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May 14, 2021This may be old news to you but, Sandra Bullock has left the island. I read this report in Architectural Digest. “Sandra Bullock’s picturesque Tybee Island home has officially found a buyer. The property, which comprises a 3,360-square-foot main house and an adjacent 2,848-square-foot guest house, sold for $4.175 million. Situated on nearly three acres at the northern end of the exclusive beach town, Bullock’s Georgia home has all the trappings of a perfect vacation getaway.” Who knew that we were an “exclusive” beach town? It certainly doesn’t feel exclusive on weekends.
The new news is that the playground equipment that Ms. Bullock donated to our parish will also soon be leaving the island. My hope is that it will find a home at St. Peter the Apostle School, but it may not be worth the cost to dismantle and reassemble. The parish leadership at St. Peter’s is in the process of making that decision. With the approval of our Pastoral Council and the Diocese, TIMA has announced to our neighbors, their plans to remove one prefabricated set of classrooms so as to erect a bigger set of classrooms on that site with it extending into the present playground area. If TIMA has any hope of adding another grade before the start of the next school year, I’d imagine that this project would need to get underway fairly soon.
Matt Ferry has taken over from Mike Beytagh the leadership of our Building and Grounds Committee. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to Mike for the yeoman work he has done over the years to keep our parish properties in great condition. And Matt is off to a great start. The work of the volunteers that he gathered and directed for our clean-up day on May 1st was awesome. I’m grateful to everyone who pitched in. It was, according to Drew Covar, the largest turnout of volunteers in recent memory. Our parish is blessed by so many generous parishioners who give so willingly of their time and talent to the faith community. Thanks!
Our parish is blessed by so many generous parishioners! Every Mother’s Day weekend, Dom and Gayle Valbuena host the Handmaids of the Immaculate Heart of Mary to a weekend at the beach. This year the good sisters left Sr. Catherine McElroy behind so that she could make a retreat in our Upper Room. Since Sr. Catherine is a native of Philadelphia, I was happy to cook a delicious breakfast of scrapple and eggs for her. Over breakfast she shared that her brother Tom and sister-in-law, Fran had moved to Waycross, Ga. From Levittown, PA. There are four huge parishes in Levittown, and I served in the biggest, St. Michael’s for one year in the 1980’s.
I asked Sr. Catherine what parish her family lived in. She said, “St. Michael’s and they have fond memories of you.” Now, if you asked me to name more than one family from that rather difficult year in Levittown, I’d be hard pressed to do it. But I asked Sister to remind me of her surname. “McElroy,” she said. “And their daughter is Erin,” I replied. Wow! The McElroys were such a great blessing in my life during one of the most difficult years in my priesthood. It is a small world.
As I celebrate my 42nd Anniversary of Ordination on Wednesday, the few difficult times I’ve experienced over the years seem almost trivial compared to the literally thousands of caring people who have graced my life. I have been so greatly blessed. And if you had told me as Cardinal Krol ordained me and my eleven classmates 42 years ago that I’d one day end up by being a parish priest in a paradise also known as Tybee Island, I would have said, “Well, I’ve never heard of such a place, but I don’t think it’s anywhere in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Go crazy someplace else.”
Speaking of going crazy, I’m hoping that many of you will go Bananas with me. A number of parishioners have already signed up for the Bananas game on Tuesday, June 1st. This is a great opportunity to resurrect our St. Michael’s Nights Out. It is easy to sign off for this night of crazy fun at Grayson Stadium. Just click on the link in this bulletin and you’ll be able to buy your tickets.
Taking the Gospel Home: Before he ascended to the right hand of the Father, Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit who would guide and empower us to give witness to his risen presence. How do you bear witness to your faith in your family, school, workplace, and community?
