I have some good news and some "not so good" news to share with you.  Firstly, the good news is that the House of Formation for our seminarians and discerners will be formally dedicated this Thursday, September 20, at 6:00 p.m. on the grounds of Our Lady of Good Counsel church in Little Rock.  As a parish, we can be especially proud of this House of Formation as we contributed $50,000 to help pay for the dining room where the seminarians will share all their meals.  The "not so good" news is that our "adopted" seminarian, Guillermo Caballero, who is from Columbia, has left the diocese and returned to his native country.  What I have been told is that he was homesick for his family and for the culture he left behind in Columbia.  Guillermo now has a teaching job in Colombia, and says he has not closed the door on the priesthood.  We grieve the loss of Guillermo as a prospective priest for our diocese and we pray for his continued discernment of his vocation.  I know for a fact that he appreciated our prayers and support during his time of formation as one of our seminarians.  Please keep him in your prayers.

We are blessed to recently hear from the sixth chapter of the Gospel of St. John over four straight weekends at the Sunday liturgy.  It was a great reminder to us that Jesus is the Living Bread come down from heaven for us to eat and never die.  We come to the banquet of the Eucharist to receive Jesus in Holy Communion, and prepare ourselves for the banquet feast of heaven.  Unfortunately, some, due to sickness or a weakened condition, are unable to join us at the Eucharistic celebration.  I am so grateful for the men and women of our parish who bring the Eucharist to people in their homes and in our local retirement facilities.  I know that the people who receive the Eucharist are VERY grateful for the visit of these ministers, which includes prayer and the reception of Jesus in Holy Communion.  I ask you to please remember, if you cannot make it to Mass on Sunday due to sickness or a weakened condition, to please call Marge Stehling at 922-3837.  She will arrange for an extraordinary minister of Communion to visit you with the Eucharist on a day and at a time that works for everyone involved, for as long as you need it.  Even if it's only for a few weeks after a surgery or stay in the hospital, we want to provide this great help to your healing and peace.

I must admit that I was not happy when I was told by someone at the Property Owners Association that we had to move the trailer from its position on Balearic Road in front of the white crosses, which reminded all who drove by, of the tragic reality of 4,000 babies, on average, who die every day in our country through abortion.  While we look forward to a banner being approved to be put in front of our church for a few weeks while we still have the crosses, I urge everyone in our parish to be living signs that communicate to other people in the Village what those crosses stand for and what we as Catholics stand for: "the protection and promotion of human life from conception until natural death."  Please take time yourself to meditate on the tragedy of this ongoing loss of human life in our country and what you can do to promote a "country of life."  The upcoming elections are an important way for us to support those who believe that the "right to life" must supersede the "right to choose" in our country and throughout the world.  If this statement produces a reaction in you, please plan to attend one of our sessions on September 12 at either 2:00 or 6:30 p.m.  Tom Navin of the Diocesan Social Action Office will present the teaching of our bishops on "Faithful Citizenship" and what we should consider before going to the polls.