Preparing for Departure

I am writing this bulletin article while sitting near the gate at the Dayton International Airport. The first 30 minutes of the trip has already been superb. I flew through security and was given an exit row seat. When you’re 6’4” the bonus legroom is a gift from the Lord.

I’m not the only one preparing for departure. Our seminarian intern Alex Dugas leaves for his summer parish on the west side of Cincinnati on May 7th. It is amazing how fast these past few months have gone; it seems like he has just arrived. It is wonderful to see how relationships form and appreciation has grown between him, myself, the staff, and parishioners.

We will have a goodbye party for Alex on Sunday, May 2nd from 1:30pm to 3:30pm in the Immaculate Conception basement. Please plan on stopping by to say goodbye (for now). This won’t be the last you’ll see Alex. Since he has two years left in the seminary before his priesthood ordination in May 2023, he will be back (or at least he better come back!).

If things go according to the normal trajectory, he will be ordained a deacon in April 2022 and be back a a bit for the summer to preach, baptize, and laugh at my dumb jokes. Please continue to pray for him as he continues his journey to the priesthood.

Alex was heavily involved in the Sunday afternoon Holy Hours and Evening Prayer at St. John and St. Lawrence. You may have noticed that those haven’t restarted since Easter. With Alex leaving and diminished attendance we decided not to restart them. Also the 6:00pm Sunday night Mass adds another regular evening event at the parishes. The Sunday Holy Hours were instituted in the Fall before Sunday Mass was held at St. John and St. Lawrence. We began it to have something on Sundays at the parish.

The Holy Hours were a great blessing to the parish. Many in the parish became familiar with the Liturgy of the Hours which is the official prayer of the Church. I know many people appreciated praying the psalms of the Liturgy of the Hours. The books that we used were donated by the St. Thomas More House of Prayer and a generous parishioner. If anyone would like to utilize these books for their family or personal use, we will make them available for you.

As Alex is leaving, please keep him in your prayers. Also if you have a chance to say goodbye over the next couple weeks, please do so; I’m sure that he would appreciate it.

Sincerely in Christ,
Fr. Sean Wilson