Tuesday, July 30, 2019

MONDAY DIARY: ALMOST EXCRUCIATINGLY TRUE STORIES: ANTHONY, ANTHONY, COME AROUND

This past weekend was a great one for our little neighborhood of West Akron.  The city brought the "BIG" stage out to Elm Hill Park, known to most people as Forest Lodge Park.  For two nights they had the Verb Ballet and on the third night the Akron Symphony Orchestra.  HUNDREDS of people made their way to our little park.  I had family and friends over and we walked out the front door of the rectory practically into the audience area.  NICE!

It was a great crowd.  The event planners were also great about cleaning up after.  It would be difficult to know there were so many people here the Monday after the event.  It was spectacular.

Even so, I warned the residents in the rectory that we should be careful about making sure buildings and vehicles are locked up.  Always a prudent thing to do anyway, it seemed especially sensible thing to do with the crowds that were expected.

But everything seemed fine - fine, that is until I went into the sacristy on Monday morning and was greeted with this:
Cigaret butts were bad enough but we could deal with it.  But the TABERNACLE KEY!  That was SERIOUS!  Was it left out after the last Mass???  Did someone take the opportunity to lift it?  A search was executed first for the key and to check out every nook and cranny to see if anything else was damaged or missing.  It seemed that the only thing missing was the key.  But that was serious.

So what was it?  Did someone come in and smoke (were they drunk or high?) and go up to the tabernacle and see the ornate key and decide just to pocket it?  This is awful!  I told our business manager to look at the security tapes but it NEVER FLIPPED UP TO THE SANCTUARY TO CATCH THE THEIF!  We put out a repair order for the camera.

Meanwhile plans were made to safeguard the Blessed Sacrament.  An extra key would have to be made (so we still would have two) and plans to have the lock changed and secure the building until it was or keep the Eucharist in the rectory tabernacle until this was resolved - or what?  Put a chain around the tabernacle doors?

While all this mania was going on, I took one last look in the vault.
Yep.  There it was.  Not in its usual spot but it was in there.  So no need to repair the security cameras.  What a waist of perfectly good hysteria.  It was like when Mom would tell you exactly were the Mayo was in the refrigerator and you would say, "I can't find it," and she should walk right in and put her hand on it.  "It's right there in front of your eyes John Anthony!  Why, if was a snake . . ."

Well.  Thank you St. Anthony.


JUST SO YOU KNOW:  I'm going to Kansas City - Kansas City here I come so I am not sure there will be any posts the rest of the week.  We'll see.

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