The title of this post comes from one of the Superbowl commentators who took us through the game last night (okay, maybe he took some of us only through the first quarter…kickoff wasn’t until 11:30 PM). Overseas channels showing American football tend to get some second-string guys giving the play-by-plays, much to our endless (and by endless we mean until 12:30) amusement. One of our all-star parishioners (community centre coordinator, parent volunteer for Confirmation, etc…) invited the four of us over to enjoy the game on his HDTV, and we gladly took him up on the offer. He and his wife watch the game every year, and it was great to exchange traditions. It was also a great night for mutual hospitality: we brought over chili dogs to share, and were sent home with a freshly-baked loaf of homemade brown bread. The commercials are different here, though, so don’t ask me my opinion on any of that.

Today was our first event with the Carlow Institute of Technology’s Wexford Campus, which is just about a 7-minute walk from the parish. Dan did a great job putting together a 40-minute Taize prayer service, and 16 students and staff members joined us in a little bit of quiet time to break up the busy-ness of the day. There seems to be a great little community on the campus there, and the student activities people are eager for us to come and do something similar within the next couple of weeks so as to build up a crew of regular attendees. I’m hopeful that this will be the start of a great new ministry for us, as well as a place to connect with people of our own age.

Tonight was also our second first session of “You Shall Be My Witnesses,” the parish-based program(me) of preparation for Confirmation. This was the first session for Scoil Mhuire, so the setup was new for this batch of students and parents, but since we’d been through it before, we felt like old pros. The whole evening went off without a hitch, and I’m looking forward to where this program is heading! We’ve changed it a bit from last year, mostly by moving it to the parish community center rather than holding it in the school. It makes for a completely different atmosphere, and I’m finding that the kids (and parent leaders!) are much more at ease when they’re not trying to make a prayerful small group atmosphere out of a classroom. We’re hoping that this will help some of the students feel more at ease in the church, as well, and that some of them will be willing to become our pilot group for a new faith-based youth group in the parish.

Stay tuned as we move into some busy, Spirit-filled times ahead!