Beloved Family,
WOW! 75 years! This past Tuesday, June 9, would have marked the 75th wedding anniversary for my parents, Francis J. and Kathryn B. Moran. In fact, they lived to celebrate 36 years—Mom and Dad were substantially mature at the time they married, and my dad died in 1988.
On that same Tuesday, I had the opportunity for a pastoral visit with one of our farming families: David and Wanda Rohr. In the course of conversation, I asked, “How many years have you been married?” The response: 75 years. It was such a marvelous moment of providential connection! I imagined them, exchanging their wedding vows in the same year as my parents…in different churches in different states, and yet the same sacrament being ministered by them to each other—yes, the Church understands the man and woman, bride and groom, as the ministers of the sacrament—not the priest or deacon. God is so good!
More ministry by the numbers— even though we recognize that discipleship ought not to be assessed primarily in terms of mathematics. Sarah Nussbaum, our Director of Faith Formation, has shared with me that the final registration figure for the upcoming vacation Bible school in July is 93—that’s a fantastic testimony to families recognizing the importance and value of staying connected with faith formation in the summer months. While it was certainly good to bring various ecclesial communities together during the years when Wooster hosted “Downtown Vacation Bible School”, our collaboration with Saint Agnes in this effort, for the past five years has proven a very fruitful Catholic experience. My advance thanks to all involved in the planning and hosting.
This Sunday is Flag Day. The following comes from the Farmer’s Almanac:
What we know fondly as the “Stars and Stripes” was adopted by the Continental Congress as the official American flag on June 14, 1777, during the Revolutionary War. Colonial troops fought under many different flags with various symbols—rattlesnakes, pine trees, and eagles—and slogans— “Don’t Tread on Me,” “Liberty or Death,” and “Conquer or Die,” to name a few.
The Declaration of Independence made the adoption of an American flag necessary. Previously, each colony or special interest had its own flag. On that 14th of June, Congress made the Flag Resolution of 1777, stating: “The flag of the United States shall be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white, with a union of thirteen stars of white on a blue field …” The official announcement of the new flag was not made until Sept. 3, 1777.
“Flag Day” has been celebrated as a patriotic occasion for many decades, but President Woodrow Wilson made the observance official on May 30, 1916, by a presidential proclamation.
I would like to give a shout-out to parishioner Ronald James Hercules, who over the years has been steadfast in bringing to our attention when the American flag has not been displayed according to official protocol. While I believe we understand that our citizenship in the United States is subjugated to our citizenship within the People of God (In a Catholic school, the Pledge of Allegiance follows prayer.), still showing proper respect to an official symbol is an appropriate habit to cultivate.
Let His Peace be with you,
Fr. Stephen
