Many of you will have heard by now that Kate and I are grandparents. My Chicago-daughter Rachel and her husband Adam brought Arthur Francis into this world on Wednesday, August 16. Mother and child are doing well after an unplanned C-section delivery, and Rachel reports that Adam’s love, care, and support throughout the long labor and his first days of fatherhood have been exemplary – which is exactly what the father of a daughter likes to hear. Kate and I plan to visit for a few days in mid-October, and I’ve a quick overnight trip booked for Tuesday and Wednesday this week (hence the changes to this week’s service schedule, N.B.). If you came to the rectory open house last Sunday, you likely saw a few photos of three-day-old Arthur.
Kate and I were delighted to open our home, the rectory, to you after Mass last Sunday. So many of you gave generously when called upon to renovate the rectory after the retirement of my predecessor of thirty years. I haven’t seen any “before” pictures, so I’m grateful for those who pointed out the updates and upgrades to the house. We are blessed to be provided such a welcoming and comfortable place to call home. Thank you for your continued support which makes this all possible.
We had two reasons, at least, for hosting you in our rectory home. First was simply to show off the space as a way to say thank you. Second was to foster connections and relationships between and among you and us. We think that gathering from time to time in a space that is less familiar and routine as the parish hall and garden invites us to mix and mingle with people we might miss at coffee hour when we gather with our usual circle in our usual spot. A parish church is many things, and being a place of quality human connection certainly ranks high on the list. We feel it’s important for us as rector and spouse not only to connect with you, but also to give you an additional way to connect with each other. If you missed out on last Sunday’s rectory open house, fear not – we’ll host another one soon.
God’s blessings and peace,
Dan+
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