Profile: by Mike Heslin

  • “IMHO” May 19, 2012

    Have you noticed yet the parking lot does not seem to be as full as it was a month ago?  Have you noticed the lines in the aisles for the Eucharist do not seem to take as long as they did a month ago?   Something is missing.  Our visitors, our northern neighbors, our “snow birds” have migrated north for the summer.  We wish them a safe trip and hope they will return to us next fall.

     In the interim, the work of Blessed Sacrament Faith Community continues.  The daily and Sunday Masses are celebrated.  Certain ministries are winding down for the summer.  Actually winding down really does not describe what these ministries do during these “slack” times.  The leaders, moderators, facilitators, call-them-what-you may, may let out a sigh of relief and a Deo Gratias!  Then it is right back into planning for next semester’s group, activities, gathering resources, recruiting people to help, space requirements, etc.  Many things get tossed around during this “down time” to ensure that the next time the group comes together all is in readiness.  So a BIG THANK YOU to all of you who do these things.  Not because of the monetary rewards you glean, but that inner feeling of warmth and satisfaction gained from knowing that you did something for someone else and you did it well.  Blessed Sacrament Parish would be less without your participation.  You are the wind beneath Blessed Sacrament’s wings!

     CONGRATULATIONS!  To the newly appointed bishop of Pensacola – Tallahassee, the Rev. Gregory Parks.  Fr. Parks or Bishop-elect Parks was born in Mineola, NY.  He graduated from Florida State University with a bachelor’s degree with a major in finance.  To make a long story short, he gave up his career in banking and finance, deciding to follow the voice he kept hearing in his head and in his heart.  He was ordained a priest in 1999 and now in 2012 he is newly appointed Bishop of Pensacola – Tallahassee.  His career in finance and banking will come as a great help to him as he shepherds his flock.  I do not say that as mean-spirited.  A priest I knew, the Rev. Robert Driscoll, once told that the Catholic Church spends eight years training men to be priests, filling them full of Theology and Philosophy, and after a period of time thrust them in be pastors without any training in finance, economics, budgets, business plans, if you can call a plan to run a parish or a diocese a business plan.  Fr Driscoll was very good as a pastor.  He could have given workshops and seminars on how parish finances should be done.

     DIOCESAN FUN DAY AT THE TROP!  This is the final Sunday to sign up for this Trop trip!  The Rays are doing good things.  They have their good days and they have their off days.  At present, they are in second place in the standings.  They also have had too many injuries in my opinion.  But Joe Maddon, the low key exec he is both on and off the field, is taking it all in stride.  His approach to managing seems to be working on his young squad.  If you haven’t already done so, please sign this weekend or forever hold your peace.

    THAT MAN IS YOU! is meeting Tuesday evenings in the Chapel for evening prayer.  Nick DiVito spent some time from his vocation, restoring and remodeling homes and offices, to tour Italy with his wife, his mother and his sister.  This writer is wondering if he picked any recipes for feeding the TMIY crew when we reassemble in late August or early September.

     Speaking of food. . . Outback Steakhouse and Florida Blood Services have teamed up to give you, the donor, an extra incentive for donating blood.  If you donate blood twice (2 X) (two times) between May 1, 2012 and August 31, 2012, you will get a coupon, a ticket, a voucher, for a free steak dinner at an Outback Steakhouse in the Tampa Bay area.  So if you give blood, you can get a two-fer.  First, you are doing a Corporal Work of Mercy and second, you get a temporal reward for your good work.

     O’SHEA CAN YOU SEE? Tune in evenings between 6:00PM and 7:30PM to listen to Pete O’Shea at 1110 on your AM dial.  Pete is the Youth Minister at St. Patrick’s parish in Largo, which is a member of our Cluster (Blessed Sacrament, St. Justin Martyr, St. Patrick’s and St. Jerome’s).  He gives the Catholic viewpoint of people, places and things.  He also has some interesting guests.  Tune in and hear what Pete or local Church or the Church in general is up to.

    See You in Church!  God Bless

( 3322 )