I read a quote from Alex Smith, QB of the San Francisco 49ers. It read, ”It’s not what we do in front of 80,000 people on Sunday that defines who we are, just as we are not defined by what we do on Sundays in Church. It’s how we live Monday through Saturday when no one is watching that defines our legacy. It’s more than a game; it’s life, and we all have a chance to make a difference as we live our lives between Sundays.” What a wonderful thought: if everyone lived in a loving way all week long, helped people in need, shared their abundance of blessings, and instead of hurting others, just quietly went about changing the world one day at a time and one person out a time. God’s message of loving your neighbor would be witnessed in a powerful way.

May was a wonderful showcase of the youth of St. Paul’s. In early May, we had fourteen teens confirmed by Bishop Wolf at the Cathedral of St. John, in Providence. It was a beautiful service, and we were all proud of these young adults who made this important decision to follow Christ. Many of these same teens had just returned from the mission trip to the Dominican Republic. All these students have taken God’s word and put it into action and they are becoming very compassionate adults. They truly have discovered what it means to live between the Sundays.

Youth Sunday was celebrated on May 23rd. Eleven fifth graders and four teens helped perform the parts of the service, as well as the wonderful youth musicians and choirs. The mission teens shared their messages with the congregation. It is always a fantastic celebration of the youth of St. Paul’s. We have a strong future here, as evidenced by these children and teens. Thank you to Father Phil, Trish Nugent, and Dr. Mark for helping to put together this wonderful service, and of course to Deb Mahoney and Bill Healy for all the behind the scenes help. It’s wonderful to have such strong support for the children and youth here at our church.

I would also like to thank all the families that made this a great year. I would especially like to thank Dawn Bedard, Libby and Amanda Cirillo, and Danielle Kennedy for assisting the fifth grade Emmaus class when they made the bread for Youth Sunday. It was a great help and the kids loved that project. I really did appreciate all the extra hands that morning. Also, a thank you is offered up to all the families of the Emmaus class for helping with the wonderful reception following the Youth Sunday service. You really helped to make it a special day for the Confirmation and Emmaus classes. A final thank you to all the parents who helped supply snack and drinks for coffee hour, it was a huge help, because as you are well aware of, they love to eat.

Summer is upon us, which means there will be a recess from Sunday school. We will return in September, although as of now we are short four teachers for the fall. Teens who have already been confirmed and adults are welcome to teach. We provide curriculum, and try to pair new teachers up with more experienced ones. No teaching experience is required, just the willingness to share God’s word with the youth of St. Paul’s. If you are interested, please call me at home, or email. (phone or email available on request) Let’s make this the best Sunday school there can be for these wonderful children.

Enjoy the summer and I will see you in September.