Get ready! As I write this, this is talk of impending snow. Social media is abuzz as are all the folks that use it. Forecasts at the moment vary greatly based on the computer models, but it seems that there will almost certainly be at least some snow this weekend. You’ll probably know for certain if you’re reading this in the printed bulletin Sunday morning. Comparisons are being made to the infamous “Blizzard of ’96.” “Blizzard of ’26”…again, we’ll see! I remember the ’96 storm. I was in the midst of my Spirituality Year at the seminary. By the way, terminology has recently changed. Seminarians now progress through the seminary in “stages” with various names such as “propaedeutic” or “vocational synthesis.” Hmmmm…interesting! Confusing, but interesting! We’ll have to ask our seminarians, Dennis and Ricky, about this when we next see them. Anyway, back in my day of old fashioned terminology, we had just finished Christmas break and seminarians were preparing to return. Then it happened. For me it was like the storm of the century. My little one-way street in Philly looked like someone had sent a picture postcard from Antarctica. No one would be going anywhere…for days. I guessed that I would have to call the seminary and let them know that I was quite literally snowed in. I never had to make that call. Everybody was snowed in – including the priests involved with the Spirituality Year Program. Instead, I received a phone call. It was decided that there would be a delay of one week before returning to the seminary. Hallelujah! As the extra week of Christmas break progressed, I came to realize something as did all the neighbors. The city had abandoned us! We were not going to see a snow plow for a loooonnng time! Plow drivers had greater priorities in clearing streets. It was then that neighbors banded together. Together we dug our street out. It’s truly amazing what can be accomplished when folks band together! One week later, I made my way to the seminary with a couple of classmates – I was the one with a car and a license. Driving into the seminary entrance, we were amazed at what we saw. It was like the scene from the Cecil B. DeMille’s Ten Commandments. There was a wall of snow on each side of the somewhat cleared driveway. I think that I even saw Moses holding out his staff…no wait…or was that a plow driver on break smoking a big stogie? The snow covered seminary grounds were quite beautiful and all the men exchanged various blizzard stories. It was a time of great camaraderie and fellowship. Camaraderie, fellowship, and that which can be accomplished when working together – I hope these are not forgotten on a potentially very snowy weekend and the start of Catholic Schools Week, because I believe that these are just some of the hallmarks of a Catholic school, whether that Catholic institution is the Seminary, Pope John Paul II High School, or our own dear Saint Aloysius Parish School. As you take a break from shoveling or simply enjoy the snow from your kitchen window, think of our seminarians and Catholic school students - and please say a prayer for them! Pray that they might truly come to know and experience camaraderie, fellowship, and that which can be accomplished when working together…hallmarks of a good Catholic education as we “get ready” for snow and the start of Catholic Schools Week!
Peace!
Fr. Wilson