A Note From Father Eickhoff

August 21, 2022

Let the parents be glad!
Let the children weep!
The bored boys and girls who have been bad,
Must no longer sleep.

To school they must return,
And in their studies let the midnight candle burn!

That horrific piece of poetry is of my own devising.  It was composed to commemorate this wonderful week when students young and old begin to return to school for the new year of learning.  Now, I hope that everyone who is beginning a new year of studies does so with an eager and enthusiastic spirit. Knowledge is a wonderful thing, and it should be pursued with vigor.  This is something that the Catholic Church has always held to be true.  Too often people nowadays believe that the Church stifles learning both now and in the past.  In fact, the opposite of this statement is the truth.  Take for example the discovery of the laws of heredity:  Gregor Mendel.  Most people who have heard of him know that he was an Augustinian friar.  However, most of those people assume that his experimental work was tolerated at best in the monastery and the Church at large.  The truth is his work was encouraged as learning more about God’s creation and for the betterment of mankind.

And that should be the goal of everyone of us whether we are currently in school (from pre-school to college) or not.  We should seek out opportunities to learn more about the universe around us both to understand more about God it’s creator and to aid in the advancement and improvement of our fellow human beings.  The children returning to school this week are just starting out on this mission.  We who are no longer in formal schooling should be encouraging them both by supporting them in their studies, but also by demonstrating that we are always willing to continue to learn about God, nature, and the accomplishments of humanity.

To the children, youth, and young adults who are returning to school after this past summer may the blessing of God go with you and may you always be eager to learn.  And to the parents who have eagerly awaited the new school year may you always with God’s help be willing to assist your children in their studi

Yours in Christ,

Fr. Stephen Eickhoff

Pastor