Jubilee-The People of St. Francis Remember
The People of St Francis Remember
Starting in late 2013, we asked parishioners (present & past) about what SFDS means to them. Twenty-one interviews with thirty-four parishioners were completed by December 2015 including 3 Pastors and 3 Deacons, in their homes or at Church. Age of interviewees went from 14 to 96 years. It will take several bulletins to capture the richness of their comments. The contributors will be identified in the last installment September 10-11with separate columns for the Clergy interviews. Questions were: your 1st Memory of SFDS, Fondest Memory, Impressed you most, Activities involved in, Favorite Pastor, and Final Thoughts. Here are a few of the highlights.
1st Memories: Born here, in choir at age 7; Mother organized all church dinners; Mrs Dietrich picking up Creswell kids for Mass, Mrs. Sullivan played pump organ, Dan Fitzpatrick took up collections, he once heard confessions when Fr. Fitzgerald did not come; My ancestors married at SFDS in1895, my brother Dick and Mrs. Mueller sang Christmas; People were friendly, music was memorable, Came to mass with Valchek’s at age 5, 65 years ago; The community feeling, the friendship, feeling right at home when we walked in, renewed; Fr. Wolfe had just built Kilduff Hall, Mass in his dining room, he played guitar; First came to parish with family of 6 children in 1959, was a little church, small congregation, at 1st mass did not know of rented assigned pews and was asked to move family from Mrs. Jarrett’s pew; Prayed to feel at home here 37 years ago, responded to Sr. St. Raphael to be catechist, felt Holy Spirit with saying yes; Mass was in Kilduff Hall; 1980, new to area driving down Abingdon road, saw sign for church, mass was in Kilduff Hall, welcoming and intimate, Fr. Wolfe was so loving, closest to extension of home, daughters had friends; 1991 hired by Fr. Tom for music ministry & interviewed by 12 person search committee, immediate welcoming hospitality; Volunteered for Fr. Tom, and Fr. Mike offered facilities management job, Hired as part-time accompanist in 1993, full time as director of education by Fr. Mike; Introduced to parish in kindergarten, pre-school or mass, carrying book for children’s study at Mass;
REMEMBER WE ARE ST. FRANCIS!!