Two families alerted me that they were going down to the Shore this weekend.   I don't know about everyone else.  We had 91 fewer people inside our church this past weekend, 842 people.  We had a record 216 people at the 10 AM Mass.  Strangely, the church felt a little empty at 10 AM.  It seems that we can fit more people comfortably at the 10 AM Mass than at the 4 PM Mass.  It has to do with the average family size being larger at the 10 AM Mass.

4 PM        239          0

6 PM        132          1

8 AM        123

10 AM      216          2

12 PM      132          5

     I assume that Comcast has fixed the Internet connection problem outside the parish offices.  However, I've kept the cable modem in the rectory because it's closer to the livestreaming computer.  The Internet connection problem prompted me to reconsider the best network topology for us at St. John's.  Getting the livestreaming computer closer to the Internet should increase reliability.

     I also wonder if the problem that Comcast probably fixed by now was the cause of our streaming trouble over the last few weeks.  Well, we have had no such trouble since I moved the cable modem.

     It's strange how the solution to a problem can lead to a better situation than before the problem.  It's kind of like our salvation.  Adam and Eve had a great life in Paradise until they committed the Original Sin and were kicked out.  We're not in Paradise, but we're in a much better situation since Jesus became incarnate, lived, suffered, and died for us.  He is risen, ascended to Heaven, and is eager for us to join Him there.

God love you,

Fr. Jim