Dear Friends,
While we’ve had a great summer here in Chicago (don’t tell the rest of the country how nice our weather has been!) and at All Saints, we’ve also suffered a number of losses in the parish.
Three of our stalwart members—Julie Donalek, Clyde Propst, and Mickey Safranek—have died in the past three months. We celebrated and commended Julie and Clyde to God earlier this summer; on Monday we will do the same for Mickey. Each one of them was faithful to All Saints over many years, and our community was faithful to them, caring for them in small and great ways.
I think this is one of the great gifts of being part of a faithful, loving church—we are surrounded, held, even in the hardest times by a community larger than our own family or group of friends. A community that does not shrink from facing the hard truths and experiences of life, even serious illness, even death. A community that will walk with us even when we are scared or angry or grieving. And it is a gift to continue in this community together as we remember and grieve and celebrate those whom we love but see no longer.
What a grace to be in this place, with one another.
Faithfully, Suzanne+