Kevin's Corner 02-14-10
BLACK HISTORY MONTH: A CALL ABOUT FATHER THEOBALD: The Archdiocesan newspaper, the Catholic Spirit, kicked off Black History Month with two very nice articles connected to our parish. One of them, concerning Father Stephen Theobald, prompted a phone call from Don Omodt. Twin Cities old timers will recognize the name of the retired sheriff of Hennepin County. He had a distinguished career in law enforcement, but his contact with Claver had nothing to do with that working life. Rather, he wanted to testify to the powerful spiritual reputation that Father Theobald enjoyed in the Omodt family. In a delightful conversation, Mr. Omodt recounted his mother’s regular visits to the old Saint Peter Claver Church for Mass, for confession, and especially for the Novena of the Little Flower. She was deeply moved by Father’s death from appendicitis (not uncommon in those pre-antibiotic days), and kept the Mass card from his funeral for the rest of her life. Don still has the card, and regularly imitates his mother in asking for Father Theobald’s intercession in his daily prayers. He and I had a delightful conversation, touching on other common friends. But the deepest bond was of admiration for a holy priest. Thank you, Father Theobald. Happy Black History Month, Claver members!
BLACK HISTORY MONTH: A COMMUNITY SING: Tomorrow (Monday) night offers a very special chance to delight in music from various African and African-American traditions. Dr. Ysaye Barnwell of Sweet Honey from the Rock is leading a Community Song Fest from 7:00 till 9:00 PM at First Covenant Church in downtown Minneapolis. Singers and non-singers alike are welcome. The event is free, but pre-registration is required. To reserve a spot, call 651-282-3135.
THE ARCHBISHOP AND THE COMMISSION OF BLACK CATHOLICS: Archbishop Nienstedt graciously hosted a getting-to-know-you dinner with African-American and African community leaders last Wednesday. Confident that the Archbishop and the Commissioners would hit it off on their own, I took the evening for dinner with my mother and some old friends. I have been told from all sides that the Archbishop’s dinner was an enjoyable evening – and so was mine! Parish members came back from the gathering with a renewed confidence that they have the Archbishop’s ear and his heart when they need to.
CATHOLIC SERVICES APPEAL: I will be talking more about this annual Appeal at Masses this weekend, but I wanted to add this endorsement in our bulletin, especially for those who are reading the bulletin electronically from home. Please know that the Catholic Services Appeal is by far the second biggest contribution I make each year, exceeded only by my donations to Saint Peter Claver School. I do not say that to pat myself on the back, but so that you will know how deeply I trust the causes for which the Services Appeal is a key support. “Nuff said!
SOME PRAYERS FOR LASHAWN: I learned a little over a week ago about the death of LaShawn Fairchild. She could not have been over 40 yet, but lupus took her life. LaShawn started coming to Saint Peter Claver in the late 1990’s: the Sisters of the Good Shepherd were helping her get her feet on the ground and they connected her to us. She was a very intelligent young woman with an enormous heart. She had also had a painful childhood, one result of which was that she loved men who were not capable of loving her back very well. One of the relatively few places in the world in which she felt safe was at Saint Peter Claver. Over the years she was confirmed here and had three of her four beautiful children baptized in our church. She was married here, although the marriage was not a success. She moved a few years ago to Colorado, but was in touch by phone from time to time and even visited again a few years ago. She experienced this life as a constant battle, and yet she kept on fighting, especially for her kids. Please pray that she find in heaven the peace the eluded her on earth. May she find joy and perfect love in God’s presence!
A “BREAD FOR THE WORLD” WORKSHOP: Next weekend we will have the privilege of hosting a workshop aimed at helping working people make ends meet. It takes place in our church hall from 2:30 to 4:30 PM. The workshop includes practical elements (how do I apply for an Earned Income Tax Credit?) and training for advocacy (including an overview of poverty in Minnesota). You can register for the seminar at the door. Please join us.
HOW FIRM A FOUNDATION: We received the exciting news that a very nice check will come before the end of the month of February. It includes our share of the first grant from the Pohlad family in support of Catholic urban education. We are anticipating a gift of about $75,000. That gift will help us reach our goal in one of the six areas of fundraising that we are doing each year in order to meet our outreach expenses (especially in support of our school). We are falling significantly behind, however, in one area – that of parish giving. You may recall the $10K challenge that we took on a little over a year ago. After a strong start, we have been falling a little further behind in recent months. Please stay the course – we are doing some excellent work, but we need all the support we can get!
We are not neglecting the young people of our parish and broader community, in spite of the need to pour so much energy into the school. The Parish Council heard a report this week about a new effort to coordinate some youth activities. Watch the bulletin for further news.