From the bulletin for the Third Sunday of Advent (Dec 15, 2024)
Parish Year Retrospective
Everywhere you look now there is a “2024 in Review” of one variety or another. The year’s top photos, songs, sporting moments, geopolitical events, you name it. In the Church, we are by no means obliged to dance to the tune of the world. But this Gaudete Sunday, we have all the more reason for looking back at “the marvels God has done for us” at St. Mark’s in order to be all the more “filled with joy” (Ps 126:3). So here is a brief review. You can, perhaps, read it to the pace and tune of R.E.M.’s “End of the World (as We Know It)” or Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire.”
New Years on a Monday. Small Group Leader training fun day.
Exodus has an early start. This is winter? Kathy’s art.
Valentine’s Ash Wednesday, Archbishop at the Mass. Rolling out the small groups. Confirmation class.Works of Mercy Lenten Talks. West Wall project. Google docs.
Ignite Nerf War nights & days. Organ sealed. Mass Explained.
No more funerals? Organ day. Saint Mark’s patron bible study.
Lenten mailer, confessions galore. Archive room. She Sells the store.
OCIA candidates, welcome home! Director of discipleship gone to Rome.
Easter Vigil pounding pews. Convalidations come in twos.
Lots of weddings. Spring swing dance. Year of Prayer. Give vespers a chance.
Art contest. Name tags. Directory photos (hate to be nags…)
May crownings, brunch with toast. Feast of Mark, hog to roast.
Confirmation. Decor team. First Communion. Rummaging.
Mercy Morn makes debut. Co-op leaving. Down to few.
Seven Sisters get underway. Corpus Christi walk on sunny day.
Adoration push, combined Mass. Light bulb changing. Roofs to patch.
Three point homily? Father Pat. Fifteen minutes? Pastor, that…
Synod Day. Staff retreat. Bell tower dripping: sprung a leak.
Each wedding has its rehearsal. Thousands process to Cathedral.
After graduation, some depart. New arrivals. Sidewalk art.
Mission trip to Peru. Courtyard spotlights. Mothers of Lu.
Garden Ministry blossoms forth. Ministry Summit. Springtime warmth.
PC pipe burst. Homily joke fails. No, it’s Kevin Gearns who writes the emails!
Master Plan committee’s start. Solemnity of Sacred Heart.
Fr. David heads to Detroit. His long absence some exploit.
Mild summer, mass counts taper. Father Louis meets his maker.
Holy Kids Camp. Gym floor waxed. Ice cream social. Budget maxed.
Now who’s in charge of PreK? Addie Smith saves the day!
Parish picnics joyfully. Pastor’s kickball’s MVP!
Back to school. Matt cuts the grass. See propaedeudic men at Mass.
Babies cry. Confession lines. Randy dodges Fire Marshall’s fines.
Coffee & Donuts requires half & half. A new Sister joins the parish staff.
Funeral luncheons. Altar bread. Helen Reedy hits a holy one hundred.
Family Faith Formation enrollment swells. Bless the animals. Ring the bells.
Women’s workouts. Prayer plan pledge. Small group push. Middle East on edge.
Choir grows with voices heavenly. Larry Leif lives, turns seventy.
Synod Year II focus? Eucharist. Reverence and joy, non-dualist.
Liturgy of the hours hosts seminar. Neighbor not happy about where you parked your car.
Taco Tuesdays. Ignite retreated. Stewardship months: Please be seated.
OCIA, record crop. Ministry Fair, reserve your spot.
New Parishioner Lunches (not with steaks). Chapel windows (thank you Shrakes!)
Parishioner rentals. Squirrels made of wood. Somehow, some way, evangelize the neighborhood.
Election year. Healing Mass. St. Paul’s letters? Bible class.
At Thursday holy hours graces flow. Where in the world is Father Humberto?
Parish Soiree: excellent. That same week: new president.
Brothers installed acolytes. Bishop Kenny. End of Life.
All Saints party, eyes on prize. Pastor sometimes fudges rhymes.
Mercy morning makes a splash. Stained glass bid comes: we need cash!
Job Squad’s back. Christmas bazaar. Peru food drawing YAs from near and far.
Eucharist Miracle exhibit. Christ the King is legit!
Lector trainings, boilers fume. Church Appeal. Baby boom.
Hope the Vikings never lose. Now we got to fill the pews! We didn’t start the fire…
Throughout this year that is now ending (as we know it), this parish has been “burning” with holy activity while the world has been turning. Though we can’t take credit for lighting that fire, we can try our best to spread the Flame!
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