First things first. There was a post to rec.pets.cats.anecdotes from Grace, the lady whose 2-year-old daughter died in an accident. It moved me so much, I'm going to repost it here.

It's refreshing to know that there's good in the world, in the face of so many daily headlines that trumpet the world's evils and disasters far and wide.

From: gracecat Subject: Thank you
View: Complete Thread (71 articles)
Original FormatNewsgroups: rec.pets.cats.anecdotes

Date: 2004-09-17 14:09:45 PST

I haven't much to say, other than thank you. The flowers were overwhelming, the notes were beautiful.

I read Pam's first letter, and her last. And I also have the services on tape. If anyone would like to hear the letters to Eve being read, I can rip that to an MP3 in the next few days.

I have hesitated to mention this because it's been a very private thing. But we do have a lurker in our midst folks, one who has been with us for a couple years. And as far as I know, she's never made a single post to our group. But Tuesday night, the family was notified Eve's funeral has been paid in full, to the last penny by this person.

Our decision (when we find her address) is to visit this lady in person and give her a hug. That's been Jody's wish. Mine, one that I requested during the services as I read Pam's welcome letter, is to match this donation in Eve's name to an animal shelter/SPCA/organization. Roughly Eve's costs were $2800, I know we're putting at least half towards a pet charity. I haven't set it up, I haven't even researched the groups and organizations I'd consider but in time, I will.

Secondly, Jody's message board has picked up the cost of her memorial stone. When we decide what we want, it's been settled up. All we have to do is pick it out. I'm just.... overwhelmed by the support. There were additional rooms opened just to contain the flowers. So many that they flooded the cemetary and half of my living room is full of live plants and floral arrangements. They're surrounding my baby, and placed on top as deep as I am tall. Our local florists ran out, shipments running all night from two and three hours away just to get new roses in.

*shakes head*

In time, I'll share what happened. I need to share that. From what I know at least.

Love all of you dearly.

Grace and family

Bear in mind, as I wrote a few days ago: the vast, vast majority of the people in RPCA have never met face to face. Ever. We communicate primarily via newsgroup posts, emails, chat room (though I've never managed to get on the chat yet), and in some cases, snail-mails and phone calls. I have a feeling that the same can be said for the people on Grace's husband Jody's message board. But if there's a group that's a tighter-knit community, I'd like to see what group that would be.

And now someone who doesn't even POST to the group has shown their generosity like this. God bless whoever it was.

In other news... the fallout appears to have begun from the accusations made against our (currently on leave-of-absence) pastor. Today was the first time that the children's choir sang at a Mass since our pastor was accused of molesting several boys in the 1980s. Only 6 kids were in the choir. Last year, there were at least three times that many.

I wonder how many of them left due to graduating, vs. how many of them were pulled out by irate parents? Since I don't think that's an appropriate question to pose to the choir director (who also manages the adult choir), we may never know the answer to that question.

I guess we'll see if the children's choir gains members as the year progresses. Particularly, we'll see what's up once the NJ shore's post-Labor-Day season truly comes to a close in a few weeks. Then all the families who spend time at the shore on weekends will DEFINITELY be home on Sundays, and it'll become more obvious how many people are returning to sing and how many are gone.

Since Fr. S is not in ministry ANYwhere at the moment, nor will he be for the forseeable future, it would be a shame to see the active programs that this parish has for kids and teenagers go down the drain. Personally, I doubt we'll ever see Fr. S. again -- the only thing I wonder is how long it'll take for an official replacement pastor to be named. Right now, Fr. John C has been transferred here from the parish where I grew up, as an administrator. But a parish can't run with an administrator forever -- someone's got to have the official job of overseeing the parish eventually. I guess we'll just have to wait and see how things pan out.