Last week when the
apartment building exploded less than a mile from the rectory, I did not hear
the explosion, or the sirens. The next
morning when I drove through the intersection of University Blvd with Piney
Branch and saw the road closed, I assumed it was for roadwork. I learned of the catastrophe only much later
in the day when a parishioner asked whether there was anything we could do
about it.
It takes some of the
sting out of bad news when it reaches you because of good impulses. In fact, most of the people who spoke to me
about it did so with the desire to help those affected by it. Of course I had other input: when I got home
that evening, I ran into a police sergeant who had responded the night before
when it happened. Talk about
bleary-eyed! His shift had stayed on six
extra hours, into the next morning.
But none of it was
morbid curiosity, and it was all remarkably free of the accusation or blame
that so often accompanies any reportage of bad things happening to good
people. Now that I think of it, maybe
that is because I heard it from individuals, not from any media outlet.
In response to all
the inquiries, people did the research and learned that what was needed at that
stage was monetary donations; all the other material needs of the moment were
well met by people and organizations who responded quickly with an outpouring of
assistance.
Since our Community
Fund collection was already on the calendar for the weekend, I decided to
designate the entire collection to assist those affected by the blast and
fire. I joked that the Allocation
Committee, who considers needs and requests to the parish and designates the
grants that are supported by the Community Fund, probably would not object to
my executive decision.
So without any
advance notice or preparation, because there was no time for any, and in the
doldrums of summer when so many people are at the beach or in the mountains or
in Europe or anywhere but in church, you managed to give $2,672.30, well over
our average monthly Community Fund collection.
As I predicted, the
Allocation Committee not offended, but did have a statement to make: RuthAnn Arnsberger, the Chairman, insisted on
adding to it from the Committee enough to round up to make it an even three
thousand. It will make a nicer check.
If you missed the
basket or didn’t have a checkbook, feel free to send in your contribution. We will doubtless have others, and gather
them up and pass them on with love from the good folks of Saint
Bernadette.
But meanwhile, that
is one big check I will be delighted to sign.
So, good work all around, and keep investigating. There might be more we can do in the future,
but your immediate response to immediate need was effective and genuine. And your response is a perfect example of the
power God has given us in Christ to respond to a terrible thing in a way that
transforms it into a good and life-giving thing. Praise God.
Monsignor Smith
