Friday, May 28, 2021
Tuesday, May 25, 2021
ANNOUNCING MY NEXT "CLOSER TO HOME" VOLUNTEER PROJECT
Maybe you saw the movie, TRIP TO BOUNTIFUL, starring Geraldine Page, about an old lady who yearns to visit her childhood hometown of Bountiful, Texas, one more time before she dies. She outwits her relatives who try to stop her and makes the trip only to see how decimated it had become. I loved that movie and I have watched it several time. The dialogue was so familiar to me in places.
After six years, when it became obvious that it was time to "retire" last January from my Caribbean mission organization "Catholic Second Wind Guild," I promised myself that I would find a service project "closer to home."
After praying over it for a few weeks, like I always do when I need direction, it "came to me" one evening in late January. I remembered an old dream of mine from 1993 involving my home parish of Saint Theresa. Over lunch on February 19, I asked my cousin, Father Bob Ray, to make another big return "Trip to Bountiful" as a team. I asked him to join me, in our retirement years, in offering our services to our home parish of Saint Theresa of Avila down in Rhodelia. We are both from that parish and both of us are retired. He was ordained in 1969 and I was ordained in 1970.
I asked him to establish a new "alumni" organization of those who were once members of our parish, those who attended the "old academy" or the "new school," those who have since moved away and anyone interested in this sacred place and its spiritual tradition. There are hundreds and hundreds of such "alumni" and "friends" whose hearts are connected to old Saint Theresa Church founded in 1818. The Sisters of Charity served there for 123 years and the Sisters of Loretto three years before them. I promised to lead an effort to turn the old school building in a new parish family life center.
On February 27, I met with Father George, pastor of Saint Theresa, along with Deacons Beavin and Sears, to propose the general ideas of the SAINT THERESA HERITAGE PARTNERS and the SAINT THERESA FAMILY LIFE CENTER as well as Father Ray's and my involvement.
On May 6, Father Ray and I met with the Parish Council and received their initial blessing for the ideas we proposed. We plan to meet with them periodically as the plans unfold.
On May 23, at the Mass celebrating my 50+1 priesthood anniversary, we officially announced our plans to the Saint Theresa parishioners for these two projects and a large initial gift in honor of both of our priesthood anniversaries - mine last year (2020) and his the year before (2019).
Below is an outline of our proposed involvement. While Father Ray is working on the foundation of the SAINT THERESA HERITAGE PARTNERS, I volunteered to work on the renovation of our parish school (closed in 1993) into a new SAINT THERESA FAMILY LIFE CENTER as its first project.
A PARISH, ACADEMY AND SCHOOL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
Protecting A Rich History – Securing A Prosperous Future
• to help our many former
parishioners and their families stay connected to their spiritual roots.
• to preserve our sacred
history and to help ensure its survival into the next generations.
• to assist our present
parishioners maintain their present ministries and be able to afford to expand
into new ones.
• to assist the parish in
strengthening the faith and family life of its present members through support
programs for married couples, singles, seniors, youth and the community at
large.
• to assist in offering a
gathering place for hosting formation programs from the diocese and community
at large
• to assist the parish by being
an organization located within the present parish structures, not being an
organization disconnected from, nor in competition with, the parish.
OUR FIRST PROJECT
will be to turn
Saint Theresa School later Cross Roads School
into
Saint Theresa Family Life Center
(first, but not final, construction proposal)
Interested in helping make this vision a reality?
Interested in being updated about ongoing developments?
BECOME A MEMBER
and
TELL US MORE IN THE IN THE COMMENT BOX BELOW
or contact Father Knott or Father Ray directly
jrknott@bellsouth.net
502-303-4571
rray@twc.com
502-216-9290
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT
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