Hello, everyone. As we make our way into September, we’re gearing up for our faith formation programs. Some of you have been asking if Grow Group will return this year — yes, indeed! We’ll be meeting again on Wednesday evenings from 6:00-7:30pm in Fireside, beginning September 25th.

Hello, everyone. Nice to be back with you! Vacation always goes so fast, but I’m always so glad to return to Holy Trinity — well, after a day or so, anyway! That seems to be all it takes to fall out of vacation mode, back into work mode!

Hello, everyone. This week I read a poignant interview with a young mom that’s left me thinking ever since. This woman is a professor at Oxford, happily married, two children. In the middle of her third pregnancy, she and her husband were given some devastating news: the little girl growing in her womb was afflicted with a “lethal skeletal abnormality,” and would almost certainly die at birth, or soon thereafter.

Hello, everyone. It’s peach season! Last weekend, someone gave me a bag of those lovely, golden-red delights, which I did my best to turn into a pie. I was reminded of why I enjoy this time of year so much.

Hello, everyone. Did you ever stop to think about what a truly astonishing miracle it is that you are — at all? Just think about how many generations of ancestors had to survive, and meet, and mate, in order for you to be here.

Hello, everyone. As Fr. Dave mentioned, we have Andy Noethe from L’Arche Portland with us this weekend. We received some exciting news a couple weeks ago from the Archdiocese related to L’Arche and our partnership with them, and this weekend seemed the perfect time to share it with you!

Hello, everyone. Many of you have been asking about when/if we’re going to start offering again the Precious Blood at Communion time. Let me update you.

Hello, everyone. Judging by the number of suggestions I’ve lately been getting for my column, many of you seem to think I need to get some new material! Harrumph!

Hello, everyone. Hope you had a wonderful 4th! Someone sent the following brain teasers along this week, so see what you can make of them.

Hello, everyone. Don’t know if you saw the Catholic Sentinel a week or two ago, in which the new clergy assignments were announced. One of the things that struck me as I read was how many of our priests here in the Archdiocese have come to us from other places in the world.

Hello, everyone. A little excerpt for you this week from Jean-Pierre de Caussade’s spiritual classic, "Abandonment to Divine Providence."