Looking back at the weekly messages of Father Paul Counce, first published in The Carpenter, our weekly Parish Bulletin
Published: May 05, 2019
Over the past few weeks I have been musing on quite a few things that continue to bring smiles to my face. Many of the things we accomplished this Lent, Passiontide, Triduum and Easter were particularly joyful. Our liturgies went exceptionally well, and it was special to welcome Bishop Michael Duca to his first experience of Holy Week here. We also added the Easter Egg Hunt for the little ones (see the pictures on p. 6 of The Carpenter this week!). And there were two things that I especially enjoyed. One of course was tasting coffee again after 40 stark days of my self-imposed, unremitting penance! But the second also made me hum “Alleluia!” to myself a lot: Mr. David Summers’ hire as our permanent Director of Music and Organist! I hope all of you have been sharing some of my happiness!
I’ve also enjoyed having houseguests for a month-and-a-half now. Fathers David Allen and Matthew Dupré have been displaced from their rectory at Holy Family Parish across the river in Port Allen – the structure needed new supports and flooring throughout, and they also are using the opportunity to remodel their kitchen. So they’ve been bunking down at night here in the Cathedral rectory temporarily. Oh, sure, it has sometimes been inconvenient – each has accidentally set off the burglar alarm at least once! – but it’s also been pleasant having someone to eat and chat with in the evening. I’ll admit I’m a confirmed old bachelor, used to my solitude at home, but every now and then I don’t mind a break from routine. It’s been fun having some company!
Yet you will also probably remember the old truth: “No good deed goes unpunished!” Just when things seemed to have been getting back to a quiet normal, we got the bad news that the roofs on the Parish Office and rectory buildings need to be replaced. In one way it’s not surprising: they are the original roofs, dating back to the buildings’ construction in 1966. We certainly have gotten our money’s worth out of them. But it will mean an unbudgeted expenditure of $70,000 or so.
And we really can’t wait too much longer: Father Dupré especially has “enjoyed” the most water dripping during the many heavy rain showers this spring! He’s getting good at placing buckets strategically around his guestroom! I’ve already asked for three bids so that we can obtain the necessary authorizations and get the work underway as soon as possible.
So be prepared to get a special letter of appeal from me at some point in the near future. If each of our “identified givers” can spare an extra $500 to $700 in all over the next five or six months or so, we should be able to handle things fairly painlessly. Yes, we do have some savings that we could withdraw. And yes, I suspect that the diocesan finance office would love for us to borrow money from them so that we could pay it back with interest! But I think it’s always best to leave emergency funds alone while still paying bills in full when they’re due. So, like we were able to handle the church waterproofing and painting a few years ago, and the expansion/improvement of our Parish Hall a few years before that, I have confidence that God will, through your generosity, provide for this project too. I’ll be keeping you informed every step of the way.
Yours in the Risen Lord,
Very Rev Paul D. Counce
