be the presider and preacher at the Saturday 5 p.m. Mass - which will be followed by great food, live music, warm fellowship - and capped off by the amazing Aquatennial fireworks! Bring your family, invite a friend, and come join the happy party goers as they celebrate our great parish and neighborhood. I want to thank all the volunteers who spent countless hours organizing this year’s event. I especially want to thank Nancy Casey - Director of Fellowship for her leadership, vision and organization. Each year, Nancy’s dedication and leadership are indispensable to the success of the event. I also thank the parish staff for their behind the scenes support of the Block Party and for their commitment to run a smooth and successful parish event. 

During my time away from the parish this July, I will be co-officiating one nephew’s wedding and meeting with another nephew and his fiancé to begin planning their wedding which will take place this February in Milwaukee. I have 33 nieces and nephews and with only a few married, I will be doing many weddings in the near future. During this final period of July, I will spend some time in Northwestern Wisconsin on vacation and will also spend next weekend in Northern Wisconsin with parishioners.

One of my early stops is for an overnight in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, (35 miles West of Milwaukee).  My grandparents on my dad’s side lived in Oconomowoc on a small spring fed lake and I have very fond memories of our trips to Silver Lake. My grandfather was a physician in Milwaukee and would at times vex my grandmother by going on extended golfing and fishing vacations with his pals - always to send a simple postcard back home with the following greeting: “Regards, Joe.” My grandmother was a renaissance woman who climbed Mnt. Rainier at 18, was an accomplished painter at a young age, and was every bit as smart as my grandfather. No doubt, she regarded my grandfather’s extended vacations with “the boys” and attendant postcard an offense against justice.

Here at Our Lady of Lourdes, our sense and experience of family is very strong. I have noted a number of times during my pastorate that the parish community of Lourdes is a close family. We support one another, we worship together, we learn together, we serve together, and we grow in our faith together. Another aspect of Lourdes that I greatly appreciate is the age diversity and the fact that parishioners of various ages and backgrounds mix and mingle so effortlessly. All of these positive characteristics come together so beautifully at the Lourdes Block Party - where the community gathers to celebrate the gifts of: summer; our parish community; and the first neighborhood of Minneapolis. Indeed, a great combination!

So, as I bid you adieu, I do so as my late grandfather did years ago.

Regards,
Fr. Dan