Awesome weekend

When you think of a typical New England Fall weekend, I am sure different things pop into your mind. the colors of the leaves changing. Sweaters coming out. Crisp air that is filled with the sounds of crunching leaves.

Mine also included Homecoming at the local high school. It was filled with watching soccer games while eating burgers. Cheering at the football game while eating warm apple crisp. Seeing college kids who came back to cheer on their friends and prior classmates.

It was so much fun to be with the community. I saw students young and older. I was able to talk with parents and grandparents. I ate enough not to need dinner but when supporting our students, calories don't count! Right?

Another thing we do is get our gardens ready for winter. Some of the preparation includes planting bulbs to see the beauty of spring after what could be a long, dreary winter. So the next day our elementary students took 200 tulip bulbs and planted them all over the church property. Spring is going to be beautiful around the parish.

If you know something about the Catholic church you know a typical smell is that of incense. So after a day of breathing crisp air, burgers grilling and warm apple crisp, we moved into the church with the high school students. We had a 12th grader give an amazing powerful witness talk about how getting involved in church brought her friendships and connections but she struggled to find the connection. Yet one event over the summer was a huge "A HA" moment where she suddenly got it.

With the smell of burning incense, the lights low and flickering candles, Violet stood before her peers and talked about meeting Mary, the Mother of God over the summer. Violet was at the annual youth conference she had been on the past two summers. She went to go to confession and was given Holy Water to make the Sign of the Cross. in that moment she was doused with the smell of blooming roses. These were no ordinary, imitation rose perfume. She smelled being in a rose garden in the summer. She was struck that Mary might be trying to give her a sign. She frantically prayed her rosary saying "I am Here. What are you trying to tell me." She was directed to a Priest available for confession when she heard a loud "No" in her head. She let the person behind her go first. Another priest opened and she went to go to him but he pointed to a third priest she hadn't seen before. That priest said exactly what she needed to hear in the moment. After this she went to Adoration and listening to Hillsong Worships song "Who You Say I Am", she felt in the presence of Jesus. She sobbed and sang "in my father's house there is a place for me. I'm a child of God Yes I am I am chosen Not forsaken I am who You say I am". Violet had been struggling with a huge burden and in this moment she was able to release the stress and pressure and let it go.

This was a part of what she shared with our teens that night. She encouraged them to continue on their faith journey, to keep learning and listening and praying. I was there with Violet during the youth conference. I held her as she sobbed. I watched her singing and crying all at the same time. It was a very emotional moment for all who were with her. Listening to her share it with her peers, listening to her open up and challenge them was the perfect close to an amazing New England fall weekend.