My dear friends in Christ, happy Sunday!
I hope you are all enjoying these beautifully hot summer days and warm nights. Given that I have long thought that I must be part lizard, I am perfectly happy that our yearly anguish of June Gloom is over and done.
In the first place, I would like to express my gratitude to everyone who helped with my receptions over the past two weeks. While there are indeed many people to thank for these receptions, in particular I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to Norma Huerta for her assistance. Norma is a tireless worker, and with her team of volunteers who assisted her, she made both weeks’ receptions very special for me, and I felt truly welcomed. Thank you, Norma!
As I mentioned last week, from now on I will be providing you with a weekly survey of the many updates that have happened throughout the week from the side of the parish as we move forward together with hope in the Lord, and I will share these weekly developments with you in a short piece each week called: “Fr. Will’s Weekly Updates”. This Sunday’s Weekly Updates will be the second of many to come.
Let us continue to pray for each other, and especially for all those who are traveling in these summer months. As is prayed in the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, the Mass of the Byzantine Church, “For all who travel by sea, air, and land, let us pray to the Lord… Lord, have mercy!”
FR. WILL’S WEEKLY UPDATES:
In this week’s episode of “Everything You Wanted to Know About Black Mold But Were Afraid to Ask”… a Catholic priest explores the wonders of fungal spores!
Over the past two weeks, I have learned more about Asbestos Abatement and Black Mold Remediation than I ever thought I would want to know. And let me tell you: They don’t teach you this stuff in Seminary. We have many a theological course to take, and each one is important; however, I might suggest to the Seminary Formation Staff that from now on, training in attacking fungal spores and carcinogenic fibrous silicates should be high on the list of future required classes. And, my friends, let me tell you: Unfortunately, we have got a lot of fungal spores and carcinogenic fibers to deal with at our parish. They’re ubiquitous…but not for ever. As such, if you see men in Hazmat Suits from now on walking the campus, please know that these are soldiers in the war against our main OLG enemies: ἄσβεστος (Asbestos), and his friend, Stachybotrys chartarum—Black Mold! Now, before I continue, let me assure you that while the asbestos and mold are real, it is essential for you to know that we are all safe here, and even at present the campus is not a health risk. None of the asbestos has been disturbed—it is contained and safe—and we are actively dealing with the mold. In this regard, I would like to express my gratitude to Arturo Sanchez and his team for the significant work they have done in the past two weeks in collaborating with the Diocese as we move forward in hope.
Indeed, with the wonderful support of the Diocese, we are working assiduously in developing a plan to deal with the many intractable maintenance issues that have accrued over the years. This week saw multiple visits to OLG from both Diocesan officials and contractors to structure our battle plan against the aforementioned fungal and fibrous enemies. For instance, we have been testing walls, ceilings, and floors throughout the office, rectory, and church; and we have been doing drone studies of the roofing throughout the campus to see where water leaks may have contributed to our mold issues. We’re going to find out what we need to do to make OLG a safe and healthy environment, and we’re going to work towards that goal together.
In addition, asbestos and mold are not our only enemies here. You may have noticed the rather vile smell emanating from the men’s bathroom on the side of the church. In my own estimation, it can only be described as a spectacular combination of dead animal and ammonia. Not only to mention is that bathroom in a dire state, but we can now identify the source of that putrefaction. My friends, that is a sewer gas leak from a broken pipe. But fear not: Once again, the Diocese is with us in this, and we are working on a plan to remedy that gas leak as soon as possible, and to at least put a Band-Aid on that bathroom so that it can be usable without holding one’s breath. We will also look towards a more permanent solution, but it is important for us all to know that a real fix is quite a nut to crack, as the bathroom would not only have to be retrofitted for ADA compliance and the asbestos abated, but also, we would have to reconstruct the bathroom’s load bearing wall currently supporting the church edifice. As such, if anyone happens to have Elon Musk on speed dial, please do let me know as soon as possible.
While all these maintenance issues are certainly significant, with the Diocese’s support we are approaching these tasks with great hope and in a spirit of collaboration. Not only are we receiving significant attention from our Bishops, Vicars General, and others, but our staff is excited to be addressing these issues with a spirit of humor.
Please know of my prayers for you, and please pray for the staff of OLG.
Many blessings to you all!
Yours sincerely in the Lord,
Fr. Will