Bulbs Ahoy

Just returned from spending Friday and Saturday up in the motherland of Loretto. A large group of us were sent to plant 1500 daffodil bulbs. About fourteen of us worked doing the planting and it took a lot less time than I expected, only about 2 and a half hours. While heavy rain had been forecast and I even picked up a nice shiny poncho at the dollar store, the rain held off until after we finished all our diggin' and plantin'. One of the new postulants did grounds work in an earlier life and told us that a private company would charge about $6000 for the work we did, I'm thinking about asking for a raise.

Brs. Timothy and Sean were instituted into the ministry of Lector or Reader. This is not part of our movement to stamp out illiteracy, but is a ministerial position giving them the ecclesiastical right to read from the lectionary at any Catholic Church. While anyone can be given the ministry of lector, a particular parish generally only commissions someone to read at their particular parish. In the spring the two brothers will be instituted into the ministry of Acolyte, which means that they can serve as Eucharistic Ministers in any Catholic Church. Both of these ministries are all that remains of the minor orders which used to also include the office of Porter [the person in charge of the doors and ringing the bells], and the office of Exorcist [which included casting off devils and pouring the water of purification over the priests hands during Mass]. There are also the major orders of Deacon and Priest, but no longer the major order of Sub-Deacon. For those who are curious, I am currently an Acolyte.

Seeking an exorcist for the Notre Dame football team after that Purdue game.
Seraphim