Reliving My Childhood Through Doughnuts

Many of you know that I hail from Vandalia, which is a suburb of Dayton. Vandalia is known for many things: the Dayton Airport, the Air Show… well maybe that is about it. There is actually one other thing that people know about Vandalia – Jim’s Doughnut Shop. On US 40 there is a shop that is normally open 24/7 (I think hours are reduced due to labor shortages at the moment) selling some of America’s finest breakfast pastries. I have lots of fond memories riding my bike to Jim’s, meeting friends, and simply asking the employee, “What is still warm from the fryer?”

Doughnuts carry fond childhood memories for me and my family. It may even be the reason that my older brother became a police officer, although I think there may be a couple other reasons. Outside of my own love for Jim’s Doughnuts, our parish would have monthly coffee and doughnuts in the church basement. It provided an opportunity to stick around and visit after Mass. We kids enjoyed the sugar and catching up with friends about the weekend activities and what we learned at CCD.

One of the very important lessons that it taught was that our fellowship flowed from Mass. As St. Paul says, ”Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread” (1 Corinthians 10:17). Our fellowship and life as a parish community flows from the Mass. Because we shared in the Holy Eucharist, our parish has life. We are brothers and sisters in the Lord because we all share the same blood line, the blood of Jesus Christ.

There is a connection between worship, the Mass, and building a community that we want to foster, especially during this Year of the Eucharist. With this in mind, we will be starting a monthly Doughnut Sunday on the third Sunday beginning August 15th. For now it will occur after all four Sunday morning Masses. I hope and pray that these will be opportunities to strengthen the parish family after we have all received a gift far greater than doughnuts, the Most Holy Eucharist.

Building a parish community is important and is the responsibility of us all. We all desire our parishes to be places of love, support, fellowship, and community. Now is the time to take 20 or 30 minutes after Mass to strengthen the parish community. I am asking you to attend; the parish is better if you attend.

I am also asking people to assist with the monthly doughnut Sundays. It will take people to transport doughnuts, set up the hall/basement, brew coffee, and clean up afterwards. Pastoral Council is working to gather volunteers and get the ball rolling. If you or your family would like to help, you can email or call Beth Klopfenstein (bklopfenstein@petersburgparishes.org) and she’ll make sure that you are on the list. Thank you for your generosity in advance.

Finally maybe you noticed that the first coffee and doughnuts will take place on August 15th, which is the Solemnity of Mary’s Assumption into heaven. It seems like a providential day to begin coffee and doughnuts. We can celebrate the intercession and the Queenship of Mary with a doughnut and by visiting with our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Sincerely in Christ,
Fr. Sean Wilson