I’ve been attending Newman since 1988 … 7:30 am mass … and will turn 80 this summer. I’m a member of the Parish Council and a liaison member to the Finance Council. 

I attended a Parish Council meeting the other evening via Zoom! Good to listen, talk and connect. We went around the ‘virtual table’ and responded to Amanda’s (our chair) question … ’How are you doing?’ Most answered by talking about ‘what they are doing’. I shared that I was baking bread and sharing a loaf with neighbors. And … being older … doing my part by sheltering in place so as to not get the virus and be a burden on the medical system. 

Fr. Ivan shared on the state of the parish … with more questions posed than usual. The consensus was, as expressed by Jimmy O, et al … that we (representing the parish) appreciate the priests efforts, masses on-line, the email blasts, and any and all communication … the more the better. 

The meeting was fulfilling and productive. There was a surprise ending … thanks to Jimmy C … who suggested for the closing prayer … we go around the virtual table … and each share our intention. I had not experienced the like of such group prayer before … i.e. folks sharing their personal conversation with God in a group … during a pandemic! Amazing grace! 

Thinking since … a pandemic deserves that each of us share with as many as will listen our state and plea. Our response to the question ‘how are you doing?’ in prayer form. I don’t know about you … I’m not asking God to eliminate the pandemic and it’s effects … rather … I want God to hear my condition … which is … overwhelmed, confused, empty, wanting to know how this will end? My plea for Help! 

For the first time ever … I’m experiencing a life situation … without precedent … that is mind blowing! I can’t help wonder (not logical) if this is an act of God? I was raised a catholic (pre-Vatican II) and attended parochial schools. I’ve done spiritual work since … including the 40 day silent retreat ‘The Saint Ignatius Spiritual Exercises’. I believe in … ‘God is/in All Things’ and have not felt alone since.

 Currently I’m having feelings I do not have words for … sad, angry, fearful … do not express where I’m at! I’m feeling like I imagine what ‘the deer in the headlights feels’ … ‘what’s coming at me?’. Am I going to die? Am I going to cause pain? How’s this going to end? It’s being in the moment before the moment. Without breath … alert, awake, wide eyed, anticipating … what next? Prayer is difficult because my typical prayers seem so lame and inadequate? 

This is a first time experience! Logically (I’m an engineer) there’s enough data to understand trends and predict outcomes? Not really! We are still in an exponential phase … the exponent is greater than one … and there’s no end in sight … for the global population! A few days ago 1,000,000 folks have/had the virus, now 2,000,000 have/had the virus … the curve is flattening for some … while the curve is just starting for others. The economy is tanked which may have an effect worse than the virus … mind blowing! We are in a situation where we (the majority) can’t roll up our sleeves to help. 

What we can do? … Share our feelings and connect with others … share our personal intentions! 

Peace, Love and Courage, Walt

Walt is a parishioner who typically attends the 7:30am Mass with his wife, Maggie. If there was something broken at Newman - a door, cabinet, or light switch - that is suddenly fixed, there’s a good chance it was Walt’s handiwork. Walt and his friend, John, normally set up our large baptismal font for the Easter Vigil and fill it with warm water, so as not to shock our Elect celebrating baptisms. Walt is also on our Parish Council, Parish Finance Council, and Parish Building & Grounds Committee.