Signing into Facebook around 11:20pm tonight the first news feed told more than I wanted to know. Just two days after my family and friends participated in Relay for Life at River Bends Park, I would have been there if I wans't in SC, the one man who brought Religion back into our lives after we lost a loved one to cancer lost his own fight to the beast. Fr. Jerry passed away tonight and though made "offical" thru FB for me the rest of the parish will be sadden in the morning and early day tomorrow on the news.
Fr. Jerry played a huge roll in our parish. He was the father that started the parish over 25 years ago. Always looking forward to the small things, the Children's Christmas Padgent, Graduation Mass, and the big things Baptisms, and Weddings.
His role in my life was HUGE. Right after Poppa died, we started going to his church. Mom told us we would like chuch because Father told stories half way though mass. Cool I thought. As I got older, seeing Father after mass was a highlight. His smile and way he connected with his parishors was amazing. He started mass late waiting til each one of his sheep made it into mass.
Father Jerry was the one to Baptise me, Give me 1st Communion, Confirm me with the help from the Bishop, and I was hoping one day to marry me. I always dreamt he would be the one to marry me since he played such a large part in the rest of my life. My dream was stopped tonight, but it will not make me forgot about my religion or the part that Father Jerry played in my Catholic Life.
He may have been taken from the beast on May 24th, and only a few know from a Facebook status but he will never be forgotten at SJV no matter who becomes our permenent Father, Fr. Jerry's spirit wil always live on.
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On a lighter note. The second part of my travels begin tomorrow to Charleston.
I've had so many fun days already in Greenville and I don't want to leave. Charlie and George have been so fun and have finally got to know my name. They love climbing all over me and ask me to help them with everything.
I've tried gritts, Rita's Italian Ice, Southern BBQ and so much more. I've met so many people from Mary's family and people close to her while she was down here. Helped clean up some throwup the first day I was here, went downtown 3 times, 2 of the times to get some awesome pictures I can't wait to post.
But most of all I've enjoyed getting to know Mary's family. They all have heard so much about me and me about them so I was so fun finally meeting them. The other night at Grandma and Grandpa O'Grady's I found myself surrounded my her family. Literally I was sitting in the middle of the table taking it all in.
I'll contiune my journals of the 2nd leg of the journey. I bet there will be some interesting stories for sure. 4 hours in the car tomorrow after we finish packing, and then Friday we hit the road North to MI.
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