I want to call attention to two upcoming events that I believe deserve your attention.
The first is this upcoming Saturday: we are hosting Glen Faulkner, the Diocesan security consultant, to give a workshop on parish security. The workshop will run from 9:30 am to 11:30 am. Mr. Faulkner will discuss security principles in general, as well as the particular circumstances at St. Stephen’s. He has extensive experience with our parish, having met with Fr. Curtis for many, many hours over the last four years, either overviewing security practices at the parish or assisting with concrete scenarios as they have arisen.
I am very grateful to Mr. Faulkner, but even more grateful to the men that keep a watchful eye on the parish on Sundays and at our major parish events. These men give their time on a regular basis (usually, assisting at one Mass and staying for another) and have in principle assented to place themselves in harm’s way on behalf of their fellow parishioners. Their service has a tangible effect on Sundays, where their presence has secured a peaceful environment for families to give fitting worship to God and to spend time with one another.
They are stretched pretty thin, however. Earlier this year I wrote a lengthy article about service to the parish. The security and usher teams would be a place that I would most highly encourage the men of the parish to serve. Please consider it.
Photo from the Chesterton Event of 2024
The other upcoming item is the Chesterton Event. This year, we are being joined by Dale Ahlquist and Joseph Pearce. Dale is the greatest living authority on G. K. Chesterton; he was employed by EWTN for a show dedicated to him, he has written extensively on his works, and he is the founder of the rapidly spreading Chesterton Academies. Joseph Pearce is a well-known Catholic author. They will be speaking on the principle of Distributism, which was G. K. Chesterton’s answer to the usurious, unbridled, crony capitalism that has (during his time and since) turned our economy on its head. The Chesterton Event is a very pleasant evening: wine and charcuterie are served at the back of the parish hall, there are two (usually outstanding) lectures given by the speakers, and a short auction. It would make a great “date” night for couples, and we are planning on having a few young ladies supervise children on the classroom side of things, in order to make that possible for families. These sort of parish events have become all the more dear to me as the schedule and demands of the parish have made it increasingly difficult or even impossible to visit the homes of the faithful. I am grateful for the opportunity to spend time with you at them. I hope to see you there – God bless.
