Our Lady of Hope, in Mastic Point is going up as we speak - roof and all. Since we took this pic last week the windows and doors are in and the siding is going on. We didn't have enough money to tile the floor so we were going to paint it BUT since I distributed these pics to friends and family a few have asked how they can help and that help may just be enough to put down tile! Praise God.
The interior has a long way to go. As you can see here as they begin to frame the sacristy and put in the window for that space. Suffice it say - coordinating this AND preparing for the upcoming year of CCD is a very full time job.
On the spiritual front - this year we took the summer months to begin a Charismatic Prayer Meeting at Christ the King, the southern-most parish on the island. There are several Pentecostal churches there and we have begun to notice their influence on some of our members. While this might deter some Catholic clergy, we have been 'Catholic Pentecostals' via the Charismatic Renewal for a few decades now and that spiritual expression is 'home' for us. "Did you know Deac be speakin' da tongues, mahn?" We started with six people the first week, then ten, so we'll see what happens -- right now its back to school time so people are coming back from being away all summer, some are off-island doing back to school shopping, its a bit chaotic for the next week or two -- if attendance rises or falls is the Holy Spirit's business so we will wait until October and decide if we want to add this to our ministries once we start teaching CCD.
Our Primary School students will have a new home for their classes this year. Another abandoned building has been put to work by our renovating what had been a 'bakery' on the grounds of St. Mary's in Behring Point. Fr. Gabriel, the first priest on the family islands, build a church and a rectory, then this bakery to bake bread for those who had none. People still tell me that nobody could slice bread thinner than Fr. Gabriel, but everyone got a slice. This is a pic of Fr. Gabriel with some of the local kids circa 1940
Anyway - the interior dimensions of the building we restored are 9'x32' and for the first time our kids will have tables and chairs. No more kneeling on the church floor and using the pews as desks.
Maybe next time I will have pics of this new building with tables and chairs. Our budget for that effort was nil, since we were also building the church in Mastic Point so we have the building, tables and chairs, but no running water or electricity. I was able to get a 'composting toilet' that you would put on a boat or a camper that does not need water. It will convert the waste into compost that we can use on the property. My mother used to say 'necessity is the mother of invention' and it is certainly true in this case. We will see how we last without electricity since that means no fans in the midst of the Bahamas heat. Maybe there is a solar fan in our future if I can find one.
Pray for us, we certainly need it
