August 31, 2005

Welcoming Remarks: Opening Mass at Blessed Sacrament Church

Remarks by Charles V. McPhillips, Chairman, James-Barry Robinson Trust

Gathered though we are for a celebration this evening, let us begin with a moment of silence to remember, in our hearts and prayers, our brothers and sisters who have suffered so greatly over the past several days in New Orleans and on the Gulf Coast, especially those who have lost their lives, and to ask God's protection of the relief workers and volunteers who are coming to the assistance of so many people in such great distress.

[Moment of silence]

Amen.

Let us build a house where love can dwell, and all can safely live,
A place where saints and children tell how hearts learn to forgive.
Built of hopes and dreams and visions, rock of faith and vault of grace;
Here the love of Christ shall end divisions:
All are welcome, all are welcome, all are welcome in this place.

We sang those words at our Groundbreaking last September, and how appropriate that we repeat them tonight, as we celebrate a very special occasion, a very special birth.

My name is Chuck McPhillips, the Chairman of your new school, and a parishioner of Blessed Sacrament. On behalf of my fellow Trustees—Ed Power, Don Price, Art Prince and Bill Hagan—our principal Steve Hammond, our dear friend, John Tucker, and our entire faculty and staff, it is my honor to welcome you tonight as, figuratively speaking, we baptize this infant school.

We are grateful to Father Dan Klem, Pastor of Sacred Heart, for agreeing to preside at this evening's mass, to Father Ernest Bulinda of St. Mary's, for concelebrating with him, and to Father Joseph Metzger, Pastor of Blessed Sacrament, for hosting us tonight and offering his homily on the Holy Word we are about to proclaim.

After six long years of chasing hopes and dreams and visions, how profoundly grateful we are that God has shed his grace upon us, with the gift of this special new school.

We are also most thankful that all of you, coming from various denominations, have gathered here tonight in friendship and taken something of a leap of faith by attending at the birth of our new school. Indeed, you have helped to bring a new Christian family into being. Together we shall build this family a house—a home—on the firmest of foundations, the rock of our Christian faith.

You know, we are quite excited about the beautiful campus we are constructing. But the truth is that other schools can have nice buildings and grounds, too. We are justly proud of our state-of-the-art technology, but, truthfully, other schools can buy the latest computers as well. And even though we have recruited an incredible faculty and staff, we must concede that we do not own a monopoly on good teachers.

What ultimately sets us and other excellent Catholic schools apart from other good schools, what really makes this new school special, is the blessing we are all about to receive from tonight's liturgy, from the liturgies to follow, and from the gifts which our schoolchildren will receive every day by discovering, and nurturing, and celebrating, in word and deed, their faith in Christ.

Through God's grace, therefore, we join together this evening to christen Saint Patrick Catholic School, and in the words of the hymn, to proclaim from floor to rafter:

All are all welcome, all are welcome, all welcome in this place.