My dear friends in Christ, happy Sunday!
As I mentioned in my first introduction to the parish, I am the happy owner of two Portuguese Water Dogs, Ralph (pronounced in the British style as “Rayf”) and Louie. One of the things I love about owning my two dingbat doggies is that they help me to take my mind off work, and sometimes in a rather forceful way. Just the other day, for instance, as I was finishing work and perhaps concentrating a bit too much, Louie raced into my room excitedly with his paws covered in mud. And let me tell you, that put an end to the rest of my “important work” for that day; instead, I had to fly into “mud clean-up” mode. And while I was initially quite frustrated with him for tracking dirt inside the house and requiring me to clean immediately, it was actually a graced moment for me. In God’s providence, which governs all things in time and space, Louie’s exuberant “mud moment” allowed me to take a step back from the mental energy and stress of parochial maintenance, and instead simply to do something menial for a helpless creature I happen to love.
I think God often allows such moments in our lives. Whether our vocations call us to marriage and family life, with all its joys and struggles, or whether we have chosen the celibate state with its blessings and concerns, we all need to occasionally step back and simply take care of the matter in front of us, even if it’s a matter full of grime. While we all have many real worries, by focusing on the here and now we can remember that, as Our Lord so beautifully puts it: “Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil” (Matt 6:34, NAB).
Oremus pro invicem—let us pray for each other—that we might always focus on living our vocations in the here and now, aware that God calls us to be holy in the present moment above all.
Speaking of living in the moment and being present to the daily tasks ahead of us, I have some exciting news to share. Drum roll, please…
After several years of pandemic related closures, from which OLG has been slowly emerging, I am delighted to inform you that our parish office is now back in business. Whereas until recently, we had very limited office hours, we are now open every weekday from 9am to 6pm, and soon we will also be able to open on Saturdays and Sundays as well. My sincere gratitude to our dedicated staff for being willing to rise to the occasion in this regard.
In addition to our increased office hours, I would like to take the opportunity in this edition of “Weekly Updates” to share with you the other “daily tasks” we have been engaged in, especially in terms of parish maintenance.
Firstly, to the ongoing asbestos/mold saga about which I have dedicated the last two “Weekly Updates”, I am happy to announce that we are actively developing a plan with the Diocese to abate the asbestos and remediate the mold. That is going to take some time, but I will keep you informed as we take care of it.
Secondly, in the past two weeks, we have contracted with the Diocesan approved asphalt repair company to take core samples of our asphalt. As you no doubt have noticed, our parking lot is not in good shape. Given that we intend to fix the problems in our lot in a lasting way, these core samples will indicate what we need to do, beyond a mere surface level treatment, such as a slurry seal.
Thirdly, on Monday, 7/31, the Diocesan approved general contractor will be coming to the parish to begin the initial work on the men’s bathroom on the side of the church, in which we have a nasty sewer gas leak. While a permanent fix to the bathroom is not possible at this time due to the significant cost involved (we would need to abate all the asbestos in the bathroom, remodel the bathroom for ADA compliance ((wheelchair access)), and remodel the load bearing wall), we will be making necessary repairs to create a usable space that no longer smells worse than a rest-stop porta-potty.
Fourthly and finally, I would like to share with you the happy developments in the Rectory. You may not know it, but the second floor in the Rectory (where Fr. Jake’s and Fr. Leonel’s rooms are located) was not in good shape. Firstly, Fr. Jake and Fr. Leonel had an air conditioning system that was locked at an uncomfortably high temperature and on a 4-hour long timer. As such, in the heat of the La Habra summer, they were living in an untenable situation. With the Diocese’s support, we fixed this at the beginning of July, mere days after my assignment began. Secondly, however, this past week, the Diocesan approved contractor for flooring replaced the entire floor on the second story of the Rectory, which previously was covered with a fetid teal carpet covered in dog poop stains from years past (not from my dogs). Now, the upstairs floor, including the floor in Fr. Jake’s and Fr. Leonel’s rooms, and in the upstairs guest room, is a new high quality waterproof vinyl floor that will last for years to come. I offer the following before and after pictures of the changes for your awareness and perusal.
Thank you for your patience as we work together to move towards a future full of hope for this parish and community. Many blessings to you all!
Yours sincerely in the Lord,
Fr. Will