It was a good experience! I am referring to the experience I had of going to the Balboa Baptist Outreach Center on Wednesday, January 20 to volunteer with some of my brother Knights at an all day gathering to inoculate people with the vaccine to combat the coronavirus. I was also blessed as a volunteer to get my first shot (with my second being scheduled for February 10). Though I had never been in this facility before, I was welcomed and was made to feel at home. I wore my clergy shirt with a red pullover Knights of Columbus shirt to identify myself as belonging to that group of volunteers, but make no mistake, it was clearly seen that I was a Catholic priest. My duty for almost two hours was to collect the forms that the people who were getting their first shot filled out and make sure their form had their Medicare information on it and that they had the cards they needed in preparation for their next appointment. That part was routine, and I was pleasantly touched by the friendly comments and expressions of thanks to me as a volunteer who was doing this simple task. During the two hours I was there I was introduced to a number of people by Bill Nosek who was our Knights of Columbus "point man" for this effort and had nice encounters with these individuals including the "head honcho" from Health Mart who did a great job organizing this event and getting around 1,000 people vaccinated both Wednesday and Thursday. I offered our lower hall if they need another facility for future inoculations and he seemed to appreciate the offer.
I describe all this to you in my pastor's column because this took place during the annual "Week of Prayer for Christian Unity." Even as we pray for Christian unity in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord not just that week but continually, it is important that our actions give witness to our desire for Christian unity in what we do to give witness to to our faith. I was completely comfortable being in the "Baptist" facility I was in and felt no negativity coming from anyone there.
Since we just finished remembering the Roe v Wade decision of the Supreme Court legalizing abortion in our country, I am happy to recall the efforts of multiple Christian Churches in the Village including our own during the month of September through the crosses placed on Church grounds to recognize the many innocent lives that are lost each year through abortion.
Of course the cry and prayers for unity need to continue as well within the Catholic Church as a whole as the recent election sadly highlighted a lack of unity among Catholics in the votes that were cast and sadly in the negative feelings that are expressed toward those that didn't vote the way they should have voted. Let's pray that the virtue of love will take root and grow in everyone, especially Catholics and show itself in the way we speak of and treat one another, including our Church and elected officials!
I describe all this to you in my pastor's column because this took place during the annual "Week of Prayer for Christian Unity." Even as we pray for Christian unity in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord not just that week but continually, it is important that our actions give witness to our desire for Christian unity in what we do to give witness to to our faith. I was completely comfortable being in the "Baptist" facility I was in and felt no negativity coming from anyone there.
Since we just finished remembering the Roe v Wade decision of the Supreme Court legalizing abortion in our country, I am happy to recall the efforts of multiple Christian Churches in the Village including our own during the month of September through the crosses placed on Church grounds to recognize the many innocent lives that are lost each year through abortion.
Of course the cry and prayers for unity need to continue as well within the Catholic Church as a whole as the recent election sadly highlighted a lack of unity among Catholics in the votes that were cast and sadly in the negative feelings that are expressed toward those that didn't vote the way they should have voted. Let's pray that the virtue of love will take root and grow in everyone, especially Catholics and show itself in the way we speak of and treat one another, including our Church and elected officials!