By Deacon Bill Richer
As May is upon us all, many thoughts enter my mind as I wind down the last chapter of being a Director of Youth Ministry at St. Francis, for the third time.
Above all, please know how truly blessed I feel. I continue to believe that Youth Ministry is the most important—and most rewarding—ministry at St. Francis. Over 27 years, I’ve been deeply blessed in two ways. First, by the incredible young people whose presence has enriched my life far more than I could ever return. And second, by the dedicated core team of adults who, even in this short year, have generously shared their gifts to help guide our youth closer to Christ. I’m profoundly grateful to the Holy Spirit—and to each of you—for saying “yes” to this vital mission. You are deeply appreciated and truly loved.
Here is just one example of what our young people can do. On April 23rd, 29 students and the core team helped kick off the garden at St. Francis. Together, we did major work, such as removing weeds, working on the compost bin, general clean-up of the garden, filling the water tank, and, of course, planting the early spring crops. We planted onions, beets, kale, and much more. All of the students appeared to be proud of the jobs they accomplished. Our youth will return to the garden on May 14 to plant the mid-summer crops such as tomatoes.
In closing, the Gospel of John this Sunday has a main theme of “Love one another as I have loved you”. May all of us reflect in our lives on how we can all work on that together. To all of our young people, know that I truly love you!