When I walked into the hospital room to anoint the dear lady who asked the nurse to call our parish, she flashed a bright smile and held-up a small stuffed animal she had been holding. “Hi, Father. We are so happy you came,” she said.
After I introduced myself as the “new” pastor at Immaculate Conception, she proudly told me: “Oh, I know everything about that church. I’m 92, you know, and I lived there my entire life.” She paused, and then added: “Well, most of it anyway, until now. But they have been treating me well here. I even like the desserts.”
For the next half-hour or so, she shared with me some of her tales of growing up in Cecil County: the old stores downtown where she shopped as child; her First Communion at the original church on Bridge Street; all the Franciscan Sisters at the school who were so kind to her and her family. It truly was heartwarming to see how much this parish and her Catholic faith meant to her, and as I left her hospital room that evening, I thanked her for all she did for our parish for so long.
She replied without missing a beat: “Father, I did nothing special for the church by myself. We always worked together there. That’s what makes Immaculate Conception and St. Jude’s so special – it’s about US, not me.”
Beautiful words of wisdom at age 92. Thank you to all who work so hard to make the parish community about US. In the months ahead as we transition from summer, there are so many opportunities to come together as a family united in Christ, from the Golf Outing and Dinner to the Oktoberfest and our 175th Anniversary Mass and celebration. Let us continue with His grace to build something beautiful for God, right here in Elkton and North East.