Gratitude for St. Martha Fair, and Updates on Clergy Health

As the bulletin goes to press, this weekend’s St. Martha Parish Holiday Fair is looking like it will be another great success! The Fair Committee and key volunteers worked hard to solicit donations and craft their personal gifts for people to buy, all while patiently accommodating three weeks of limited use of the lower church hall due to renovations upstairs. It is always impressive to see the seemingly ever bigger raffle baskets - not to mention the constant flow of traffic through the church parking lot both days of the fair! This event brings together many parishioners - whether on the committee to prepare, as volunteers at the event itself, and as donors to the raffle prizes and organizers of the popular "Claire's Corner" goods. Many St. Mary parishioners also donated and supported St. Martha by attending the fair. The hard work of many St. Martha parishioners makes possible this very significant fundraiser which is an important to help balance the parish budget, and the whole St. Martha Parish Family is very grateful! In particular, this successful parish event could not have happened without the dedication of the Fair Committee, along with the all the other volunteers who helped prepare and conduct this two-day extravaganza. Your untiring efforts since summertime to create crafts, recruit corporate sponsors, and coordinate the many people and pieces of this wonderful event! Thanks also to all of our corporate sponsors, whose names were posted at the fair and will be published in a future bulletin.

On a more serious note, you may recall that Deacon Tom Hines had surgery in April to address the renal cancer they thankfully discovered (it often goes unnoticed). While we were hoping removal of that kidney would be a cure, follow up scans detected some cells have traveled to his right lung. While disappointed at the news, Deacon Tom and his wife Sue (our St. Martha Parish Secretary) are encouraged by the doctors’ optimism that cutting-edge immunotherapy will both treat these spots and kill any other renal cancer cells in his body. His treatment began recently, and so far, it has no serious side effects. Deacon Tom speaks often of how your prayers have been so meaningful to him, so please keep those prayers and encouraging words coming!

As I explained in a recent column, Fr. Lambert Nieme has been dealing with pain caused by an issue with the vertebrae in his upper back, and he expects to have a new injection to help remedy this problem. Both Deacon Tom and Fr. Lambert are glad that they can continue their active ministry while seeking these treatments, and we are blessed to be members of their family of faith sharing their journey. May all our parishioners and loved ones who are sick or enduring the burdens of aging know they are being lifted by our prayers each day. Please do not hesitate to ask for the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick for yourself or another parishioner who might benefit from the healing power of Christ to touch our bodies, minds and spirits.