Fr. Ricky V. Ordóñez

A story I heard a long time ago went something like this.  

There was a church in a rather wealthy part of town that was so proud of their history and its long-standing patrician members.  One Sunday, the elite crowd came in their flashy cars and “Sunday’s best”, greeted each other, and took the seats that they had always occupied.  As they were settling in before mass, they saw a young man, whom none of them knew, enter the church.  

The young man was very simply but neatly dressed sported rather longish hair and carried a well-worn backpack.  As he went through the main aisle looking for a place to sit, the “well-heeled” members of the church looked the other way as they moved to occupy whatever space was available in their pew.  Politely, the young man moved to the next pew and was sadly greeted the same way …. “No room for you here.” scoffed one family.  

Finally, when he reached the front pew and also “found it fully occupied”, he just sat on the floor horrifying the crowd.

  Meanwhile, from the back, the town’s richest man who was also the parish’s biggest benefactor and the area’s biggest employer started walking toward the young man seated on the floor.  People were hushed expecting a big confrontation.  Trying to steady himself, the distinguished gentleman, dressed in his Saville Row suit, held the man on his shoulder and said, “Young man, help me sit beside you!” Whereupon the young man reached out and helped him sit on the floor beside him.  

Immediately, many jumped out of their seats to offer it to the distinguished gentleman.  All of their offers were politely refused.  Slowly, one by one, shamed by their behavior, people sat on the floor together with the two for the rest of the mass.  

The Sacristy renovation is almost done.  It now has been retiled, repainted, new cabinets, toilet fixtures, 3 counter tops, etc.  We are awaiting the completion of the altar piece that is being made and the donated upper cabinets installed.  It has been exciting as we see it “coming to life”.  

The rectory dining room, where meetings are held, is also being renovated with a new tile floor, the walls re-stained and the old furniture restored.

  Together with the cleanup and gradual landscaping of the adjoining patio, it will be a good venue for meetings and get-togethers.